--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They must talk to each other directly…" description: "\"“They must talk to each other directly, Ender, mind to mind. What one thinks, another can also think; what one remembers, another can also re-member. W..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50c/orson-scott-card-134_communication_they-must-talk-to-each-other-directly-en_517170.png" --- # They must talk to each other directly, Ender, mind to… ![“They must talk to each other directly, Ender, mind to mind. What one thinks, another can also think; what one remembers, another can also re-member. Why would they ever develop language? Why would they ever learn to read and write? How would they know what reading and writing were if they saw…” quote by Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50c/orson-scott-card-134_communication_they-must-talk-to-each-other-directly-en_517170.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50c/orson-scott-card-134_communication_they-must-talk-to-each-other-directly-en_517170.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50c/orson-scott-card-134_communication_they-must-talk-to-each-other-directly-en_517170.png) > ““They must talk to each other directly, Ender, mind to mind. What one thinks, another can also think; what one remembers, another can also re-member. Why would they ever develop language? Why would they ever learn to read and write? How would they know what reading and writing were if they saw them? Or signals? Or numbers? Or anything that we use to communicate? This isn’t just a matter of translating from one language to another. They don’t have a language at all. We used every means we could think of to communicate with them, but they don’t even have the machinery to know we’re signaling. And maybe they’ve been trying to think to us, and they can’t understand why we don’t respond.”” [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It questions the necessity of language when communicating with beings lacking any shared symbols or cognition. **In simple terms:** Language may be useless with non‑communicative beings. Key Takeaway Consider alternative communication methods. Themes communication language understanding Mood thoughtful speculative Type philosophical inquisitive When to use this quote - first contact - teaching AI - cross‑species dialogue Key Concepts cognition symbolism alien intelligence Questions to Reflect On - Can we ever truly understand a mind without shared symbols? - What non‑verbal ways could bridge such gaps? A Different Perspective If the other party cannot perceive signals, communication fails. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Read And Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-and-write/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading and writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-and-writing/) [Telepathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telepathy/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [There was no doubt now in Ender's mind. There was no help for him. 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