---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Personally, he much preferred to get them…"
description: "\"“Personally, he much preferred to get them chatting. People were generally much less inclined to want to kill you once you’d chatted for a bit, and if ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/philip-reeve-13157_chatting_personally-he-much-preferred-to-get-them_1472946.png"
---

#  Personally, he much preferred to get them chatting. People…

![“Personally, he much preferred to get them chatting. People were generally much less inclined to want to kill you once you’d chatted for a bit, and if they weren’t, well, at least you could use the time to think of an escape plan.” quote by Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/philip-reeve-13157_chatting_personally-he-much-preferred-to-get-them_1472946.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/philip-reeve-13157_chatting_personally-he-much-preferred-to-get-them_1472946.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/philip-reeve-13157_chatting_personally-he-much-preferred-to-get-them_1472946.png)

> ““Personally, he much preferred to get them chatting. People were generally much less inclined to want to kill you once you’d chatted for a bit, and if they weren’t, well, at least you could use the time to think of an escape plan.””

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Engaging in conversation can humanize potential threats, reducing hostility and buying time for planning.

**In simple terms:** Talking can calm enemies and give you time.

Key Takeaway

Talk to defuse tension and plan escape.

Themes

conflict communication survival

Mood

strategic pragmatic

Type

advice cautionary

When to use this quote

- dangerous encounters
- hostage situations
- first contact
- team building
- crisis management

Key Concepts

psychology negotiation

Questions to Reflect On

- When is conversation ineffective?
- What alternatives exist when dialogue fails?

A Different Perspective

May not work with truly hostile or irrational actors.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Chatting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chatting/) [Chatting People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chatting-people-1012384/) [Escape Plan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/escape-plan-1868362/) [Kill Chatted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kill-chatted-5349106/) [Preferred Chatting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preferred-chatting-5349107/)

## Related quotes

> [With 'Urban Secrets,' I just really liked the idea of wandering around chatting to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/with-urban-secrets-i-just-really-liked-the-idea-of-wandering-around/)

[Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/)

> [I don't want to be chatting with people over social media every day. I think that's a very dangerous thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-savoretti/i-don-t-want-to-be-chatting-with-people-over-social-media-every-day-i/)

[Jack Savoretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-savoretti/)

> [I'm not a great one for chatting people up because it's phoney.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-armstrong-jones/i-m-not-a-great-one-for-chatting-people-up-because-it-s-phoney/)

[Antony Armstrong-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-armstrong-jones/)

> [I'm not a great one for chatting people up, because it's phony. I don't want people to feel at ease. You want a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-armstrong-jones-1st-earl-of-snowdon/i-m-not-a-great-one-for-chatting-people-up-because-it-s-phony-i-don-t/)

[Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-armstrong-jones-1st-earl-of-snowdon/)

> [Cyberspace can't compensate for real space. We benefit from chatting to people face to face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sacks/cyberspace-can-t-compensate-for-real-space-we-benefit-from-chatting/)

[Jonathan Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sacks/)

> [I like chatting with people. If people ask me a direct question, I give them a direct answer and I feel I've always done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiefer-sutherland/i-like-chatting-with-people-if-people-ask-me-a-direct-question-i-give/)

[Kiefer Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiefer-sutherland/)

> [“It’s very nice of you to come and say hello.” I didn’t reply to this either because Mrs. Alexander was doing what is called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/it-s-very-nice-of-you-to-come-and-say-hello-i-didn-t-reply-to-this/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [Escape plan number seventeen," I told her. "Run away and open a juice stand in Fresno." "Why Fresno?" "Sounds like the kind of place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/escape-plan-number-seventeen-i-told-her-run-away-and-open-a-juice/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“Violence is the only way to achieve freedom, it seems. I wouldn't have thought so before all of this. My escape plan was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-destefano/violence-is-the-only-way-to-achieve-freedom-it-seems-i-wouldn-t-have/)

[Lauren DeStefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-destefano/)

> [I never see these things coming. They happen too fast. One second you're proposing an escape plan and the next...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-never-see-these-things-coming-they-happen-too-fast-one-second-you/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [“I take it you have some sort of plan going? Something that calls for you to be arrested?" "There, now, you see? I told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-macalister/i-take-it-you-have-some-sort-of-plan-going-something-that-calls-for/)

[Katie MacAlister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-macalister/)

> [After two terms as California's Governator, Schwarzenegger slipped comfortably back into pictures with 'The Last Stand,' a modern Western, then crammed into the wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-corliss/after-two-terms-as-california-s-governator-schwarzenegger-slipped/)

[Richard Corliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-corliss/)

> [Even drunk, I knew any escape plan that involved going to Detroit, Michigan, was a harbinger of doom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-johnson/even-drunk-i-knew-any-escape-plan-that-involved-going-to-detroit/)

[Mat Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-johnson/)

> [“Immediately, I was caught up in an escape plan to spirit me out of San Francisco and back to North Oaks in a manner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-ferraro/immediately-i-was-caught-up-in-an-escape-plan-to-spirit-me-out-of-san/)

[Geraldine Ferraro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-ferraro/)

> [“People were sitting together, talking and telling stories face-to-face again, instead of staring at a cell phone screens while texting or chatting with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-foster/people-were-sitting-together-talking-and-telling-stories-face-to-face/)

[Mike Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-foster/)

## More by Philip Reeve

> [“She wanted to stop, but she was riding a wave of memory and it was carrying her backward to that night, that room, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/she-wanted-to-stop-but-she-was-riding-a-wave-of-memory-and-it-was/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

> [he cut through the 21st Century Gallery, past the big plastic statues of Pluto and Mickey, animal headed gods of lost America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/he-cut-through-the-21st-century-gallery-past-the-big-plastic-statues/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

> [“Its a town eat town world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/its-a-town-eat-town-world/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

> [“It will be all right, Tom. Wherever we go now, whatever becomes of us, we'll be together, and it will all be all right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/it-will-be-all-right-tom-wherever-we-go-now-whatever-becomes-of-us-we/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

> [“The Scriven men wore stack-heeled boots and pearl-studded evening coats; the ladies in their vast skirts looked like mythical creatures, half woman, half sofa.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/the-scriven-men-wore-stack-heeled-boots-and-pearl-studded-evening/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

> [“Oenone had found the chapel by accident, and was not certain what kept drawing her back to it. She was not a Christian. Few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/oenone-had-found-the-chapel-by-accident-and-was-not-certain-what-kept/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

> [“Uncle knows best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/uncle-knows-best/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

> [“But the look on his face was so strange that I hadn't the heart to take his story away from him. He believed it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/but-the-look-on-his-face-was-so-strange-that-i-hadn-t-the-heart-to/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

> [“And isn't that what all boys want and all men, too? Just to be taken seriously?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/and-isn-t-that-what-all-boys-want-and-all-men-too-just-to-be-taken/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

> [Godshawk looked surprised, the way that people generally do when you ask them philosophical questions in shrubberies in the middle of the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/godshawk-looked-surprised-the-way-that-people-generally-do-when-you/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

> [“Outside, Melliphant's ear flattened itself against the wood of the door like a pale slug.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/outside-melliphant-s-ear-flattened-itself-against-the-wood-of-the/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

> [“Waste not, want not’ is the Engineers’ motto, Miss. Properly processed human ordure makes very useful fuel for our city’s engines. And we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/waste-not-want-not-is-the-engineers-motto-miss-properly-processed/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

> [I don't travel much; I just stay at home and imagine weird places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/i-don-t-travel-much-i-just-stay-at-home-and-imagine-weird-places/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

> [Is it...dead?" asked Tom, his voice all quivery with fright. "A town just ran over him," said Hester. "I shouldn't think he's very well...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/is-it-dead-asked-tom-his-voice-all-quivery-with-fright-a-town-just/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

> [“The closest she had been to them was certain summer evenings when they had gone for picnics in the magravine's ice-barge -- simple family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/the-closest-she-had-been-to-them-was-certain-summer-evenings-when/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

[Explore all 51 Philip Reeve quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

## More Chatting quotes

> [“People were sitting together, talking and telling stories face-to-face again, instead of staring at a cell phone screens while texting or chatting with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-foster/people-were-sitting-together-talking-and-telling-stories-face-to-face/)

[Mike Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-foster/)

> [I spend a fair amount of time chatting to black cab drivers in London.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hopkins/i-spend-a-fair-amount-of-time-chatting-to-black-cab-drivers-in-london/)

[Katie Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hopkins/)

> [What was funny if you were there is that we were all immensely sophisticated people who knew exactly what she was going to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-holden/what-was-funny-if-you-were-there-is-that-we-were-all-immensely/)

[Anthony Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-holden/)

> [I'm not good at chatting right away. Women have to be very patient with me, I suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-hedlund/i-m-not-good-at-chatting-right-away-women-have-to-be-very-patient/)

[Garrett Hedlund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-hedlund/)

> [I find acting tough, but sitting around chatting - that's easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-frost/i-find-acting-tough-but-sitting-around-chatting-that-s-easy/)

[Nick Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-frost/)

> [“But once when she was chatting with some stupid boy online, she described herself as the color of coffee with not enough milk. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-jos-older/but-once-when-she-was-chatting-with-some-stupid-boy-online-she/)

[Daniel José Older](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-jos-older/)

> [Many desire to kill me, and many wish to spend an hour chatting with me. The law protects me from the former.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/many-desire-to-kill-me-and-many-wish-to-spend-an-hour-chatting-with/)

[Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/)

> [I've been giving a little gamble on the roulette and just sitting having a coffee with the fans, chatting away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-hatton/i-ve-been-giving-a-little-gamble-on-the-roulette-and-just-sitting/)

[Ricky Hatton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-hatton/)

> [One night, I was chatting with a group of 16-year-old girls over a few drinks about a name for the record store ... A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/one-night-i-was-chatting-with-a-group-of-16-year-old-girls-over-a-few/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [“There's a lot of haters out there. Instead of focusing on improving themselves they prefer to spend their time chatting shit about you. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-newton/there-s-a-lot-of-haters-out-there-instead-of-focusing-on-improving/)

[Lisa Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-newton/)

> [Christina Ricci is amazing, the most professional actor I think I've ever met. You can be chatting with her and when they call action,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kudrow/christina-ricci-is-amazing-the-most-professional-actor-i-think-i-ve/)

[Lisa Kudrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kudrow/)

> [I like chatting with people. If people ask me a direct question, I give them a direct answer and I feel I've always done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiefer-sutherland/i-like-chatting-with-people-if-people-ask-me-a-direct-question-i-give/)

[Kiefer Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiefer-sutherland/)

> [I'm quite the nagger too. I nag at the others when their chatting makes our rehearsals finish later than scheduled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seohyun/i-m-quite-the-nagger-too-i-nag-at-the-others-when-their-chatting/)

[Seohyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seohyun/)

> [I still do lots of gigs where I'm the support act and people are chatting through my set, but I've got better at grabbing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-thompson/i-still-do-lots-of-gigs-where-i-m-the-support-act-and-people-are/)

[Teddy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-thompson/)

> [ \[President George W.\] Bush - never mind his well-crafted set speeches; listen to him as he leans on a lectern, chatting to an audience… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/president-george-w-bush-never-mind-his-well-crafted-set-speeches/)

[George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/)

[Browse all 130 Chatting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chatting/)

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