--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whenever I meet people for the first…" description: "\"Whenever I meet people for the first time, I assume that they have a great story to tell and that it's my job to find it.\" — Sarah Ferguson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/sarah-ferguson-21381_assuming_whenever-i-meet-people-for-the-first-tim_2695926.jpg" --- # Whenever I meet people for the first time, I assume that… ![“Whenever I meet people for the first time, I assume that they have a great story to tell and that it's my job to find it.” quote by Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/sarah-ferguson-21381_assuming_whenever-i-meet-people-for-the-first-tim_2695926.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/sarah-ferguson-21381_assuming_whenever-i-meet-people-for-the-first-tim_2695926.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/sarah-ferguson-21381_assuming_whenever-i-meet-people-for-the-first-tim_2695926.jpg) > “Whenever I meet people for the first time, I assume that they have a great story to tell and that it's my job to find it.” [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Assume everyone holds a valuable story; your role is to uncover it. **In simple terms:** People have stories; you find them. Key Takeaway Listen actively to discover others' narratives. Themes communication empathy storytelling Mood curious engaging Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - networking events - interviews - team meetings - customer research Key Concepts active listening questioning relationship building Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify which stories matter? - What questions help reveal deeper narratives? A Different Perspective Not all stories are relevant; listening may be time‑consuming. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assume Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume-great-2695019/) [Assuming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assuming/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Great Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-story/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Meet People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meet-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Story Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-tell/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Only humans are judgmental, and because you are, you assume that I must be. Yet I am not, and that is the great truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/only-humans-are-judgmental-and-because-you-are-you-assume-that-i-must/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [To be great is to assume great concerns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vizinczey/to-be-great-is-to-assume-great-concerns/) [Stephen Vizinczey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vizinczey/) > [I have a great story to tell and I tell it well. No holds barred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aishwarya-rai-bachchan/i-have-a-great-story-to-tell-and-i-tell-it-well-no-holds-barred/) [Aishwarya Rai Bachchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aishwarya-rai-bachchan/) > [You know its going to be a great story when it starts off with, So this BITCH...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-verma/you-know-its-going-to-be-a-great-story-when-it-starts-off-with-so/) [Amit Verma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-verma/) > [“I can forgive almost any crime if a great story is left in its wake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/i-can-forgive-almost-any-crime-if-a-great-story-is-left-in-its-wake/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [If I ever come across a great story I wouldn't mind co-producing a web show or a miniseries on TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prachi-desai/if-i-ever-come-across-a-great-story-i-wouldn-t-mind-co-producing-a/) [Prachi Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prachi-desai/) > [Every great story seems to begin with a snake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/every-great-story-seems-to-begin-with-a-snake/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) > [We are our choices. Build yourself a great story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/we-are-our-choices-build-yourself-a-great-story/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [Every great love starts with a great story...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/every-great-love-starts-with-a-great-story/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [You know it's gonna be a great story when it starts off with, 'So this b\*tch...'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-it-s-gonna-be-a-great-story-when-it-starts-off-with-so-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you have a great story, any film will work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-madhavan/if-you-have-a-great-story-any-film-will-work/) [R. Madhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-madhavan/) > [Every great story deserves a great ending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/every-great-story-deserves-a-great-ending/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [You might not have the biggest budget or resources or cast, but if you have a great story, people will latch onto it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-whannell/you-might-not-have-the-biggest-budget-or-resources-or-cast-but-if-you/) [Leigh Whannell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-whannell/) > [Great story how many more times you going to tell it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/great-story-how-many-more-times-you-going-to-tell-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scripture is, at its heart, the great story that we sing in order not just to learn it with our heads but to become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/scripture-is-at-its-heart-the-great-story-that-we-sing-in-order-not/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) ## More by Sarah Ferguson > [The queen and I always got on well, still do; I uphold everything Her Majesty represents, has given up her life for. It's her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/the-queen-and-i-always-got-on-well-still-do-i-uphold-everything-her/) [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) > [I didn't want a divorce but had to because of circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/i-didn-t-want-a-divorce-but-had-to-because-of-circumstance/) [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) > [For me, faith means that what is right will win out one day. It means that the universe is not aimless but moves by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/for-me-faith-means-that-what-is-right-will-win-out-one-day-it-means/) [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) > [He's by best friend and the father of my children. He's a great ex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/he-s-by-best-friend-and-the-father-of-my-children-he-s-a-great-ex/) [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) > [As long as it is hot, wet and goes down the right way, its fine with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/as-long-as-it-is-hot-wet-and-goes-down-the-right-way-its-fine-with-me/) [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) > [“You telephoned me every evening. I was very grateful to you. Sometimes we would talk for five or ten minutes, and sometimes for three-quarters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/you-telephoned-me-every-evening-i-was-very-grateful-to-you-sometimes/) [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) > [“I pretended it was nothing. That day I told you about my baby, and why I had had an abortion. It would have damaged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/i-pretended-it-was-nothing-that-day-i-told-you-about-my-baby-and-why/) [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) > [“I woke with a dreaded pain of hunger this morning, but it was not for food. You knew about hat. It was our most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/i-woke-with-a-dreaded-pain-of-hunger-this-morning-but-it-was-not-for/) [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) > [I really miss Diana. I loved her so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/i-really-miss-diana-i-loved-her-so-much/) [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) > [Diana was one of the quickest wits I knew; nobody made me laugh like her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/diana-was-one-of-the-quickest-wits-i-knew-nobody-made-me-laugh-like/) [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) > [I left my marriage knowing I'd have to work. I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/i-left-my-marriage-knowing-i-d-have-to-work-i-have/) [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) > [The elderly have weathered enough squalls to know that this one, too, shall pass. They own the courage to be original; they've learned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/the-elderly-have-weathered-enough-squalls-to-know-that-this-one-too/) [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) > [I wanted to work; it's not right for a princess of the royal house to be commercial, so Andrew and I decided to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/i-wanted-to-work-it-s-not-right-for-a-princess-of-the-royal-house-to/) [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) > [“I had often tried to get out of your room, having travelled all the way there. It frightened me to be caught in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/i-had-often-tried-to-get-out-of-your-room-having-travelled-all-the/) [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) > [It was dreadful. They tried to put the little redhead in a cage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/it-was-dreadful-they-tried-to-put-the-little-redhead-in-a-cage/) [Sarah Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) [Explore all 29 Sarah Ferguson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/) ## More Assuming quotes > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) [James T. Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-conway/) > [Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/everyone-assumes-writers-spend-their-time-lounging-around-writing-and/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [A state of mind is something that one assumes. It cannot be purchased, it must be created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/a-state-of-mind-is-something-that-one-assumes-it-cannot-be-purchased/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [One must believe that every living thing whatsoever must change insensibly in its organization and in its form... One must therefore never expect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/one-must-believe-that-every-living-thing-whatsoever-must-change/) [Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/) > [I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-the-biggest-problem-working-with-me-would-be-that-i-m-an-only/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [It is worth noticing that those who assume an imposing demeanor and seek to pass themselves off for something beyond what they are, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/it-is-worth-noticing-that-those-who-assume-an-imposing-demeanor-and/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [People just assume that if you're famous, you're in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/people-just-assume-that-if-you-re-famous-you-re-in-hollywood/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-perry/humans-suffer-from-self-centred-notions-as-to-the-nature-of-life/) [Steve Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-perry/) > [We can use our art to become political, to become something you want to talk about. We make clothes, but we have the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-rousteing/we-can-use-our-art-to-become-political-to-become-something-you-want/) [Olivier Rousteing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-rousteing/) > [Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/everyone-seems-to-assume-that-the-unscrupulous-parts-of-journalism/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) [Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assuming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whenever I meet people for the first time, I assume that they have a great story to tell and that it's my job to find it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sarah Ferguson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/whenever-i-meet-people-for-the-first-time-i-assume-that-they-have-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assuming" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/whenever-i-meet-people-for-the-first-time-i-assume-that-they-have-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/sarah-ferguson-21381_assuming_whenever-i-meet-people-for-the-first-tim_2695926.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/sarah-ferguson-21381_assuming_whenever-i-meet-people-for-the-first-tim_2695926.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/sarah-ferguson-21381_assuming_whenever-i-meet-people-for-the-first-tim_2695926.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whenever I meet people for the first time, I assume that they have a great story to tell and that it's my…” — Sarah Ferguson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sarah Ferguson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ferguson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Whenever I meet people for the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/whenever-i-meet-people-for-the-first-time-i-assume-that-they-have-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ferguson/whenever-i-meet-people-for-the-first-time-i-assume-that-they-have-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```