---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A boy has other people do the talking for…"
description: "\"“A boy has other people do the talking for him; a man speaks his mind.”\" — Shannon L. Alder"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/shannon-l-alder-363_boy_a-boy-has-other-people-do-the-talking-fo_2969594.jpg"
---

#  A boy has other people do the talking for him; a man…

![“A boy has other people do the talking for him; a man speaks his mind.” quote by Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/shannon-l-alder-363_boy_a-boy-has-other-people-do-the-talking-fo_2969594.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/shannon-l-alder-363_boy_a-boy-has-other-people-do-the-talking-fo_2969594.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/shannon-l-alder-363_boy_a-boy-has-other-people-do-the-talking-fo_2969594.jpg)

> ““A boy has other people do the talking for him; a man speaks his mind.””

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

## About This Quote

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

A contrast between passive reliance on others and active personal expression.

**In simple terms:** Speak for yourself rather than letting others speak for you.

Key Takeaway

Own your voice.

Themes

communication authenticity individuality

Mood

reflective encouraging

Type

advice motivational

When to use this quote

- meetings
- public speaking
- personal negotiations

Key Concepts

self‑expression leadership

Questions to Reflect On

- When do you let others speak for you?
- What benefits come from speaking your mind?

A Different Perspective

Some may view it as dismissive of collaboration.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty/) [Fearful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fearful/) [Lack of confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lack-of-confidence/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Manners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manners/) [Paranoia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paranoia/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/)

## Related quotes

> [“A man of few words is wiser than a man that speaks out his mind~”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-toledo/a-man-of-few-words-is-wiser-than-a-man-that-speaks-out-his-mind/)

[Elena Toledo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-toledo/)

> [If a man speaks his mind in a forest, and no woman hears him, is he still wrong?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/if-a-man-speaks-his-mind-in-a-forest-and-no-woman-hears-him-is-he/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [Certainly, when I was a boy, people liked to believe that lawyers were kind of pillars of goodness of the likes of Atticus Finch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/certainly-when-i-was-a-boy-people-liked-to-believe-that-lawyers-were/)

[Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/)

> [You were the sort of boy people wrote poetry about, so that's exactly what I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-were-the-sort-of-boy-people-wrote-poetry-about-so-that-s-exactly/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I think once I was in high school - I had boyfriends and stuff like that, but I think when I was younger, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-peet/i-think-once-i-was-in-high-school-i-had-boyfriends-and-stuff-like/)

[Amanda Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-peet/)

> [It's no good talking to a man with an apology for a brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-cole/it-s-no-good-talking-to-a-man-with-an-apology-for-a-brain/)

[Lester Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-cole/)

> [There are few wild beasts more to be dreaded than a talking man having nothing to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/there-are-few-wild-beasts-more-to-be-dreaded-than-a-talking-man/)

[Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/)

> [There's nothing in the world so sad as talking to a man who never knew his life was his for making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-lamontagne/there-s-nothing-in-the-world-so-sad-as-talking-to-a-man-who-never/)

[Ray LaMontagne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-lamontagne/)

> [I have a conscience, man, and I've worked really hard to keep it where you would feel like you were talking to the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/i-have-a-conscience-man-and-i-ve-worked-really-hard-to-keep-it-where/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

> [Never never trust a sweet talking man or woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dkumar/never-never-trust-a-sweet-talking-man-or-woman/)

Dkumar

> [I'm always for the person who speaks their mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-najimy/i-m-always-for-the-person-who-speaks-their-mind/)

[Kathy Najimy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-najimy/)

> [Certainly in the modern age where everything is glossed over, when somebody speaks their mind, the majority of the public go, I'd love to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-waterman/certainly-in-the-modern-age-where-everything-is-glossed-over-when/)

[Pete Waterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-waterman/)

> [Unlike most politicians who speak only from their mind, Amar Singhji thinks and speaks both from his mind and heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaya-prada/unlike-most-politicians-who-speak-only-from-their-mind-amar-singhji/)

[Jaya Prada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaya-prada/)

> [Donald Trump speaks his mind. If you like it or you don't like it, at least you know where he stands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabio-lanzoni/donald-trump-speaks-his-mind-if-you-like-it-or-you-don-t-like-it-at/)

[Fabio Lanzoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabio-lanzoni/)

> [“Do I shock you? I think I do. That’s the problem these days – nobody speaks their mind. No, don’t smile. They really don’t.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/do-i-shock-you-i-think-i-do-that-s-the-problem-these-days-nobody/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

## More by Shannon L. Alder

> [“Don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself to people that are committed to misunderstanding you. Instead, commit your time to explaining who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-waste-your-time-trying-to-explain-yourself-to-people-that-are/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“God is going to send you someone that will rescue you. Then one day you will rescue them in return and together your story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-is-going-to-send-you-someone-that-will-rescue-you-then-one-day/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“You can be bit in the leg by a rattlesnake and seek help to heal your wound, or you can run after it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/you-can-be-bit-in-the-leg-by-a-rattlesnake-and-seek-help-to-heal-your/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“It is not the self respect and pride that you take with you, but the heritage you leave behind to your children that matters.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-is-not-the-self-respect-and-pride-that-you-take-with-you-but-the/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“The art of being wise is the art of knowing that solutions don’t come from individuals, but rather experiences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-art-of-being-wise-is-the-art-of-knowing-that-solutions-don-t-come/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“If you have feelings for someone, let them know. It doesn’t matter if they can be in your life or not. Maybe, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/if-you-have-feelings-for-someone-let-them-know-it-doesn-t-matter-if/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“After every storm, there is a rainbow. If you have eyes, you will find it. If you have wisdom, you will create it. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/after-every-storm-there-is-a-rainbow-if-you-have-eyes-you-will-find/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“Don’t ever feel bad that someone couldn’t give you all of their heart. Be grateful that you can take the least complicated part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-ever-feel-bad-that-someone-couldn-t-give-you-all-of-their-heart/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“I don't know why anyone would be scared of a homeless person. The truly scary people are all the murder mystery writers. They spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/i-don-t-know-why-anyone-would-be-scared-of-a-homeless-person-the/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“Until you have stood in another woman’s stilettos, you will never begin to know the year of pain she felt breaking them in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/until-you-have-stood-in-another-woman-s-stilettos-you-will-never/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“I don't understand women that call themselves a "bitch". It doesn't empower a woman. Rather, it reveals to everyone that you were deeply hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/i-don-t-understand-women-that-call-themselves-a-bitch-it-doesn-t/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“ The Prodigal Son They gave the deep end of their heart--a hue of crimson red, They whispered their desire and offered up their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-prodigal-son-they-gave-the-deep-end-of-their-heart-a-hue-of/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

[Explore all 639 Shannon L. Alder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

## More Boy quotes

> [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/)

[Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/)

> [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/)

[L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/)

> [When I was a little boy, I was reading Dante and I was saying to myself 'Bravo, Dante, Bravo.' It's so beautiful, the music,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-benigni/when-i-was-a-little-boy-i-was-reading-dante-and-i-was-saying-to/)

[Roberto Benigni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-benigni/)

> [I'm a mama's boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hoechlin/i-m-a-mama-s-boy/)

[Tyler Hoechlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hoechlin/)

> [My grandmother made sure that I went to church every Sunday. And she'd come over and pick us boys up, and we would go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/my-grandmother-made-sure-that-i-went-to-church-every-sunday-and-she-d/)

[John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/)

> [Baseball gives a growing boy self poise and self reliance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-spalding/baseball-gives-a-growing-boy-self-poise-and-self-reliance/)

Al Spalding

> [As a boy from Patna, I've always dreamt of a chance to showcase my talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhimanyu-singh/as-a-boy-from-patna-i-ve-always-dreamt-of-a-chance-to-showcase-my/)

[Abhimanyu Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhimanyu-singh/)

> [“Boys will always be boys,’ he said. ‘The relationship obviously wasn’t meant to be.’ He told me I should trust that the break-up was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristiane-backer/boys-will-always-be-boys-he-said-the-relationship-obviously-wasn-t/)

[Kristiane Backer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristiane-backer/)

> [They always say girls mature faster than boys, but I don't think that's true because I think girls just are more mature than boys.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-reiner/they-always-say-girls-mature-faster-than-boys-but-i-don-t-think-that/)

[Rob Reiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-reiner/)

> [I remember my own life as a small boy, son of Jewish immigrants, in a janitor's flat on Orchard and Stanton streets on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-k-javits/i-remember-my-own-life-as-a-small-boy-son-of-jewish-immigrants-in-a/)

[Jacob K. Javits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-k-javits/)

> [I just like guys who have an edge to them. But it could go either way. Like, I have been into the surfer blond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-tisdale/i-just-like-guys-who-have-an-edge-to-them-but-it-could-go-either-way/)

[Ashley Tisdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-tisdale/)

> [A lot of female comedians will go up there in a sweatshirt and Converses, trying to dress themselves down, because it is sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-craig/a-lot-of-female-comedians-will-go-up-there-in-a-sweatshirt-and/)

[Carly Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-craig/)

> [I'm not a fan of musicals at all, but I do think 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' is a very good. I always thought 'Walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sangster/i-m-not-a-fan-of-musicals-at-all-but-i-do-think-the-nightmare-before/)

[Thomas Sangster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sangster/)

> [My little boy, West, and my wife, they're my rock and that's the thing that keeps driving me to do better at what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-houser/my-little-boy-west-and-my-wife-they-re-my-rock-and-that-s-the-thing/)

[Randy Houser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-houser/)

> [Whenever I miss you I play guiter on the song Beautiful Girl because this song tells what I exactly want to express :-)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/somen-murtem/whenever-i-miss-you-i-play-guiter-on-the-song-beautiful-girl-because/)

Somen Murtem

Browse all 1,360 Boy quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“A boy has other people do the talking for him; a man speaks his mind.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Shannon L. Alder"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/a-boy-has-other-people-do-the-talking-for-him-a-man-speaks-his-mind/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Boy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/a-boy-has-other-people-do-the-talking-for-him-a-man-speaks-his-mind/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/shannon-l-alder-363_boy_a-boy-has-other-people-do-the-talking-fo_2969594.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/shannon-l-alder-363_boy_a-boy-has-other-people-do-the-talking-fo_2969594.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/shannon-l-alder-363_boy_a-boy-has-other-people-do-the-talking-fo_2969594.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A boy has other people do the talking for him; a man speaks his mind.” — Shannon L. Alder",
                "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": "Shannon L. Alder",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“A boy has other people do...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/a-boy-has-other-people-do-the-talking-for-him-a-man-speaks-his-mind/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/a-boy-has-other-people-do-the-talking-for-him-a-man-speaks-his-mind/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
