Deborah Tannen Quotes
As a sociolinguist, I want to know how cultural differences affect the ways people talk and listen. My research method, inspired by the work of Robin Lakoff and John Gumperz of the University of California at Berkeley, is sociolinguistic microanalysis. I tape-record and transcribe naturally occurring conversations.

Quotes to Explore
-
The American people deserve a budget that invests in the future, protects the most vulnerable among us and helps to create jobs and economic security.
-
From a motivation perspective, helping others enriches the meaning and purpose of our own lives, showing us that our contributions matter and energizing us to work harder, longer, and smarter.
-
Because I'm so hands on here at work and always looking at fabrics you have to be mobile and as comfortable as possible.
-
People are not wrong in observing Caste. In my view, what is wrong is their religion, which has inculcated this notion of Caste. If this is correct, then obviously the enemy, you must grapple with is not the people who observe Caste, but the Shastras which teach them this religion of Caste.
-
I like to work all the time and really immerse myself in the project.
-
People always come up to me now and say, 'Watchmen' is the best superhero movie ever made.' I'm always saying 'That's super cool. That's nice of you to say.' But it happens now, more and more and more than it did when it first came out.
-
If people would dare to speak to one another unreservedly, there would be a good deal less sorrow in the world a hundred years hence.
-
People are predominant in my paintings. Although they are not obvious, you can feel their presence.
-
Caring about policy is important - people in washington forget.
-
When I'm home on a break, I lock myself in my room and play guitar. After two or three hours, I start getting into this total meditation. It's a feeling few people experience, and that's usually when I come up with weird stuff. It just flows. I can't force myself. I don't sit down and say I've got to practice.
-
When you're in theater or the circus or film - to me it's all one - affairs happen. People fall in love.
-
To have a relationship that is pure and passionate and beautiful - I think people are scared of having that now. Especially guys.
-
Some musical directors have more chutzpah. They pick up the phone and talk people into giving. I prefer to call and say 'thank you' after the money has been contributed.
-
I meet an enormous number of incredible people all the time, people I find very inspiring, and I'm very busy.
-
We need a more strategic, coordinated, statewide plan that identifies high-demand jobs or industries with a projected under-supply and offer training to get these Oregonians to work.
-
California is infamous for passing things and then waking up and saying, 'What the hell did we just pass?'
-
My life is not that glamorous. I actually live a pretty simple life, really. I just work. I don't have time to do all these glamorous things. I just do my thing, just work.
-
Houston's one of the most diverse urban areas in the entire country, and most people here are really proud of that.
-
Hollywood's a big place, and they make all sorts of different movies. Some movies I'm attracted to; a lot of the movies I'm not. But there are some terrifically talented people over there that I'd love to work with.
-
A writer writes. Period. No matter if someone is buying your work or not.
-
Most of my instruments are handmade.
-
A State without the means of some change is without the means of its conservation.
-
I can sing 'Love Me Do,' very well.
-
As a sociolinguist, I want to know how cultural differences affect the ways people talk and listen. My research method, inspired by the work of Robin Lakoff and John Gumperz of the University of California at Berkeley, is sociolinguistic microanalysis. I tape-record and transcribe naturally occurring conversations.