black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

I try to find out what there is in the character that in a way, you can’t put into words. If I could put it into words, then it wouldn’t be a performance. And if I do put it into words, as I play it, I start to get boxed in by those words.

Alan Alda

Laugh at yourself, but don’t ever aim your doubt at yourself.
ALAN ALDA

Aim Doubt Laugh Yourself
Originality is unexplored territory. You get there by carrying a canoe – you can’t take a taxi.
ALAN ALDA

Create Existence Originally Own Territory Unexplored
It tends to break out at unexpected times like a rare virus and mostly people with compassion and understanding are susceptible to it.
ALAN ALDA

Beak Rare Susceptible Tend Understanding Unexpected Upset Virus
Eventually, I found a radical way of thinking about listening. Real listening is a willingness to let the other person change you.
ALAN ALDA

Change Eventually Found Listen Radical Think Willingness
I had never really wanted to be famous. Everyone is supposed to want to be rich and famous, but as a boy I never knew what rich was, and the first view I had of famous made me leery.
ALAN ALDA

Everyone Famous First Leery Really Suppose View Want
When I’m willing to let them change me, something happens between us that’s more interesting than a pair of dueling monologues.
ALAN ALDA

Change Duet Happen Interest More Pair Something Willing
I would box them into a corner with a badly formed question, and they didn’t know how to get out of it. Now, I let them take me through it step by step, and I listen.
ALAN ALDA

Badly Box Corner Form Get Listen Out Question Step
How can I ever hope to communicate something to you unless I get signals back from you that I’m on the right track or that I’ve started at some place that you’re familiar with?
ALAN ALDA

Back Communicate Familiar Home Right Signal Something Start Track
So every day till the end of this campaign, Ill answer any question anyone has on government, but if you have a question on religion, please, go to church.
ALAN ALDA

Answer Campaign Church Day Every Government Question Religion
I’m in this wonderful position where I can do what interests me. And whatever comes along that interests me, I do. The rest of the time I bother scientists about communicating.
ALAN ALDA

Along Come Communication Interest Position Scientific Whatever Wonderful
People who laugh together generally don’t kill each other.
ALAN ALDA

Each Kill Laugh Other People Together
I’m in the real world, some people try to steal from me, and I stop them, frequently, take them to court. I love a good lawsuit. It’s fun.
ALAN ALDA

Court Frequent People Real Some Steal Stop Them
Nothing important was ever accomplished without chutzpah. Columbus had chutzpah. The signers of the Declaration of Independence had chutzpah.
ALAN ALDA

Accomplish Chutzpah Country Ever Important Nothing
I’m an angry person, angrier than most people would imagine, I get flashes of anger.
ALAN ALDA

Anger Angry Flash Image People Person
And I think belief is one of those things that comes to people in their own way. And just because I believe in something doesn’t mean I think that you should.
ALAN ALDA

Belief Believe Come Own People Something Thing Think Those Way
The difference between listening and pretending to listen, I discovered, is enormous. One is fluid, the other is rigid. One is alive, the other is stuffed.
ALAN ALDA

Between Difference Fluid Listen Live Pretend Rigid Stuff

I try to find out what there is in the character that in a way, you can’t put into words. If I could put it into words, then it wouldn’t be a performance. And if I do put it into words, as I play it, I start to get boxed in by those words.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

I try to find out what there is in the character that in a way, you can’t put into words. If I could put it into words, then it wouldn’t be a performance. And if I do put it into words, as I play it, I start to get boxed in by those words.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Alan Alda Quotes