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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

artists try to say things that can’t be said. in a fragile net of words, gestures, or colors, we hope to capture a feeling.
ALAN ALDA

Artist Capture Color Feeling Fragile Gesture Net Say Thing Word
Jean Paul Sartre says in “No Exit” that hell is other people. Well, our task in life is to make it heaven. Or at least earth.
ALAN ALDA

Earth Exit Heaven Make Other People Say
They’re supposed to be gigantic explosions and they’re just these insignificant little dots. If you step back from things far enough you realize how important and powerful you are.
ALAN ALDA

Back Dot Explosion Gigantic Important Insignificant Little Powerful Step Suppose Thing
I’ve sat looking down into a volcano that could blow at any moment; I’ve helped catch a shark and several rattlesnakes;
ALAN ALDA

Blow Catch Down Help Look Moment Rattlesnake Sat Several Volcano
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
The other one, and probably an equal pleasure, is finding out how I can be helpful and then really being helpful.
ALAN ALDA

Equal Helpful One Other Pleasure Probably
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
My mother didn’t try to stab my father until I was six, but she must have shown signs of oddness before that.
ALAN ALDA

Before Father Mother Oddness Shown Sign Six Stab Until
Working on The West Wing was similar in many ways to my experience on M*A*S*H, because you had people willing to work late at night to get it just right.
ALAN ALDA

Late Many Night People Similar Way West Willing Wing Work
[You have to be] willing to be changed by the person you’re listening to, where you’re not just waiting for a pause so you can say your thing, but you’re actually letting them have an effect on you if they can.
ALAN ALDA

Actual Effect Let Listen Pause Person Wait Will Change
Be brave enough to live life creatively. The creative place where no one else has ever been.
ALAN ALDA

Brave Creative Else Enough Life Place
Life is great-I wouldn’t know what I’d do without it.
ALAN ALDA

Great Know Life Without
And I want to warn everyone in the press and all the voters out there: if you demand expressions of religious faith from politicians, you are just begging to be lied to.
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Beg Demand Everyone Expression Politician Press Religious
If I can’t get the girl, at least give me more money.
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Girl Give Lease Money More
As an artist, as an actor, as a writer, you have to use what’s personal to you. You have to be personal about your work; otherwise, it doesn’t ring true.
ALAN ALDA

Actor Artist Personal Use Writer

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.

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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.

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Popular Authors

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