Indirectness Quotes

The longest way round is the shortest way home

You won't catch me giving clear lectures.

It is a tiresome way of speaking, when you should despatch the business, to beat about the bush.

When you are describing, A shape, or sound, or tint; Don't state the matter plainly, But put it in a hint; And learn to look at all things, With a sort of mental squint.

Tell the truth, but tell it slant.

And isn't it better really to leave things only hinted at?

When people talk, they lay lines on each other, do a lot of role playing, sidestep, shilly-shally and engage in all manner of vagueness and innuendo. We do this and expect others to do it, yet at the same time we profess to long for the plain truth, for people to say what they mean, simple as that. Such hypocrisy is a human universal.

Those who don't say what they mean will live and die by their own sword.

Somehow it seems more clever to refer to something instead of saying it.

One of the reasons that metaphor and symbolism are important in books is because they are also important to life. Like, for example say you're in high school and you're a boy and you say to a girl: "Do you like anyone right now?" - that's not the question you're asking. The question you're asking is, "do you like me right now."

If you want to send a message, try Western Union.

A guy complains of a headache. Another guy says, Do what I do. I put my head on my wife's bosom, and the headache goes away. The next day, the man says, Did you do what I told you to? Yes, I sure did. By the way, you have a nice house!

You are so tactful that I have no idea what you want.

I say things, but I say them indirectly. At the same time, I try to make my images as direct as possible.

A compliment is something like a kiss through a veil.

His shoulder bumped mine again. "Can I ask you something?" I didn't answer. He was going to ask me anyway. People don't say that if they don't want to pry something out of you.

To boast that one never flirts is actually a kind of flirtation.

Not to believe in love is a great sign of dullness. There are some people so indirect and lumbering that they think all real affection rests on circumstantial evidence.

In philosophy, as in politics, the longest distance between two points is a straight line.

It is always a mistake to be plain-spoken.

I personally feel like certain topics and certain issues aren't really being conveyed the right way in music nowadays. It's all very direct and to the point without leaving anything to the imagination.

You should avoid making yourself too clear even in your explanations.

He who goes round about in his requests wants commonly more than he chooses to appear to want.

My purpose is, indeed, a horse of that color.

Perhaps it's an accident of nationality, but the English treasure subtlety and appreciate not having everything spelled out for them, while Americans want everything made apparent.