Just Listen Language and Communication Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

Whitney, in contrast, was a silent fumer. She'd never tell you when she was mad. You just knew, by the expression on her face, the steely narrowing of her eyes, the heavy, enunciated sighs that could be so belittling that words, any words, seemed preferable to them. (1.71)

Every member of the Greene family has their own method of communicating, and they don't always mesh well. It's no wonder that Kristen (the family spit fire) has trouble handling Whitney's particular brand of passive aggressiveness.

Quote #2

[...] Sophie's [outspokenness] was different. I liked it, almost envied it. I couldn't say what I wanted, but I could always count on her to speak up, and the events she set into motion—always a little risky, at least for me, but fun at the same time—were ones I never would have gotten to experience left to my own devices. (4.16)

Maybe one of the reasons that Annabel ends up following Sophie's lead for years is because Sophie can forge her way in the world better than Annabel can. After all, Sophie's not afraid to say anything, and that opens up some doors for the both of them.

Quote #3

I wasn't sure I could even fathom it, but I still envied Owen his easy bluntness, the ability to open himself out into the world instead of folding deeper within. (5.279)

Annabel wishes she could be like Owen, who is so open and honest. The thing is that she can be that way—she just has to be brave enough to tell the truth and make herself vulnerable to others.