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Deborah Tannen Quotes


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Quotes by Deborah Tannen

Showing 41-50 of 104 Quotes by Deborah Tannen

I am the youngest of three girls. My first linguistics book was a study of 'New York Jewish conversational style'. That was my dissertation.

~Deborah Tannen

Topics: Am Book Conversational Dissertation First Girl Jewish Linguistics New New York Study Style Three York Youngest I Am

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Conversations with sisters can spark extremes of anger or extremes of love. Everything said between sisters carries meaning not only from what was just said but from all the conversations that came before - and 'before' can span a lifetime. The layers of meaning combine profound connection with equally profound competition.

~Deborah Tannen

Topics: Anger Before Between Came Carries Combine Competition Connection Conversations Equally Everything Extremes Just Layers Lifetime Love Meaning Only Profound Said Sisters Span Spark

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The word 'sister' evokes an ideal of connection and support, like the friendships that made Rebecca Wells's 'Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood' and Ann Brashares's 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' into best-selling novels and successful films.

~Deborah Tannen

Topics: Connection Divine Films Friendships Ideal Like Made Novels Pants Secrets Sister Sisterhood Successful Support Traveling Word

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When women told me they'd always wished they had a sister, they were thinking of this ideal of mutual encouragement and support. Many of those who have sisters also yearn for this ideal because their relationships with their sisters don't always live up to it.

~Deborah Tannen

Topics: Also Always Because Encouragement Had Ideal Live Many Me Mutual Relationships Sister Sisters Support Thinking Those Up Were Who Wished Women Yearn

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American popular culture, like individuals in daily life, tends to either romanticize or demonize mothers. We ricochet between 'Everything I ever accomplished I owe to my mother' and 'Every problem I have in my life is my mother's fault.'

~Deborah Tannen

Topics: Accomplished American Between Culture Daily Daily Life Either Ever Every Everything Fault Individuals Life Like Mother Mothers My Life Owe Popular Popular Culture Problem Tends

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In this world, conversations are negotiations for closeness in which people try to seek and give confirmation and support, and to reach consensus. They try to protect themselves from others' attempts to push them away.

~Deborah Tannen

Topics: Attempts Away Closeness Confirmation Consensus Conversations Give Negotiations Others People Protect Push Reach Seek Support Them Themselves Try Which World

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The dynamic of fathers and sons seems to be more around competition regarding things such as knowledge, accomplishments, expertise.

~Deborah Tannen

Topics: Accomplishments Around Competition Dynamic Expertise Fathers Knowledge More Regarding Seems Sons Things

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My mother cared a lot about clothes. It was a point of friction because when I was a teenager, and I only wanted to wear my father's shirts, and I never wanted to wear makeup, she would say: 'Put on lipstick.' That was her thing.

~Deborah Tannen

Topics: About Because Cared Clothes Father Friction Her Lipstick Lot Makeup Mother Never Only Point Put Say She Shirts Teenager Thing Wanted Wear Would

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I was one of those daughters who saw my mother as my enemy when I was a teen.

~Deborah Tannen

Topics: Daughters Enemy Mother Saw Teen Those Who

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Many mothers or daughters assume that words only mean one thing. 'If I feel criticised, that has to be the whole story', and 'if I feel I am being helpful, that has to be the whole story'.

~Deborah Tannen

Topics: Am Assume Being Daughters Feel Helpful Many Mean Mothers One Thing Only Story Thing Whole Words I Am I Feel

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Biography

Nationality: American

Type: Sociologist

Born: June 7th, 1945

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