Thomas Mann, (1875-1955) German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, Nobel Prize in Literature (1929) Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Comment on this quote Share via Email Print this Page Thomas Mann Quote “Speech is civilization itself. The word, even the most contradictory word, preserves contact – it is silence which isolates.”Thomas Mann ~ Thomas Mann (1875-1955) German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, Nobel Prize in Literature (1929)The Magic Mountain Speech Ratings and Comments Reply Mike, Norwalk 1/22/19 Reply jim k, Austin 1/23/19 Reply E Archer, NYC 1/24/19 What I say to myself forms the boundaries of my world. Living is a form of dialogue with the world, within and without, worlds within worlds. The 'civilized' world is the world of people in dialogue with each other. This dialogue forms 'our' world. Whether an individual or a group discovers a previously unknown truth, its revelation challenges perceptions and tears down worlds. In other words, I am saved from living in a delusional world by others, and vice versa. A people silent towards each other are indeed in their own worlds. SaveOk2 SaveOk2 View CommentsClick to view or comment. Share on Facebook Tweet Email Print This Thomas Mann quote is found in these categories: Speech quotes About Thomas Mann Bio of Thomas Mann Quotations by Thomas Mann Books by/about Thomas Mann Thomas Mann videos Thomas Mann on Wikipedia Astrological chart for Thomas Mann