Quote by Thomas Carlyle
Action hangs, as it were, dissolved in speech, in thoughts whereof speech is the shadow; and precipitates itself therefrom. The kind of speech in a man betokens the kind of action you will get from him.
Summary
This quote suggests that a person's actions are greatly influenced by their thoughts and words. It implies that speech is a manifestation or reflection of one's inner thoughts, and that actions stem from these thoughts. Therefore, by observing a person's speech, one can gain insight into the type of actions they are likely to take. In other words, the quality and nature of someone's speech can serve as an indicator of their character and behavior.