It has always seemed to me that so long as you produce your dramatic effect, accuracy of detail matters little. I have never striven for it and I have made some bad mistakes in consequence. What matter if I hold my readers?
Arthur Conan DoyleRead
I am afraid that I rather give myself away when I explain," said he. "Results without causes are much more impressive.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that explanations can diminish the impact of surprising results, which are often more impressive when their origins remain mysterious.
Arthur Conan Doyle implies that revealing the reasoning behind an impressive result can lessen its allure, as the mystery surrounding the cause often enhances the effect of the outcome. It reflects a philosophical stance on the nature of understanding and appreciation, suggesting that some things are simply more impactful when they exist without clear explanations, leaving room for wonder and intrigue.
Themes
MysteryResultsCausesImpressionWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about embracing the unknown and trusting intuition.
More from Arthur Conan Doyle
All quotes βI had neither kith nor kin in England, and was therefore as free as air -- or as free as an income of eleven shillings and sixpence a day will permit a man to be. Under such circumstances, I naturally gravitated to London, that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained.
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A dog reflects the family life. Whoever saw a frisky dog in a gloomy family, or a sad dog in a happy one? Snarling people have snarling dogs, dangerous people have dangerous ones.
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You yourself may not be luminous, but you are a conductor of light.
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I could not rest, Watson, I could not sit quiet in my chair, if I thought that such a man as Professor Moriarty were walking the streets of London unchallenged.
Arthur Conan DoyleRead
It seems very strange ... that in the course of the world's history so obvious an improvement should never have been adopted. ... The next generation of Britishers would be the better for having had this extra hour of daylight in their childhood.
Arthur Conan DoyleRead
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