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
Some facts should be suppressed, or, at least, a just sense of proportion should be observed in treating them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Not all truths need to be revealed; context and balance are important in sharing information.
Arthur Conan Doyle suggests that while facts are essential, there are times when discretion should be exercised in their presentation. The importance of context and proportionality underscores the idea that some information may be harmful or unnecessary and that sharing should be guided by thoughtful consideration of its impact.
Themes
TruthFactsProportionDiscretionInformation
In practice
Example use cases
During a sensitive discussion about past mistakes, this quote can remind participants to choose their words carefully.
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.
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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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