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This report, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read.
Winston Churchill
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote humorously suggests that the sheer length of a report may deter readers from engaging with it.

Winston Churchill's quote highlights a paradox where excessive length in a report can ironically serve as a defense mechanism against scrutiny. It implies that if something is too long, it may discourage people from reading it, thereby protecting it from critique, suggesting that brevity may often be a better approach for effective communication.

Themes

LengthCommunicationReportReadingHumor

In practice

Example use cases

In a presentation about effective communication, I might say, 'As Churchill once noted, this report, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read.'

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