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Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words, or your reader will be sure to skip them; and in the plainest possible words or he will certainly misunderstand them.
John Ruskin
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Be clear and concise in your communication to ensure understanding.

This quote emphasizes the importance of brevity and clarity in communication. John Ruskin suggests that by using fewer words, one can capture the reader's attention, and by using simple language, one can ensure that the message is understood correctly, avoiding any potential misunderstandings.

Themes

CommunicationClarityBrevityUnderstandingWriting

In practice

Example use cases

In a writing workshop, a facilitator might use this quote to encourage participants to be clear and concise in their essays.

More from John Ruskin

Endurance is nobler than strength, and patience than beauty.
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In health of mind and body, men should see with their own eyes, hear and speak without trumpets, walk on their feet, not on wheels, and work and war with their arms, not with engine-beams, nor rifles warranted to kill twenty men at a shot before you can see them.
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You talk of the scythe of Time, and the tooth of Time: I tell you, Time is scytheless and toothless; it is we who gnaw like the worm - we who smite like the scythe. It is ourselves who abolish - ourselves who consume: we are the mildew, and the flame.
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To be able to ask a question clearly is two-thirds of the way to getting it answered.
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See that your children be taught, not only the labors of the earth, but the loveliness of it.
John RuskinRead
A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money.
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