Sense shines with a double luster when it is set in humility. An able yet humble man is a jewel worth a kingdom.
William PennRead
Speak properly, and in as few words as you can, but always plainly; for the end of speech is not ostentation, but to be understood.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Effective communication requires clarity and brevity to ensure understanding.
William Penn emphasizes the importance of speaking clearly and concisely. He argues that the primary purpose of speech is not to show off or impress others, but to be understood by the listener, promoting effective communication that transcends mere decoration of language.
Themes
CommunicationClarityBrevityUnderstandingSpeech
In practice
Example use cases
In a public speaking event, one might use this quote to stress the importance of concise communication.
More from William Penn
All quotes βWhere thou art Obliged to speak, be sure speak the Truth: For Equivocation is half way to Lying, as Lying, the whole way to Hell.
William PennRead
Man, being made reasonable, and so a thinking creature, there is nothing more worthy of his being than the right direction and employment of his thoughts; since upon this depends both his usefulness to the public, and his own present and future benefit in all respects.
William PennRead
Do good with what thou hast, or it will do thee no good.
William PennRead
To be a man's own fool is bad enough, but the vain man is everybody's.
William PennRead
Unless virtue guide us our choice must be wrong.
William PennRead
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Few things concentrate the mind more efficiently than the necessity of saying what you mean. It brings you face to face with what you are talking about, what you are actually proposing. It gets you away from the catch phrases that not merely substitute for thought but preclude it.
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The human voice: It's the instrument we all play. It's the most powerful sound in the world, probably. It's the only one that can start a war or say 'I love you.' And yet many people have the experience that when they speak, people don't listen to them.
Julian TreasureRead