Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
If I had more time, I would have written less.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Less can often be more, and clarity requires time and thought.
Mark Twain's quote emphasizes the paradox of writing: the more time one has, the more concise and thoughtful the writing can become. It suggests that great writing is not about the quantity of words but the quality and clarity of thought, indicating that effective communication often requires careful consideration and editing.
Themes
WritingClarityBrevityTimeCommunication
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about effective communication.
More from Mark Twain
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You can't reason with your heart; it has its own laws, and thumps about things which the intellect scorns.
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To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.
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Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident.
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In Paris they just simply opened their eyes and stared when we spoke to them in French! We never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language.
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