The most important lesson in the writing trade is that any manuscript is improved if you cut away the fat.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
The whole principle (censorship) is wrong; it's like demanding that grown men live on skim milk because the baby can't eat steak.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Censorship restricts freedom and expression, forcing everyone to conform to the least demanding standards.
In this quote, Robert A. Heinlein criticizes the practice of censorship, suggesting that it unjustly limits the freedoms of mature individuals based on the perceived vulnerabilities of others. He uses the metaphor of requiring adults to settle for something less nourishing, like skim milk, simply because an infant cannot handle more complex food like steak, to highlight the absurdity and unfairness of such restrictions on expression and thought.
Themes
CensorshipFreedomExpressionWrongPrinciple
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of free speech, you might use this quote to emphasize the dangers of censorship.
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Long human words (the longer the better) were easy, unmistakable, and rarely changed their meanings . . . but short words were slippery, unpredictable, changing their meanings without any pattern.
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