Benjamin Franklin Quotes

Say what you have to say in the fewest possible words.

Minimalism has a connotation of being reductive, and not in the best way. 'Brevetist' is a better term. I'm trying to be as concise as possible and still getting across to the reader. When information is delivered in that way, it is very satisfying to me.

When you try to communicate too many ideas, sometimes you wind up communicating nothing.

If you really understand something, you can say it in the fewest words, instead of thrashing about.

Much wisdom often goes with fewest words.

However old-fashioned and right-wing this may sound, the American genius for language lies in understatement, in saying things simply, pointedly and quickly, and in making new and clean and swift what otherwise might be ponderous, round and slow.

Wordiness is a sickness of American writing. Too many words dilute and blur ideas.

With few words, one can speak the truth.

A word to the wise is sufficient

Men of few words are the best men." (3.2.41)

With a Q&A, you need obviously to keep it snappy.

If You can't tell it to me in one sentence, they can't put it in TV Guide.

Why do we embroider everything we say with special emphasis when all we really need to do is simply say what needs to he said? Of course the fact is that there is very little that needs to be said.

Sean, as always, gets by on one word while everyone else needs five or six.

As it is the mark of great minds to say many things in a few words, so it is that of little minds to use many words to say nothing.

More matter with less art.

Like a beautiful flower, full of colour, but without scent, are wise words when spoken, but fruitless these words are when not carried out by the speaker.

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.

The best fights are the ones you don't have", a wise man once said to me.

My mom would always say this thing about writing - and I've taken it into account in a lot of things in my life - which is just, "Make it shorter." Figure out what you are truly saying, whittle it down to the essence, then say that.

True brevity of expression consists in a man only saying what is worth saying, while avoiding all diffuse explanations of things which every one can think out for himself.

To say more while saying less is the secret of being simple.

I think part of being a good screenwriter is being as concise as possible.

I also try to discipline myself when I get into a situation... and I'm trying to think of an answer, instead of being verbose, which is a tendency that I have, to be concise. Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things.

I would never use a long word, even, where a short one would answer the purpose.