Michael Moore Quotes

No man pleases by silence; many I please by speaking briefly.

Brevity is a great charm of eloquence.

The perfection of style consists in the use of the exact speech necessary to convey the sense in the fewest words consistent with perspicuity, at the same time having regard to appropriateness and harmony of expression. Its greater excellencies are directness, accuracy, appropriateness and perspicuity.

Expressive speech, with modulation in pitch and volume, and a minimum of noticeable pauses, boosts credibility and enhances the impression of intelligence.

I strive to be brief but I become obscure.

You don't need many words if you already know what you're talking about.

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

I use circumlocution too often, and instead of getting my point across, I tend to babble.

When I speak, I am well articulated.

Ordinary people can be very articulate and very eloquent.

Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounc'd it to you, trippingly on the tongue.

My method is to take the utmost trouble to find the right thing to say, and then to say it with the utmost levity.

Talking and eloquence are not the same: to speak, and to speak well, are two things.

I love songs because by nature they are concise; they sum up. I try to use as few words as possible. It's usually funnier that way, anyway.

Genuine good taste consists in saying much in few words, in choosing among our thoughts, in having order and arrangement in what we say, and in speaking with composure.

To be brief is almost a condition of being inspired.

Brevity is the best recommendation of speech, whether in a senator or an orator.

Easy reading is damn hard writing.

I believe most things can be said in a few lines.

My purpose in public address and in speech is really encapsulated in three C's: clear, concise, correct. No overblowing rhetoric or anything like that. As simple as possible: clear, concise, correct.

If you're a preacher, you talk for a living, so even if you don't make sense, you learn to make nonsense eloquently.

No one can speak well, unless he thoroughly understands his subject.

Eloquence is the essential thing in a speech, not information.

As it is the characteristic of great wits to say much in few words, so small wits seem to have the gift of speaking much and saying nothing.

If you are knowledgeable about something and are able to talk about it, you should be able to express yourself.