Robert Greene Quotes

I strive to be brief but I become obscure.

In labouring to be concise, I become obscure.

I strive to be brief, and I become obscure.

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

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.

Never be so brief as to become obscure.

A genius knows how to make himself easily understood without being obvious about it.

It is when I struggle to be brief that I become obscure.

I'm usually very attracted to things that I can't define. If something's too clear, it's very often not inspiring to me anymore.

Simplicity is the glory of expression.

I labor to be brief, and manage to be obscure.

In short stories it is better to say not enough than to say too much, because, because--I don't know why.

I don't want to lose too much of the mystery by hammering every detail to death.

Aiming at brevity, I become obscure.

If the secret of being a bore is to tell all, the secret of pleasing is to say just enough to be - not understood, but divined.

I've never been a much of a glamour girl.

My idea of sexy is that less is more. The less you reveal the more people can wonder.

I used to tell my husband that, if he could make me understand something, it would be clear to all the other people in the country.

A little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of explanation.

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

An elusive, enigmatic aura will make people want to know more, drawing them into your circle. Create such a power by hinting at something contradictory within you.

Intrigue is so much more effective. I don't like to be over-prescriptive of an audience. The same with a book or with art - people shouldn't read too much before they explore.

There is a bearing which comes from having a little bit of something withheld. In acting classes, they always say don't reveal 100 percent: it's much more interesting.

People don't read me and say, 'Oh, it's so clean and elegant.'

I don't try to make things mysterious on purpose; I just try to make them interesting.