Quotes About Conciseness

I define myself by efficiency and straightforwardness.

Most controversies would soon be ended, if those engaged in them would first accurately define their terms, and then adhere to their definitions.

I believe that for the audience the best way to give the commentating is to avoid going into the deep, deep details.

It's not what you play but what you leave out that makes the difference.

In a newspaper, you only have so much room. It teaches you the value of getting to the point, of not pampering yourself with your glorious writing. I've always been much more interested in one powerful sentence that stays with you. That's my style.

If you're dealing with people who you perceive want to get it done as their top priority, and if in your conversations with them, you acknowledge this and your communications with them are brief and to the point so as not to obstruct them, you will increase cooperation and decrease misunderstanding.

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. —ALBERT EINSTEIN

An aphorism is a single sentence that totally exhausts its subject.

The trick to writing an aphorism is to place a period at the point where you're inclined to say, "in other words...."

FUNCTIONS SHOULD DO ONE THING. THEY SHOULD DO IT WELL. THEY SHOULD DO IT ONLY.

We want our code to be a quick skim, not an intense study.

So if you want to go fast, if you want to get done quickly, if you want your code to be easy to write, make it easy to read.

A long descriptive name is better than a short enigmatic name. A long descriptive name is better than a long descriptive comment.

When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

A nothing that said everything.

But it's better to know a lot and say little, I think, than know a little and say a lot.

the KISS principle—Keep It Simple, Stupid (or Keep It Super Simple)

The p'int of good writing is to know when to stop.

Quit drawing out the story

Never express yourself more clearly than you are able to think.

Brevity in writing is the best insurance for its perusal.

Take any ten years of your life, reduce them to two pages, and every sentence has to be three words long. It's a good assignment. You can't hide behind a sapling.

He can compress the most words into the smallest ideas of any man I ever met.

Ma qualcuno l'avrà pure ragguagliata, Maestà?. Certamente, disse la regina ma ragguagliare non è leggere. Anzi, è l'esatto contrario. Il ragguaglio è succinto, concreto e pertinente. La lettura è disordinata, dispersiva e sempre invitante. Il ragguaglio esaurisce la questione, la lettura la apre.