Blaise Pascal — I have made this longer than usual because I have not had time to make it shorter.
I have made this longer than usual because I have not had time to make it shorter.Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal, 'Lettres provinciales' (1657)
The confession every writer recognises. Length is easy; brevity is expensive. Cutting requires knowing exactly what you meant, which is the hardest part of writing anything.
So when your English feels long-winded, be patient. Clarity is not the first draft. It is what remains after you understand your own sentence well enough to trim it.
Words that widen the world
Giving much information clearly in few words.
Synonyms: brief, succinct, terse
The concise version took longer to write.
To re-examine and improve written work.
Synonyms: edit, refine, rework
He revised until every word earned its place.
Common questions
It means writing briefly takes more time and effort than writing at length, because concision requires careful revision.
From Blaise Pascal's 'Lettres provinciales' (1657).
Carry it with you
In your own words, what does this thought mean to you? Write three or four sentences in English about a moment when it felt true — saying it yourself is how it stays with you.
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