“I have made this letter longer than usual because I have not had time to make it shorter.”Blaise Pascal · Cugetări · 1670 · Cugetări, Scrisoarea a XVI-a provincială
Conciseness is a product of effort, while length is a product of laziness.
Pascal observes that writing short is harder than writing long. Removing unnecessary words, clarifying ideas, and ordering them takes time and discipline. The mechanism is selection: a long text can be careless; a short one is refined. An example: a three-paragraph email is quick to write; a three-line one that says it all requires revisions.
Pascal shows us that being brief is a sign of respect for the reader. When you write concisely, you do not steal the other person's time. For example, a colleague who quickly replies to your message with three precise words makes you feel heard, not rushed. True mastery is saying everything in few words without losing the essence. This discipline turns communication into a gift, not a burden. It forces us to think before we write.
Why it matters It teaches us to value clarity and the effort behind simplicity. In communication, less is often more.