While attributed to 17th-century mathematician Blaise Pascal1, this bit of wisdom has appeared in the writing of other notables over the years, as I was fascinated to learn. Here are just a few examples:
John Locke wrote: “But to confess the Truth, I am now too lazy, or too busy to make it shorter.”2
While the sources are murky, apparently Benjamin Franklin wrote, “I have already made this paper too long, for which I must crave pardon, not having now time to make it shorter;” and Woodrow Wilson said, “If it is a ten-minute speech it takes me all of two weeks to prepare it; if it is a half-hour speech it takes me a week; if I can talk as long as I want to it requires no preparation at all. I am ready now.”
This last one really struck me: how many of us compose an email with whatever is in our heads, and hit the send button without a single attempt to improve it? With just a bit of extra time (with all due respect to President Wilson), we can ensure that our message will be read and acted upon, saving time and preventing miscommunication.
1. Blaise Pascal, Lettres Provinciales, 1657. Original translated quote: “I have made this letter longer than usual because I have not had the time to make it shorter.”
2. John Locke, “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding”, Epistle to the Reader, 1690.