“Je n’ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n’ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte.”
Blaise Pascal, Lettre XVI, Lettres Provinciales (1657)
Translated: “I have made this longer than usual because I have not had the time to make it shorter.”
It’s harder to write less.
You have to think more clearly. Decide what matters. Let go of what doesn’t.
Long writing is often just unfinished thinking. Short writing means you’ve done the work. In a crowded world, extra words aren’t neutral. They cost attention. They weaken trust.
Every word is a choice. Make it count. Say what’s needed – no more.