Take Time to Be Brief*

I remember the opening words to a speech I attended as an undergraduate. It was a large university where we were accustomed to long, dry, humorless technical speeches by brilliant, but socially impaired, research scientists. We were all stunned when the speaker put his notes on the podium, adjusted his glasses, and said, “Before I begin, I'd like to apologize for not taking sufficient time to prepare to be brief.” His speech was still shorter than most and, when he finished, we gave him an unusually hearty round of applause.

"I have made this letter longer than usual, only because I have not had the time to make it shorter." Blaise Pascal

"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." Abraham Lincoln