A Quote by Ernest Gowers

Be clear, be brief, be human.

Ernest Gowers

Quote Topics

Brief Clear Human

Quote Author

Ernest Gowers
English - Author
June 2, 1880 - April 16, 1966

Without a doubt, one of the things which keeps us from attaining perfection is our tongue. When one has reached the point of no longer committing faults in speech, he has surely reached perfection, as was said by the Holy Spirit. The worst defect in talking is talking too much. Hence, in speech be brief and virtuous, brief and gentle, brief and simple, brief and charitable, brief and amiable.

Saint Francis de Sales

I will be brief. Not nearly so brief as Salvador Dali, who gave the world's shortest speech. He said I will be so brief I have already finished, and he sat down.

Gene Fowler

A writer should never be brief at the expense of being clear.

Arthur Schopenhauer

We had one or another form of state capitalism during an extremely brief period of human history, which tells us essentially nothing about human nature. If you look at human societies and human interactions, you can find anything. You find selfishness, you find altruism, you find sympathy.

Noam Chomsky

Today [the voice of women] is being heard loud and clear. But I do not read the welcome triumph of feminism, social, economic, and creative, as a brief for postmodernism. The advance, while opening new avenues of expression and liberating deep pools of talent, has not exploded human nature into little pieces. Instead, it has set the stage for a fuller exploration of the universal traits that unite humanity.

E. O. Wilson

Favor comes because for a brief moment in the great space of human change and progress some general human purpose finds in him a satisfactory embodiment.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The science is clear that there is an increase in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. What is not clear from the science is how much of that increase is caused by human activity; and what also is not clear is what impact those increases have on the climatic cycle.

Jim Sensenbrenner

It is clear that this essential Christian doctrine gives a new value to human nature, to human history and to human life which is not to be found in the other great oriental religions.

Christopher Dawson

A lawyer's brief will be brief, before a freethinker thinks freely.

Augustus William Hare

I confess that when I first read that smog is particularly hazardous to children, senior citizens, and physically active people, for a brief moment I thought, “I’m in the clear for at least 10 more years.”

Paula Poundstone

I had a few brief, brief interactions with Coach K. Mainly us beating them in the NCAA Tournament back in 2012.

C. J. McCollum

When you file an amicus brief, and you represent a state, the court reads your brief. It is a powerful position to make the legal assault from.

Ken Cuccinelli

For effective communication, use brevity. Jesus said, 'Follow me.' Now that's brief! He could be brief because of all that he was that he didn't have to say.