Brevity: The Soul of Wit
Pastor Randy Corbin, Transitional Lead Pastor
| There is something genius about saying much in little. Anyone can drivel on, but rare are the mavens who can craft wisdom with a few creative words. Whether in the written word, the public speech or the private conversation, brilliance is in brevity. Read the reviews of Lincoln’s address at Gettysburg. You may recall the verse of William Shakespeare’s, Hamlet, (1603) when he placed this pronouncement in the mouth of Lord Polonius: “…since brevity is the soul of wit, …your son is mad.” No flowery embroidered speech was woven. It was plain, simple fact. Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write a novel in only six words. He came back with: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Captivating! That will keep the reader chewing for awhile. Can you tell your life story in six words? Or, can you form your comments to a committee in six words? Perhaps, we are going to the other extreme, but, long-windedness is not a value we esteem. We have all been the victims of overly long e-mails, letters, papers, articles, phone calls, conversations, and discussion points. So, we confess to skimming, putting the phone down, or simply fading out. Perhaps what you are doing with this article. I have favored the rifle shot approach versus the shotgun approach to the employment of verbiage. I like targeted words rather than a storm of them in which the speaker hopes that at least a few bullets will find their mark. It always impresses me that some have mastered this skill. I get emails from some composed of just a few lines and I am taken with how the person can convey the whole message in just a few words. How does one do that? And, the time saved makes me envious. It is the same on the phone, in person, and in a meeting. Those people hit the subject once with clarity and do not continue to speak on and on. In my opinion, that is genius. They have my attention. Somehow, I can’t picture Jesus droning on. His interchanges were brief, succinct, and packed with meaning. Solomon advises, “Let your words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2). Let those words guide us each time we prepare to write, speak or tell a story. Granted it takes more focus, energy and time but the results will be more beneficial. Thanks for joining me in honing this skill. It should aid us in penetrating more deeply the hearts and minds of others for the sake of more effective communication. |
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