About this quote

Speech flows so fast we rarely pause to filter the noise before it leaves our mouths. We throw words around like garbage, expecting others to sort through the clutter to find our actual meaning. Writing forces a discipline that everyday speech lacks. If you want people to understand you, you have to slow down and choose your words with intent. Clear communication is a choice, not an accident.

When to use it

• When your coworker sends a five-paragraph Slack message that says absolutely nothing. You send them this to remind them to edit their thoughts before hitting send.
• Your project partner leaves a rambling voice note full of half-formed ideas. You think of this while trying to translate their messy audio into actual project tasks.
• During a family dinner where everyone is shouting over each other without making any sense. You use this to inject some humor and get everyone to quiet down and think.
• When you are editing your own draft and realize your first paragraph is just a disorganized brain dump. You laugh at your own laziness and start cutting the filler.