On Brevity

Brevity is one of the most critical attributes of practical eloquence, because you’re dealing with ever-shrinking attention spans and the discipline of distilling your message to its essence will greatly clarify your thinking.

Here’s one of the best examples of brief eloquence that I’ve come across.

When General Ira Eaker led the first contingents of the 8^th Air Force to England in 1942, hopes were running high for America to add its muscle to the war against Nazi Germany. So, when he was asked to speak at a luncheon, the audience was poised to hang on his every word. Here’s his speech, in its entirety:

“We won’t do much talking until we’ve done more fighting. After we’ve gone, we hope you’ll be glad we came.”

He sat down amid thunderous applause.

If you have any other examples of brief but powerful messages, please share them.