--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Brevity is the sister of talent." description: "\"“Brevity is the sister of talent.”\" — Anton Chekhov" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b98/anton-chekhov-298_brevity_brevity-is-the-sister-of-talent-1634095_1634095.jpg" --- # Brevity is the sister of talent. ![“Brevity is the sister of talent.” quote by Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b98/anton-chekhov-298_brevity_brevity-is-the-sister-of-talent-1634095_1634095.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b98/anton-chekhov-298_brevity_brevity-is-the-sister-of-talent-1634095_1634095.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b98/anton-chekhov-298_brevity_brevity-is-the-sister-of-talent-1634095_1634095.jpg) > ““Brevity is the sister of talent.”” [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being concise requires skill; brevity reflects talent. **In simple terms:** Shortness shows ability. Key Takeaway Practice concise expression. Themes communication creativity efficiency Mood inspirational pragmatic Type advice literary When to use this quote - public speaking - marketing - teaching - writing workshops Key Concepts writing editing clarity Questions to Reflect On - When does brevity hinder meaning? - How can you balance brevity and depth? A Different Perspective Over‑simplification can lose nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brevity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brevity/) [Sister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sister/) [Sisters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sisters/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) [Wit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wit/) ## Related quotes > [Brevity - the sister of talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/brevity-the-sister-of-talent/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [I was singing when I was five years old. My sister and I both had the talent from mom and dad, and she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-gardner/i-was-singing-when-i-was-five-years-old-my-sister-and-i-both-had-the/) [Carl Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-gardner/) > [“Concision is the sister of talent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-follett/concision-is-the-sister-of-talent/) [Ken Follett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-follett/) > [“I miss you, sister," he say. "I miss me too," she say. Always too clever but not clever enough to know when to blow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/i-miss-you-sister-he-say-i-miss-me-too-she-say-always-too-clever-but/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [Good similes depend upon close observation. They depend upon brevity and wit…They have to fit in context.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-j-kilpatrick/good-similes-depend-upon-close-observation-they-depend-upon-brevity/) [James J. Kilpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-j-kilpatrick/) > [ \[Six principles that make for a good story:\] 1. Absence of lengthy verbiage of a political-social-economic nature; 2. total objectivity; 3. truthful descriptions of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/six-principles-that-make-for-a-good-story-1-absence-of-lengthy/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [If brevity is the soul of wit then brevity and levity are the whole of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-r-burch/if-brevity-is-the-soul-of-wit-then-brevity-and-levity-are-the-whole/) [Michael R. Burch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-r-burch/) > [What is an epigram? A dwarfish whole, its body brevity, and wit its soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/what-is-an-epigram-a-dwarfish-whole-its-body-brevity-and-wit-its-soul/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [Love all. Trust a few. Do wrong to none. This above all: to thine own self be true. No legacy is so rich as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-all-trust-a-few-do-wrong-to-none-this-above-all-to-thine-own/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The soul of wit may become the very body of untruth. However elegant and memorable, brevity can never, in the nature of things, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/the-soul-of-wit-may-become-the-very-body-of-untruth-however-elegant/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [It's just special to have a twin sister on the Tour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karolina-pliskova/it-s-just-special-to-have-a-twin-sister-on-the-tour/) [Karolina Pliskova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karolina-pliskova/) > [I'm the daughter of a sister whose the mother of a brother who's the brother of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-latifah/i-m-the-daughter-of-a-sister-whose-the-mother-of-a-brother-who-s-the/) [Queen Latifah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-latifah/) > [“I envied my uncritical, unthinking sisters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/i-envied-my-uncritical-unthinking-sisters/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [I realized my father's sister Joanne, who died at 19 had instilled her spirit in me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/i-realized-my-father-s-sister-joanne-who-died-at-19-had-instilled-her/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [Sister + brother = a lovely family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sister-brother-a-lovely-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Anton Chekhov > [“Using vile means to attain worthy ends makes the ends themselves vile. Let them ride on the backs of doctors and medical assistants, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/using-vile-means-to-attain-worthy-ends-makes-the-ends-themselves-vile/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [If ever my life can be of any use to you, come and claim it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/if-ever-my-life-can-be-of-any-use-to-you-come-and-claim-it/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [There are still many more days of failure ahead, whole seasons of failure, things will go terribly wrong, you will have huge disappointments ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/there-are-still-many-more-days-of-failure-ahead-whole-seasons-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“But here was all the timorousness and angularity of inexperienced youth, a feeling of awkwardness, and an impression of bewilderment, as if someone had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/but-here-was-all-the-timorousness-and-angularity-of-inexperienced/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“At the water's edge, barrels of pitch blazed like huge bonfires. Their reflection, crimson as the rising moon, crept to meet us in long,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/at-the-water-s-edge-barrels-of-pitch-blazed-like-huge-bonfires-their/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [Anna Petrovna: Never talk to women about your own good qualities. Let them find out for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/anna-petrovna-never-talk-to-women-about-your-own-good-qualities-let/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [While you're playing cards with a regular guy or having a bite to eat with him, he seems a peaceable, good-humoured and not entirely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/while-you-re-playing-cards-with-a-regular-guy-or-having-a-bite-to-eat/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Lebedev: France has a clear and defined policy... The French know what they want. They just want to wipe out the Krauts, finish, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/lebedev-france-has-a-clear-and-defined-policy-the-french-know-what/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“My holy of holies are the human body, health, intelligence, talent, inspiration, love, and the most absolute freedom - freedom from force and falsity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/my-holy-of-holies-are-the-human-body-health-intelligence-talent/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“What we have, we do not treasure,” and what’s more we do not even love it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/what-we-have-we-do-not-treasure-and-what-s-more-we-do-not-even-love-it/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [No matter how corrupt and unjust a convict may be, he loves fairness more than anything else. If the people placed over him are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/no-matter-how-corrupt-and-unjust-a-convict-may-be-he-loves-fairness/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“It is my opinion that every woman can be a writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/it-is-my-opinion-that-every-woman-can-be-a-writer/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“His reading suggested a man swimming in the sea among the wreckage of his ship, and trying to save his life by greedily clutching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/his-reading-suggested-a-man-swimming-in-the-sea-among-the-wreckage-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Experience often repeated, truly bitter experience, had taught him long ago that with decent people, especially Moscow people -- always slow to move and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/experience-often-repeated-truly-bitter-experience-had-taught-him-long/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Why do you always wear black?” "I am mourning for my life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/why-do-you-always-wear-black-i-am-mourning-for-my-life/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) [Explore all 679 Anton Chekhov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) ## More Brevity quotes > [it is the brevity of life which makes it tolerable; its experiences have value because they have an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/it-is-the-brevity-of-life-which-makes-it-tolerable-its-experiences/) [Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/) > [“It's not my accent, but my brevity makes me stylish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/it-s-not-my-accent-but-my-brevity-makes-me-stylish/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“Life is too short to waste being a productive member of society.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-luckman/life-is-too-short-to-waste-being-a-productive-member-of-society/) [Sol Luckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-luckman/) > [This is going to take a while. I'm a fantasy author. We have trouble with the concept of brevity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/this-is-going-to-take-a-while-i-m-a-fantasy-author-we-have-trouble/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [If I am to speak ten minutes, I need a week for preparation; if an hour, I am ready now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/if-i-am-to-speak-ten-minutes-i-need-a-week-for-preparation-if-an-hour/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [If, in the very intense electric field in the neighbourhood of the cathode, the molecules of the gas are dissociated and are split up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-john-thomson/if-in-the-very-intense-electric-field-in-the-neighbourhood-of-the/) [Joseph John Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-john-thomson/) > [Our senses will not admit anything extreme. Too much noise confuses us, too much light dazzles us, too great distance or nearness prevents vision,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/our-senses-will-not-admit-anything-extreme-too-much-noise-confuses-us/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Conversation! Supple sentences, with first and second meanings and overtones beyond, outrageous challenges with cleverly planned slip-points, rebuttals of elegant brevity; deceptions and guiles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-vance/conversation-supple-sentences-with-first-and-second-meanings-and/) [Jack Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-vance/) > [It is excellent discipline for an author to feel that he must say all that he has to say in the fewest possible words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-is-excellent-discipline-for-an-author-to-feel-that-he-must-say-all/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [A drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-strunk-jr/a-drawing-should-have-no-unnecessary-lines-and-a-machine-no/) [William Strunk, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-strunk-jr/) > [Not to discriminate every moment some passionate attitude in those about us, and in the very brilliancy of their gifts some tragic dividing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-pater/not-to-discriminate-every-moment-some-passionate-attitude-in-those/) [Walter Pater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-pater/) > [He will see himself and life and the world as truly as our human limitations will permit; realizing the brevity and minuteness of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/he-will-see-himself-and-life-and-the-world-as-truly-as-our-human/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [There came to him an image of man’s whole life upon the earth. It seemed to him that all man’s life was like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-wolfe/there-came-to-him-an-image-of-man-s-whole-life-upon-the-earth-it/) [Thomas Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-wolfe/) > [As a writer, I'm too busy and worried to experience the delight while composing my own work, although, of course, I hope a reader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/as-a-writer-i-m-too-busy-and-worried-to-experience-the-delight-while/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [Aiming at brevity, I become obscure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/aiming-at-brevity-i-become-obscure/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) [Browse all 192 Brevity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brevity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Brevity is the sister of talent.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anton Chekhov" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/brevity-is-the-sister-of-talent/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brevity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/brevity-is-the-sister-of-talent/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b98/anton-chekhov-298_brevity_brevity-is-the-sister-of-talent-1634095_1634095.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b98/anton-chekhov-298_brevity_brevity-is-the-sister-of-talent-1634095_1634095.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b98/anton-chekhov-298_brevity_brevity-is-the-sister-of-talent-1634095_1634095.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Brevity is the sister of talent.” — Anton Chekhov", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anton Chekhov", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Brevity is the sister of talent.”", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/brevity-is-the-sister-of-talent/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/brevity-is-the-sister-of-talent/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```