--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first rule for a good style is to…" description: "\"The first rule for a good style is to have something to say; in fact, this in itself is almost enough.\" — Arthur Schopenhauer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/267/arthur-schopenhauer-226_enough_the-first-rule-for-a-good-style-is-to-ha_469015.jpg" --- # The first rule for a good style is to have something to… ![“The first rule for a good style is to have something to say; in fact, this in itself is almost enough.” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/267/arthur-schopenhauer-226_enough_the-first-rule-for-a-good-style-is-to-ha_469015.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/267/arthur-schopenhauer-226_enough_the-first-rule-for-a-good-style-is-to-ha_469015.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/267/arthur-schopenhauer-226_enough_the-first-rule-for-a-good-style-is-to-ha_469015.jpg) > “The first rule for a good style is to have something to say; in fact, this in itself is almost enough.” [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good style requires substance; having something meaningful to say is nearly sufficient for effective expression. **In simple terms:** Content is key for style. Key Takeaway Focus on meaningful ideas before form. Themes writing communication creativity Mood reflective analytical Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - essay writing - public speaking - marketing copy - blog posts Key Concepts rhetoric authenticity Questions to Reflect On - What ideas do you need to develop? - How can you balance form and substance? A Different Perspective Style alone cannot compensate for lack of depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The first rule of good theatre is 'Show, don't tell.' It applies to good political action as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carne-ross/the-first-rule-of-good-theatre-is-show-don-t-tell-it-applies-to-good/) [Carne Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carne-ross/) > [I have no policy, for or against: only a personal style. Which is to say, I use them when I think it's appropriate to;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/i-have-no-policy-for-or-against-only-a-personal-style-which-is-to-say/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [Every day I live by only one rule, be a good guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-apatow/every-day-i-live-by-only-one-rule-be-a-good-guy/) [Judd Apatow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-apatow/) > [The Golden Rule will always be good advice!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-asher/the-golden-rule-will-always-be-good-advice/) [Jay Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-asher/) > [When "Do no Evil" has been understood, Then learn the harder, braver rule, "Do Good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-guiterman/when-do-no-evil-has-been-understood-then-learn-the-harder-braver-rule/) [Arthur Guiterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-guiterman/) > [I love art because it doesn't have rules like baseball. The only rule is to be good. That's the toughest thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-callahan/i-love-art-because-it-doesn-t-have-rules-like-baseball-the-only-rule/) [Harry Callahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-callahan/) > [It is easy to rule over the good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/it-is-easy-to-rule-over-the-good/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [“She could not leave him hanging like this. “If you were hurt, I need to know.” It was a rule somewhere, in the good-guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-janzen/she-could-not-leave-him-hanging-like-this-if-you-were-hurt-i-need-to/) [Tara Janzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-janzen/) > [In saying that without the power of the state, evil men would rule over the good. It is taken for granted that the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-nikolaevich-tolstoy/in-saying-that-without-the-power-of-the-state-evil-men-would-rule/) [Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-nikolaevich-tolstoy/) > [“if you want people to comply with some norm or rule, it is a good strategy to inform them (if true) that most other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-h-thaler/if-you-want-people-to-comply-with-some-norm-or-rule-it-is-a-good/) [Richard H. Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) > [In truth it may be laid down as an almost universal rule that good poets are bad critics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/in-truth-it-may-be-laid-down-as-an-almost-universal-rule-that-good/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [{\_ If there are something new, the style I have to say, otherwise else the ocean of knowledge are the same age old \_}](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/if-there-are-something-new-the-style-i-have-to-say-otherwise-else-the/) Mak\_786 > [It depends on your style is to say, That Your words are stinging arrows as the heart of someone, or as the fragrance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/it-depends-on-your-style-is-to-say-that-your-words-are-stinging/) Mak\_786 > [My style is to never say no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-abloh/my-style-is-to-never-say-no/) [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) > [The first rule of style is to have something to say. The second rule of style is to control yourself when, by chance, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/the-first-rule-of-style-is-to-have-something-to-say-the-second-rule/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) ## More by Arthur Schopenhauer > [Virtue is as little to be acquired by learning as genius; nay, the idea is barren, and is only to be employed as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/virtue-is-as-little-to-be-acquired-by-learning-as-genius-nay-the-idea/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“In accordance with such zeal, by reducing the external world to a matter of faith, he wanted merely to open a little door for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/in-accordance-with-such-zeal-by-reducing-the-external-world-to-a/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [That human life must be some kind of mistake is sufficiently proved by the simple observation that man is a compound of needs which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/that-human-life-must-be-some-kind-of-mistake-is-sufficiently-proved/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“Imitation and custom are the spring of almost all human action. The cause of it is that men fight shy of all and any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/imitation-and-custom-are-the-spring-of-almost-all-human-action-the/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [ \[T\]he appropriate form of address between man and man ought to be, not monsieur, sir, but fellow sufferer, compagnon de miseres. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/t-he-appropriate-form-of-address-between-man-and-man-ought-to-be-not/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [The eternal being..., as it lives in us, also lives in every animal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/the-eternal-being-as-it-lives-in-us-also-lives-in-every-animal/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [there are very few who can think, but every man wants to have an opinion; and what remains but to take it ready-made from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/there-are-very-few-who-can-think-but-every-man-wants-to-have-an/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [It is not what things are objectively and in themselves, but what they are for us, in our way of looking at them, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/it-is-not-what-things-are-objectively-and-in-themselves-but-what-they/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [ “\[Materialism\] seeks the primary and most simple state of matter, and then tries to develop all the others from it; ascending from mere mechanism,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/materialism-seeks-the-primary-and-most-simple-state-of-matter-and/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [In order to increase his pleasures, man has intentionally added to the number and pressure of his needs, which in their original state were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/in-order-to-increase-his-pleasures-man-has-intentionally-added-to-the/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“For the will, as that which is common to all, is for that reason also common: consequently, every vehement emergence of will is common,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/for-the-will-as-that-which-is-common-to-all-is-for-that-reason-also/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“Alles Urdenken geschieht in Bildern: darum ist die Phantasie ein so nothwendiges Werkzeug desselben, und werden phantasielose Köpfe nie etwas Großes leisten, - es…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/alles-urdenken-geschieht-in-bildern-darum-ist-die-phantasie-ein-so/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [Intellect is invisible to the man who has none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/intellect-is-invisible-to-the-man-who-has-none/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [Newspapers are the second hand of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/newspapers-are-the-second-hand-of-history/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“In travelling where novelties of all kinds press in upon us, mental food is often supplied so rapidly from without that there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/in-travelling-where-novelties-of-all-kinds-press-in-upon-us-mental/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) [Explore all 791 Arthur Schopenhauer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) ## More Enough quotes > [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/) [Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/) > [Failures happen. 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Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/) Rena Kornreich Gelissen > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I've been to Manchester enough to know it's a real place. It's not Factory Records and the Smiths bicycling around. I get it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murphy/i-ve-been-to-manchester-enough-to-know-it-s-a-real-place-it-s-not/) [James Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murphy/) > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/new-york-is-large-glamorous-easy-going-kindly-and-incurious-but-above/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) Browse all 23,898 Enough quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The first rule for a good style is to have something to say; in fact, this in itself is almost enough.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arthur Schopenhauer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/the-first-rule-for-a-good-style-is-to-have-something-to-say-in-fact/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enough" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/the-first-rule-for-a-good-style-is-to-have-something-to-say-in-fact/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/267/arthur-schopenhauer-226_enough_the-first-rule-for-a-good-style-is-to-ha_469015.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/267/arthur-schopenhauer-226_enough_the-first-rule-for-a-good-style-is-to-ha_469015.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/267/arthur-schopenhauer-226_enough_the-first-rule-for-a-good-style-is-to-ha_469015.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The first rule for a good style is to have something to say; in fact, this in itself is almost enough.” — Arthur Schopenhauer", "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": "Arthur Schopenhauer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The first rule for a good...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/the-first-rule-for-a-good-style-is-to-have-something-to-say-in-fact/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/the-first-rule-for-a-good-style-is-to-have-something-to-say-in-fact/#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 } } ] } ```