--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: clarity is a precious thing, to the…" description: "\"“clarity is a precious thing, to the degree it can be achieved, if only because it can spare us the effort of needless boring arguments.”\" — David Bent..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/david-bentley-hart-4691_arguments_clarity-is-a-precious-thing-to-the-degre_225205.png" --- # clarity is a precious thing, to the degree it can be… ![“clarity is a precious thing, to the degree it can be achieved, if only because it can spare us the effort of needless boring arguments.” quote by David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/david-bentley-hart-4691_arguments_clarity-is-a-precious-thing-to-the-degre_225205.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/david-bentley-hart-4691_arguments_clarity-is-a-precious-thing-to-the-degre_225205.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/david-bentley-hart-4691_arguments_clarity-is-a-precious-thing-to-the-degre_225205.png) > ““clarity is a precious thing, to the degree it can be achieved, if only because it can spare us the effort of needless boring arguments.”” [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Clarity reduces unnecessary disputes by making ideas understandable, saving time and effort. **In simple terms:** Clear thinking avoids pointless arguments. Key Takeaway Seek clarity to simplify debates. Themes communication logic efficiency Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - team meetings - academic writing - policy discussions - online forums Key Concepts epistemology rational discourse Questions to Reflect On - How can you foster clarity in heated discussions? - What steps help you clarify your own thoughts? A Different Perspective Clarity may be hard to achieve in complex topics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arguments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguments/) [Clarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clarity/) ## Related quotes > [Of mystery there is no end. Of clarity, there is precious little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-michaels/of-mystery-there-is-no-end-of-clarity-there-is-precious-little/) [Leonard Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-michaels/) > [I think everyone has experienced those boring arguments about whose turn it is to do the dishes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taika-waititi/i-think-everyone-has-experienced-those-boring-arguments-about-whose/) [Taika Waititi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taika-waititi/) > [“Do it today! It will spare you the effort of finding excuses tomorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/do-it-today-it-will-spare-you-the-effort-of-finding-excuses-tomorrow/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [“Every arguments start from misunderstanding and ego”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chatchawan-tangtrongpanich/every-arguments-start-from-misunderstanding-and-ego/) Chatchawan Tangtrongpanich > [I know more than you think, I just don't say anything to save arguments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-more-than-you-think-i-just-don-t-say-anything-to-save-arguments/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The purpose of an argument, should not be victorious, but progress...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-purpose-of-an-argument-should-not-be-victorious-but-progress/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Arguing with someone that hates you is a waste of time. It will just go on and on because they won't ever admit that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/arguing-with-someone-that-hates-you-is-a-waste-of-time-it-will-just/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Constructive argument brings out the best in both partnership and relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-nwakama/constructive-argument-brings-out-the-best-in-both-partnership-and/) [Anne Nwakama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-nwakama/) > [Wanting to say something but knowing it's gonna start an argument...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wanting-to-say-something-but-knowing-it-s-gonna-start-an-argument/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Love your mom no matter what you go through and no matter how much you argue because in the end,she'll always be there for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/my-favorite-qoutes/love-your-mom-no-matter-what-you-go-through-and-no-matter-how-much/) My Favorite Qoutes > [All couples have ups and downs but how you handle it is what defines true love. arguments are simply a test to see if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keesling-moraiji-tatenda/all-couples-have-ups-and-downs-but-how-you-handle-it-is-what-defines/) [Keesling Moraiji Tatenda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keesling-moraiji-tatenda/) > [Reason is universal because no attempted challenge to its results can avoid appealing to reason in the end-by claiming, for example, that what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/reason-is-universal-because-no-attempted-challenge-to-its-results-can/) [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) > [“Arguments led by subjectivity are a waste of time. And, if they take place online, add to that, a waste of one’s keyboard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/arguments-led-by-subjectivity-are-a-waste-of-time-and-if-they-take/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [A woman is always right, especially when shes clearly wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-woman-is-always-right-especially-when-shes-clearly-wrong/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What you owe your critics are your RESULTS not explanations not defence just RESULTS.Evidence terminates Arguments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fela-durotoye/what-you-owe-your-critics-are-your-results-not-explanations-not/) [Fela Durotoye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fela-durotoye/) ## More by David Bentley Hart > [“What makes today’s popular atheism so depressing is neither its conceptual boorishness nor its self-righteousness but simply its cultural inevitability. It is the final,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/what-makes-today-s-popular-atheism-so-depressing-is-neither-its/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“The claim that there cannot be an infinite regress of contingent ontological causes raises a truly difficult challenge to pure materialism; but to imagine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/the-claim-that-there-cannot-be-an-infinite-regress-of-contingent/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“The very notion of nature as a closed system entirely sufficient to itself is plainly one that cannot be verified, deductively or empirically, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/the-very-notion-of-nature-as-a-closed-system-entirely-sufficient-to/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“naturalism, alone among all considered philosophical attempts to describe the shape of reality, is radically insufficient in its explanatory range.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/naturalism-alone-among-all-considered-philosophical-attempts-to/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [Christianity has from its beginning portrayed itself as a gospel of peace, a way of reconciliation (with God, with other creatures), and a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/christianity-has-from-its-beginning-portrayed-itself-as-a-gospel-of/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [Empiricism in the sciences is a method; naturalism in philosophy is a metaphysics; and the latter neither follows from nor underlies the former.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/empiricism-in-the-sciences-is-a-method-naturalism-in-philosophy-is-a/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“We trust, that is to say, that there is no substantial criterion by which to judge our choices that stands higher than the unquestioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/we-trust-that-is-to-say-that-there-is-no-substantial-criterion-by/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [For, after all, if it is from Christ that we are to learn how God relates himself to sin, suffering, evil, and death, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/for-after-all-if-it-is-from-christ-that-we-are-to-learn-how-god/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“All things are subject to time, moreover: they possess no complete identity in themselves, but are always in the process of becoming something else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/all-things-are-subject-to-time-moreover-they-possess-no-complete/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [true philosophical atheism must be regarded as a superstition, often nurtured by an infantile wish to live in a world proportionate to one's own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/true-philosophical-atheism-must-be-regarded-as-a-superstition-often/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“It goes without saying that one generally should not try to dissolve disparate creeds into one another, much less into some vague, syncretistic, doctrinally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/it-goes-without-saying-that-one-generally-should-not-try-to-dissolve/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [God's pleasure--the beauty creation possesses in his regard--underlies the distinct being of creation, and so beauty is the first and truest word concerning all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/god-s-pleasure-the-beauty-creation-possesses-in-his-regard-underlies/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“The general argument from the contingent to the absolute, or from the conditioned to the unconditioned, is a powerful and cogent one. No attempt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/the-general-argument-from-the-contingent-to-the-absolute-or-from-the/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“Simply said, one is contingent through and through, partaking of being rather than generating it out of some source within oneself; and the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/simply-said-one-is-contingent-through-and-through-partaking-of-being/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“If philosophy had the power to establish incontrovertible truths, immune to doubt, and if philosophers were as a rule wholly disinterested practitioners of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/if-philosophy-had-the-power-to-establish-incontrovertible-truths/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) [Explore all 107 David Bentley Hart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) ## More Arguments quotes > [“What you owe your critics are your RESULTS not explanations not defence just RESULTS.Evidence terminates Arguments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fela-durotoye/what-you-owe-your-critics-are-your-results-not-explanations-not/) [Fela Durotoye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fela-durotoye/) > [A woman is always right, especially when shes clearly wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-woman-is-always-right-especially-when-shes-clearly-wrong/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Arguments led by subjectivity are a waste of time. And, if they take place online, add to that, a waste of one’s keyboard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/arguments-led-by-subjectivity-are-a-waste-of-time-and-if-they-take/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Reason is universal because no attempted challenge to its results can avoid appealing to reason in the end-by claiming, for example, that what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/reason-is-universal-because-no-attempted-challenge-to-its-results-can/) [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) > [All couples have ups and downs but how you handle it is what defines true love. arguments are simply a test to see if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keesling-moraiji-tatenda/all-couples-have-ups-and-downs-but-how-you-handle-it-is-what-defines/) [Keesling Moraiji Tatenda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keesling-moraiji-tatenda/) > [Love your mom no matter what you go through and no matter how much you argue because in the end,she'll always be there for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/my-favorite-qoutes/love-your-mom-no-matter-what-you-go-through-and-no-matter-how-much/) My Favorite Qoutes > [Wanting to say something but knowing it's gonna start an argument...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wanting-to-say-something-but-knowing-it-s-gonna-start-an-argument/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Constructive argument brings out the best in both partnership and relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-nwakama/constructive-argument-brings-out-the-best-in-both-partnership-and/) [Anne Nwakama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-nwakama/) > [Arguing with someone that hates you is a waste of time. It will just go on and on because they won't ever admit that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/arguing-with-someone-that-hates-you-is-a-waste-of-time-it-will-just/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [The purpose of an argument, should not be victorious, but progress...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-purpose-of-an-argument-should-not-be-victorious-but-progress/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know more than you think, I just don't say anything to save arguments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-more-than-you-think-i-just-don-t-say-anything-to-save-arguments/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Every arguments start from misunderstanding and ego”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chatchawan-tangtrongpanich/every-arguments-start-from-misunderstanding-and-ego/) Chatchawan Tangtrongpanich > [I don't believe that arguments make the relationship stronger...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-believe-that-arguments-make-the-relationship-stronger/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All arguments are meaningless until we gain personal experience. One must win one's own place in the spiritual world painfully and alone. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/havelock-ellis/all-arguments-are-meaningless-until-we-gain-personal-experience-one/) [Havelock Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/havelock-ellis/) > [“The real purpose of the opposition is to minimize the amount of money the ruling party will have stolen from the people at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/the-real-purpose-of-the-opposition-is-to-minimize-the-amount-of-money/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) [Browse all 460 Arguments quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguments/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“clarity is a precious thing, to the degree it can be achieved, if only because it can spare us the effort of needless boring arguments.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Bentley Hart" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/clarity-is-a-precious-thing-to-the-degree-it-can-be-achieved-if-only/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arguments" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/clarity-is-a-precious-thing-to-the-degree-it-can-be-achieved-if-only/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/david-bentley-hart-4691_arguments_clarity-is-a-precious-thing-to-the-degre_225205.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/david-bentley-hart-4691_arguments_clarity-is-a-precious-thing-to-the-degre_225205.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/david-bentley-hart-4691_arguments_clarity-is-a-precious-thing-to-the-degre_225205.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“clarity is a precious thing, to the degree it can be achieved, if only because it can spare us the effort of…” — David Bentley Hart", "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": "David Bentley Hart", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“clarity is a precious thing, to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/clarity-is-a-precious-thing-to-the-degree-it-can-be-achieved-if-only/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/clarity-is-a-precious-thing-to-the-degree-it-can-be-achieved-if-only/#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 } } ] } ```