--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Readers travel so fast they don't stop to…" description: "\"Readers travel so fast they don't stop to decipher the meaning of obscure headlines.\" — David Ogilvy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/david-ogilvy-1326_books_readers-travel-so-fast-they-don-t-stop-t_2666515.png" --- # Readers travel so fast they don't stop to decipher the… ![“Readers travel so fast they don't stop to decipher the meaning of obscure headlines.” quote by David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/david-ogilvy-1326_books_readers-travel-so-fast-they-don-t-stop-t_2666515.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/david-ogilvy-1326_books_readers-travel-so-fast-they-don-t-stop-t_2666515.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/david-ogilvy-1326_books_readers-travel-so-fast-they-don-t-stop-t_2666515.png) > “Readers travel so fast they don't stop to decipher the meaning of obscure headlines.” [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Readers skim headlines quickly, missing deeper meanings. **In simple terms:** Readers rush past headlines. Key Takeaway Encourage deeper reading. Themes media attention interpretation Mood analytical critical Type educational reflective When to use this quote - marketing - education - critical reading Key Concepts advertising communication Questions to Reflect On - What makes a headline compelling? - How can you slow down to understand? A Different Perspective Some headlines are intentionally concise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Decipher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decipher/) [Headlines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/headlines/) [Obscure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obscure/) [Obscure Headlines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obscure-headlines-2469392/) [Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader/) [Readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/readers/) [Readers Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/readers-travel-2469391/) [Travel Fast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel-fast-564127/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [A man may travel fast enough and earn his living on the road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-man-may-travel-fast-enough-and-earn-his-living-on-the-road/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Denn die Todten reiten Schnell. (For the dead travel fast.)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/denn-die-todten-reiten-schnell-for-the-dead-travel-fast/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) > [The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast, and you miss all you are traveling for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-l-amour/the-trail-is-the-thing-not-the-end-of-the-trail-travel-too-fast-and/) [Louis L'Amour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-l-amour/) > [The Dead travel fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/the-dead-travel-fast/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) > [Secrets travel fast in Paris.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/secrets-travel-fast-in-paris/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [“If you travel too fast, all you're gonna see is a blur and you'll never really meet anyone interesting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-bio-moon/if-you-travel-too-fast-all-you-re-gonna-see-is-a-blur-and-you-ll/) [Fábio Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-bio-moon/) > [In the end, to ski is to travel fast and free – free over untouched snow country. To be bound to one slope, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-gmoser/in-the-end-to-ski-is-to-travel-fast-and-free-free-over-untouched-snow/) [Hans Gmoser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-gmoser/) > [They call them rogues, they travel fast and alone. One-hundred-foot faces of God's good ocean gone wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brand-new/they-call-them-rogues-they-travel-fast-and-alone-one-hundred-foot/) [Brand New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brand-new/) > [Good impressions travel fast, bad ones travel even faster!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/good-impressions-travel-fast-bad-ones-travel-even-faster/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [On the average, five times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/on-the-average-five-times-as-many-people-read-the-headlines-as-read/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [The headline is the most important element in most advertisements. It is the telegram which decides the reader whether to read the copy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/the-headline-is-the-most-important-element-in-most-advertisements-it/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Most headlines are set too big to be legible in the magazines or newspaper. Never approve a layout until you have seen it pasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/most-headlines-are-set-too-big-to-be-legible-in-the-magazines-or/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [David Ogilvy made his copywriters come up 100 different headlines for every ad they wrote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/david-ogilvy-made-his-copywriters-come-up-100-different-headlines-for/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Headlines can be strengthend by the inclusion of emotional words like darling, love, fear, proud, friend and baby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/headlines-can-be-strengthend-by-the-inclusion-of-emotional-words-like/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Never use tricky or irrelevant headlines… People read too fast to figure out what you are trying to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/never-use-tricky-or-irrelevant-headlines-people-read-too-fast-to/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) ## More by David Ogilvy > [I figure that my staff will be less reluctant to work overtime if I work longer hours than they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/i-figure-that-my-staff-will-be-less-reluctant-to-work-overtime-if-i/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [In most agencies, account executives outnumber the copywriters two to one. If you were a dairy farmer, would you employ twice as many milkers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/in-most-agencies-account-executives-outnumber-the-copywriters-two-to/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [“Your alcoholics may include some of your brightest stars. The problem is to identify them, protected as they always are by their secretaries and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/your-alcoholics-may-include-some-of-your-brightest-stars-the-problem/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/it-takes-a-big-idea-to-attract-the-attention-of-consumers-and-get/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Many manufacturers secretly question whether advertising really sells their product, but are vaguely afraid that their competitors might steal a march on them if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/many-manufacturers-secretly-question-whether-advertising-really-sells/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Once upon a time I was riding on the top of a First Avenue bus, when I heard a mythical housewife say to another,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/once-upon-a-time-i-was-riding-on-the-top-of-a-first-avenue-bus-when-i/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [You can't save souls in an empty church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/you-can-t-save-souls-in-an-empty-church/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/in-the-modern-world-of-business-it-is-useless-to-be-a-creative/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Consumers don't think how they feel. They don't say what they think and they don't do what they say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/consumers-don-t-think-how-they-feel-they-don-t-say-what-they-think/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Compete with the immortals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/compete-with-the-immortals/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [You will never win fame and fortune unless you invent big ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/you-will-never-win-fame-and-fortune-unless-you-invent-big-ideas/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [The worst fault a salesman can commit is to be a bore. Foster any attempt to talk about other things; the longer you stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/the-worst-fault-a-salesman-can-commit-is-to-be-a-bore-foster-any/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [I don't believe in tricky advertising, I don't believe in cute advertising, I don't believe in comic advertising. The people who perpetrate that kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/i-don-t-believe-in-tricky-advertising-i-don-t-believe-in-cute/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [I never assign a product to a writer unless I know that he is personally interested in it. Every time I have written a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/i-never-assign-a-product-to-a-writer-unless-i-know-that-he-is/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Talent, I believe, is most likely to be found among nonconformists, dissenters, and rebels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/talent-i-believe-is-most-likely-to-be-found-among-nonconformists/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) [Explore all 255 David Ogilvy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Readers travel so fast they don't stop to decipher the meaning of obscure headlines.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Ogilvy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/readers-travel-so-fast-they-don-t-stop-to-decipher-the-meaning-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/readers-travel-so-fast-they-don-t-stop-to-decipher-the-meaning-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/david-ogilvy-1326_books_readers-travel-so-fast-they-don-t-stop-t_2666515.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/david-ogilvy-1326_books_readers-travel-so-fast-they-don-t-stop-t_2666515.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/david-ogilvy-1326_books_readers-travel-so-fast-they-don-t-stop-t_2666515.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Readers travel so fast they don't stop to decipher the meaning of obscure headlines.” — David Ogilvy", "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 Ogilvy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Readers travel so fast they don't...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/readers-travel-so-fast-they-don-t-stop-to-decipher-the-meaning-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/readers-travel-so-fast-they-don-t-stop-to-decipher-the-meaning-of/#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 } } ] } ```