Explanation Quote by George Eliot
““But let the wise be warned against too great readiness at explanation: it multiplies the sources of mistake, lengthening the sum for reckoners sure to go wrong.””
About This Quote
Excessive eagerness to explain can create many errors, making it harder for analysts to avoid mistakes.
In simple terms: Overexplaining breeds mistakes.
Key Takeaway
Caution in explanation prevents error accumulation.
Themes
communication
cognition
error management
analysis
wisdom
Mood
thoughtful
cautious
analytical
Type
advice
maxim
philosophical
When to use this quote
- academic research
- business reporting
- legal argumentation
- technical documentation
- public policy debates
Key Concepts
explanatory excess
mistake propagation
cognitive load
Practical Applications
- improve decision‑making accuracy
- streamline analytical processes
Questions to Reflect On
- When does thorough explanation become counterproductive?
- How can one balance clarity with brevity?
A Different Perspective
Sometimes rapid explanation is necessary to prevent misunderstanding or inaction.
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
![“They [scientists of centuries past] call on God only from the lonely and precarious edge of incomprehension. Where they feel certain about their explanations, however, God gets hardly a mention.” quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0b0/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_century_they-scientists-of-centuries-past-call-o_12921.jpg)
![“[Barack Obama] will spend long periods of time explaining to people why he won't use it. At the end of the explanation, nobody knows why he still won't use it because the explanation is no good. And I mean, honestly we have a president that in my opinion really doesn't know what he's doing.” quote by Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/eb3/donald-trump-18_barack_barack-obama-will-spend-long-periods-of_29283.jpg)
