--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first rule of style is to have…" description: "\"The first rule of style is to have something to say. The second rule of style is to control yourself when, by chance, you have two things to say; say f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c99/george-polya-10766_chance_the-first-rule-of-style-is-to-have-somet_1331993.png" --- # The first rule of style is to have something to say. The… ![“The first rule of style is to have something to say. The second rule of style is to control yourself when, by chance, you have two things to say; say first one, then the other, not both at the same time.” quote by George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c99/george-polya-10766_chance_the-first-rule-of-style-is-to-have-somet_1331993.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c99/george-polya-10766_chance_the-first-rule-of-style-is-to-have-somet_1331993.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c99/george-polya-10766_chance_the-first-rule-of-style-is-to-have-somet_1331993.png) > “The first rule of style is to have something to say. The second rule of style is to control yourself when, by chance, you have two things to say; say first one, then the other, not both at the same time.” [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Style requires a clear purpose and disciplined sequencing of ideas, avoiding simultaneous overload **In simple terms:** First decide what to say, then organize it sequentially Key Takeaway Prioritize and order your points Themes clarity discipline communication Mood analytical instructional Type educational guidance When to use this quote - presentations - writing - teaching - debates Key Concepts rhetoric structure focus Questions to Reflect On - How can you ensure each point gets attention? - When might overlapping ideas be beneficial? A Different Perspective Complex ideas may need simultaneous presentation for impact ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Fashion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rule/) [Rule Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rule-style-4472459/) [Second Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second-rule-759847/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Style Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style-say-454941/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) ## Related quotes > [The first rule for a good style is to have something to say; in fact, this in itself is almost enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/the-first-rule-for-a-good-style-is-to-have-something-to-say-in-fact/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [The first rule is not to lose. The second rule is not to forget the first rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/the-first-rule-is-not-to-lose-the-second-rule-is-not-to-forget-the/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [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/) > [The first rule of discovery is to have brains and good luck. The second rule of discovery is to sit tight and wait till…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/the-first-rule-of-discovery-is-to-have-brains-and-good-luck-the/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [It is difficult to read the reviews when you start because you see something in your collection and the press sees something else. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolina-herrera/it-is-difficult-to-read-the-reviews-when-you-start-because-you-see/) [Carolina Herrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolina-herrera/) > [I love your eyes,i adore your ways,i cherish your style what can I say ?you are one of a kind 24/7 you are on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newtonswaga/i-love-your-eyes-i-adore-your-ways-i-cherish-your-style-what-can-i/) [Newtonswaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newtonswaga/) > [I love you eyes, I love your smile, I cherish your ways, I adore your style, what can I say? your one of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana/i-love-you-eyes-i-love-your-smile-i-cherish-your-ways-i-adore-your/) [Ana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana/) > [I'm very out of style... or I should say I have my own style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-paul/i-m-very-out-of-style-or-i-should-say-i-have-my-own-style/) [Alexandra Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-paul/) > [It's really cheesy, but even with style, I would say to follow your heart and maybe even the things that you liked as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-gardner/it-s-really-cheesy-but-even-with-style-i-would-say-to-follow-your/) [Heidi Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-gardner/) > [I love your eyes, I love your smile, I cherish your ways, I adore your style What can I say? You are 1 of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/move-on07/i-love-your-eyes-i-love-your-smile-i-cherish-your-ways-i-adore-your/) [Move-on07](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/move-on07/) > [{\_ 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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/) > [I always had my own style. I would say it's easygoing, sleek and with a little edge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-biden/i-always-had-my-own-style-i-would-say-it-s-easygoing-sleek-and-with-a/) [Ashley Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-biden/) > [“The second rule of improvisation is not only to say yes, but YES, AND. You are supposed to agree and then add something of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/the-second-rule-of-improvisation-is-not-only-to-say-yes-but-yes-and/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) ## More by George Polya > [Pedantry and mastery are opposite attitudes toward rules. To apply a rule to the letter, rigidly, unquestioningly, in cases where it fits and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/pedantry-and-mastery-are-opposite-attitudes-toward-rules-to-apply-a/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [A GREAT discovery solves a great problem but there is a grain of discovery in any problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/a-great-discovery-solves-a-great-problem-but-there-is-a-grain-of/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [Where should I start? Start from the statement of the problem. ... What can I do? Visualize the problem as a whole as clearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/where-should-i-start-start-from-the-statement-of-the-problem-what-can/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [In order to translate a sentence from English into French two things are necessary. First, we must understand thoroughly the English sentence. Second, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/in-order-to-translate-a-sentence-from-english-into-french-two-things/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [Look around when you have got your first mushroom or made your first discovery: they grow in clusters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/look-around-when-you-have-got-your-first-mushroom-or-made-your-first/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [Beauty in mathematics is seeing the truth without effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/beauty-in-mathematics-is-seeing-the-truth-without-effort/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [I am too good for philosophy and not good enough for physics. Mathematics is in between.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/i-am-too-good-for-philosophy-and-not-good-enough-for-physics/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [Solving problems is a practical art, like swimming, or skiing, or playing the piano: you can learn it only by imitation and practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/solving-problems-is-a-practical-art-like-swimming-or-skiing-or/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [An idea which can be used only once is a trick. If one can use it more than once it becomes a method.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/an-idea-which-can-be-used-only-once-is-a-trick-if-one-can-use-it-more/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [To teach effectively a teacher must develop a feeling for his subject; he cannot make his students sense its vitality if he does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/to-teach-effectively-a-teacher-must-develop-a-feeling-for-his-subject/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [The world is anxious to admire that apex and culmination of modern mathematics: a theorem so perfectly general that no particular application of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/the-world-is-anxious-to-admire-that-apex-and-culmination-of-modern/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [The first rule of discovery is to have brains and good luck. The second rule of discovery is to sit tight and wait till…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/the-first-rule-of-discovery-is-to-have-brains-and-good-luck-the/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [Hilbert once had a student in mathematics who stopped coming to his lectures, and he was finally told the young man had gone off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/hilbert-once-had-a-student-in-mathematics-who-stopped-coming-to-his/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [Geometry is the science of correct reasoning on incorrect figures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/geometry-is-the-science-of-correct-reasoning-on-incorrect-figures/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [An idea which can be used once is a trick. If it can be used more than once it becomes a method.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/an-idea-which-can-be-used-once-is-a-trick-if-it-can-be-used-more-than/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) [Explore all 63 George Polya quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) ## More Chance quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. No one ever thought I'd be the champ, and look where I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stipe-miocic/i-understand-it-s-promotion-but-no-one-ever-gave-me-a-chance-no-one/) [Stipe Miocic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stipe-miocic/) > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's not who, it's when”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-taubas/it-s-not-who-it-s-when/) [Alejandro Taubas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-taubas/) > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I thought my first few jobs would just be off, off, off, off, off broadway. 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