--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I saw one excellency was within my reach…" description: "\"I saw one excellency was within my reach - it was brevity and I determined to obtain it.\" — John Jay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/john-jay-31836_quote_i-saw-one-excellency-was-within-my-reach_1067783.jpg" --- # I saw one excellency was within my reach - it was brevity… ![“I saw one excellency was within my reach - it was brevity and I determined to obtain it.” quote by John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/john-jay-31836_quote_i-saw-one-excellency-was-within-my-reach_1067783.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/john-jay-31836_quote_i-saw-one-excellency-was-within-my-reach_1067783.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/john-jay-31836_quote_i-saw-one-excellency-was-within-my-reach_1067783.jpg) > “I saw one excellency was within my reach - it was brevity and I determined to obtain it.” [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Brevity is a virtue; striving for concise expression improves communication. **In simple terms:** Being concise makes ideas clearer. Key Takeaway Practice concise writing. Themes communication clarity efficiency Mood thoughtful practical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - business emails - public speaking - writing drafts Key Concepts rhetoric linguistics Questions to Reflect On - What benefits does brevity bring? - When is detail essential? A Different Perspective Too much brevity can sacrifice nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brevity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brevity/) ## Related quotes > [it is the brevity of life which makes it tolerable; its experiences have value because they have an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/it-is-the-brevity-of-life-which-makes-it-tolerable-its-experiences/) [Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/) > [As a writer, I'm too busy and worried to experience the delight while composing my own work, although, of course, I hope a reader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/as-a-writer-i-m-too-busy-and-worried-to-experience-the-delight-while/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [There came to him an image of man’s whole life upon the earth. It seemed to him that all man’s life was like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-wolfe/there-came-to-him-an-image-of-man-s-whole-life-upon-the-earth-it/) [Thomas Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-wolfe/) > [He will see himself and life and the world as truly as our human limitations will permit; realizing the brevity and minuteness of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/he-will-see-himself-and-life-and-the-world-as-truly-as-our-human/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Not to discriminate every moment some passionate attitude in those about us, and in the very brilliancy of their gifts some tragic dividing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-pater/not-to-discriminate-every-moment-some-passionate-attitude-in-those/) [Walter Pater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-pater/) > [A drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-strunk-jr/a-drawing-should-have-no-unnecessary-lines-and-a-machine-no/) [William Strunk, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-strunk-jr/) > [It is excellent discipline for an author to feel that he must say all that he has to say in the fewest possible words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-is-excellent-discipline-for-an-author-to-feel-that-he-must-say-all/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Conversation! Supple sentences, with first and second meanings and overtones beyond, outrageous challenges with cleverly planned slip-points, rebuttals of elegant brevity; deceptions and guiles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-vance/conversation-supple-sentences-with-first-and-second-meanings-and/) [Jack Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-vance/) > [Our senses will not admit anything extreme. Too much noise confuses us, too much light dazzles us, too great distance or nearness prevents vision,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/our-senses-will-not-admit-anything-extreme-too-much-noise-confuses-us/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [If, in the very intense electric field in the neighbourhood of the cathode, the molecules of the gas are dissociated and are split up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-john-thomson/if-in-the-very-intense-electric-field-in-the-neighbourhood-of-the/) [Joseph John Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-john-thomson/) > [If I am to speak ten minutes, I need a week for preparation; if an hour, I am ready now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/if-i-am-to-speak-ten-minutes-i-need-a-week-for-preparation-if-an-hour/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [This is going to take a while. I'm a fantasy author. We have trouble with the concept of brevity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/this-is-going-to-take-a-while-i-m-a-fantasy-author-we-have-trouble/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Life is too short to waste being a productive member of society.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-luckman/life-is-too-short-to-waste-being-a-productive-member-of-society/) [Sol Luckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-luckman/) > [“It's not my accent, but my brevity makes me stylish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/it-s-not-my-accent-but-my-brevity-makes-me-stylish/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Aiming at brevity, I become obscure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/aiming-at-brevity-i-become-obscure/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) ## More by John Jay > [“It is too true, however disgraceful it may be to human nature, that nations in general will make war whenever they have a prospect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/it-is-too-true-however-disgraceful-it-may-be-to-human-nature-that/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) > [Nothing is more certain than that a general profligacy and corruption of manners make a people ripe for destruction. A good form of government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/nothing-is-more-certain-than-that-a-general-profligacy-and-corruption/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) > [“We must go home to be happy, and our home is not in this world. Here we have nothing to do but our duty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/we-must-go-home-to-be-happy-and-our-home-is-not-in-this-world-here-we/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) > [As the select assemblies for choosing the President, as well as the State legislatures who appoint the senators, will in general be composed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/as-the-select-assemblies-for-choosing-the-president-as-well-as-the/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) > [The jury has the right to judge both the law as well as the fact in controversy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/the-jury-has-the-right-to-judge-both-the-law-as-well-as-the-fact-in/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) > [No power on earth has a right to take our property from us without our consent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/no-power-on-earth-has-a-right-to-take-our-property-from-us-without/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) > [“Distrust naturally creates distrust, and by nothing is good will and kind conduct more speedily changed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/distrust-naturally-creates-distrust-and-by-nothing-is-good-will-and/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) > [Those who own the country ought to govern it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/those-who-own-the-country-ought-to-govern-it/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) > [Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers. And it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/providence-has-given-to-our-people-the-choice-of-their-rulers-and-it/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) > [ “Too many in your state \[Pennsylvania\], as in this \[New York\], love pure democracy dearly. They seem not to consider that pure democracy, like… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/too-many-in-your-state-pennsylvania-as-in-this-new-york-love-pure/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) > [“It has often given my pleasure to observe, that independent America was not composed of detached and distant territories, but that one connected fertile,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/it-has-often-given-my-pleasure-to-observe-that-independent-america/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) > [The only way to be loved is to be and to appear lovely; to possess and display kindness, benevolence, tenderness; to be free from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/the-only-way-to-be-loved-is-to-be-and-to-appear-lovely-to-possess-and/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) > [“Among the many objects to which a wise and free people find it necessary to direct their attention, that of providing for their safety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/among-the-many-objects-to-which-a-wise-and-free-people-find-it/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) > [“Among the strange things of this world, nothing seems more strange than that men pursuing happiness should knowingly quit the right and take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/among-the-strange-things-of-this-world-nothing-seems-more-strange/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) > [“The wise and the good never form the majority of any large society and it seldom happens that their measures are uniformly adopted… \[All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/the-wise-and-the-good-never-form-the-majority-of-any-large-society/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) [Explore all 16 John Jay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) ## More Brevity quotes > [it is the brevity of life which makes it tolerable; its experiences have value because they have an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/it-is-the-brevity-of-life-which-makes-it-tolerable-its-experiences/) [Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/) > [“It's not my accent, but my brevity makes me stylish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/it-s-not-my-accent-but-my-brevity-makes-me-stylish/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“Life is too short to waste being a productive member of society.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-luckman/life-is-too-short-to-waste-being-a-productive-member-of-society/) [Sol Luckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-luckman/) > [This is going to take a while. I'm a fantasy author. We have trouble with the concept of brevity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/this-is-going-to-take-a-while-i-m-a-fantasy-author-we-have-trouble/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [If I am to speak ten minutes, I need a week for preparation; if an hour, I am ready now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/if-i-am-to-speak-ten-minutes-i-need-a-week-for-preparation-if-an-hour/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [If, in the very intense electric field in the neighbourhood of the cathode, the molecules of the gas are dissociated and are split up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-john-thomson/if-in-the-very-intense-electric-field-in-the-neighbourhood-of-the/) [Joseph John Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-john-thomson/) > [Our senses will not admit anything extreme. Too much noise confuses us, too much light dazzles us, too great distance or nearness prevents vision,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/our-senses-will-not-admit-anything-extreme-too-much-noise-confuses-us/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Conversation! Supple sentences, with first and second meanings and overtones beyond, outrageous challenges with cleverly planned slip-points, rebuttals of elegant brevity; deceptions and guiles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-vance/conversation-supple-sentences-with-first-and-second-meanings-and/) [Jack Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-vance/) > [It is excellent discipline for an author to feel that he must say all that he has to say in the fewest possible words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-is-excellent-discipline-for-an-author-to-feel-that-he-must-say-all/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [A drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-strunk-jr/a-drawing-should-have-no-unnecessary-lines-and-a-machine-no/) [William Strunk, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-strunk-jr/) > [Not to discriminate every moment some passionate attitude in those about us, and in the very brilliancy of their gifts some tragic dividing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-pater/not-to-discriminate-every-moment-some-passionate-attitude-in-those/) [Walter Pater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-pater/) > [He will see himself and life and the world as truly as our human limitations will permit; realizing the brevity and minuteness of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/he-will-see-himself-and-life-and-the-world-as-truly-as-our-human/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [There came to him an image of man’s whole life upon the earth. It seemed to him that all man’s life was like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-wolfe/there-came-to-him-an-image-of-man-s-whole-life-upon-the-earth-it/) [Thomas Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-wolfe/) > [As a writer, I'm too busy and worried to experience the delight while composing my own work, although, of course, I hope a reader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/as-a-writer-i-m-too-busy-and-worried-to-experience-the-delight-while/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [Aiming at brevity, I become obscure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/aiming-at-brevity-i-become-obscure/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) [Browse all 192 Brevity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brevity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I saw one excellency was within my reach - it was brevity and I determined to obtain it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Jay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/i-saw-one-excellency-was-within-my-reach-it-was-brevity-and-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brevity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/i-saw-one-excellency-was-within-my-reach-it-was-brevity-and-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/john-jay-31836_quote_i-saw-one-excellency-was-within-my-reach_1067783.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/john-jay-31836_quote_i-saw-one-excellency-was-within-my-reach_1067783.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/john-jay-31836_quote_i-saw-one-excellency-was-within-my-reach_1067783.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I saw one excellency was within my reach - it was brevity and I determined to obtain it.” — John Jay", "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": "John Jay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I saw one excellency was within...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/i-saw-one-excellency-was-within-my-reach-it-was-brevity-and-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/i-saw-one-excellency-was-within-my-reach-it-was-brevity-and-i/#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 } } ] } ```