--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are people who believe in an…" description: "\"There are people who believe in an absolutely transparent prose; with every respect for clarity of expression, I don't.\" — John M. Ford" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/john-m-ford-24552_believe_there-are-people-who-believe-in-an-absol_1444155.jpg" --- # There are people who believe in an absolutely transparent… ![“There are people who believe in an absolutely transparent prose; with every respect for clarity of expression, I don't.” quote by John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/john-m-ford-24552_believe_there-are-people-who-believe-in-an-absol_1444155.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/john-m-ford-24552_believe_there-are-people-who-believe-in-an-absol_1444155.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/john-m-ford-24552_believe_there-are-people-who-believe-in-an-absol_1444155.jpg) > “There are people who believe in an absolutely transparent prose; with every respect for clarity of expression, I don't.” [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Clarity is valuable, but absolute transparency can strip nuance and depth. **In simple terms:** Too much clarity can be limiting. Key Takeaway Balance clarity with subtlety. Themes communication literature truth Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary reflective When to use this quote - editing - teaching - public speaking - creative writing Key Concepts writing cens philosophy Questions to Reflect On - When does clarity become a constraint? - How can you preserve nuance while being clear? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on clarity may oversimplify complex ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clarity/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prose/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Life is this simple: we are living in a world that is absolutely transparent and the divine is shining through it all the time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/life-is-this-simple-we-are-living-in-a-world-that-is-absolutely/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [I wish my prose to be transparent—I don't want the reader to stumble over me; I want him to look through what I'm saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul/i-wish-my-prose-to-be-transparent-i-don-t-want-the-reader-to-stumble/) [V. S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) > [Take from my palms, to soothe your heart, a little honey, a little sun, in obedience to Persephone's bees. You can't untie a boat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osip-mandelstam/take-from-my-palms-to-soothe-your-heart-a-little-honey-a-little-sun/) [Osip Mandelstam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osip-mandelstam/) > [In the church we have to deliberately let ourselves be transparent and accountable to others. We're a family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/in-the-church-we-have-to-deliberately-let-ourselves-be-transparent/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [In an era when party fundraising is badly tainted, dinners are a really good way of raising cash for campaigning. Lots of people giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/in-an-era-when-party-fundraising-is-badly-tainted-dinners-are-a/) [Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [Spending should be transparent. All spending by the Pentagon should be online. Every check. Exceptions should be made for legitimate national security issues. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/spending-should-be-transparent-all-spending-by-the-pentagon-should-be/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [Large fish such as tuna are shown already cut into fillets and bought by the block. Fillets should be almost transparent. Avoid tuna that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nobu-matsuhisa/large-fish-such-as-tuna-are-shown-already-cut-into-fillets-and-bought/) [Nobu Matsuhisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nobu-matsuhisa/) > [“I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emerson-ralph-waldo/i-become-a-transparent-eyeball-i-am-nothing-i-see-all-the-currents-of/) Emerson Ralph Waldo > [On taking office, Obama promised the 'most transparent' administration in history; yet his record as president has been anything but transparent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barr/on-taking-office-obama-promised-the-most-transparent-administration/) [Bob Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barr/) > [The United States has the best, deepest, widest, and most transparent capital markets in the world which give you, the investor, the ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/the-united-states-has-the-best-deepest-widest-and-most-transparent/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [No one has ever laughed at a pun who did not see in the one word a twofold meaning. To materialists this world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/no-one-has-ever-laughed-at-a-pun-who-did-not-see-in-the-one-word-a/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [As we get more transparent with data sets about infrastructure and systems management, I have a feeling we'll see big changes in how we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-koblin/as-we-get-more-transparent-with-data-sets-about-infrastructure-and/) [Aaron Koblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-koblin/) > [Why chase after thoughts, which are superficial ripples of present awareness? Rather look directly into the naked, empty nature of thoughts; then there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamgon-kongtrul/why-chase-after-thoughts-which-are-superficial-ripples-of-present/) Jamgon Kongtrul > [If you are not transparent, you are likely to be inviting a sense of distrust & lack of confidence in your endeavour.To make your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/if-you-are-not-transparent-you-are-likely-to-be-inviting-a-sense-of/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) ## More by John M. Ford > [Creating the fictional background for a game world isn't significantly different from creating a background for fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-ford/creating-the-fictional-background-for-a-game-world-isn-t/) [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) > [Well, it's an adventure story, and a Bildungsroman, of course, but there was also the intention to describe a culture that had been seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-ford/well-it-s-an-adventure-story-and-a-bildungsroman-of-course-but-there/) [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) > [Sometimes the reader will decide something else than the author's intent; this is certainly true of attempts to empirically decipher reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-ford/sometimes-the-reader-will-decide-something-else-than-the-author-s/) [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) > [At one point I intended to write precursor and sequel novels, about the establishment of the Web and its next evolution, but I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-ford/at-one-point-i-intended-to-write-precursor-and-sequel-novels-about/) [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) > [“Askade took the battertoast, looked at it blearily. "I can't rewire it into a death ray without some extra parts," he said, and took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-ford/askade-took-the-battertoast-looked-at-it-blearily-i-can-t-rewire-it/) [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) > [Every book is three books, after all; the one the writer intended, the one the reader expected, and the one that casts its shadow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-ford/every-book-is-three-books-after-all-the-one-the-writer-intended-the/) [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) > [I don't think anyone wants a reader to be completely lost - certainly not to the point of giving up - but there's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-ford/i-don-t-think-anyone-wants-a-reader-to-be-completely-lost-certainly/) [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) > [Naturally, the reader has access only to the events I show and the way I show them, but as has been said, there's generally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-ford/naturally-the-reader-has-access-only-to-the-events-i-show-and-the-way/) [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) > [Observe, don't imitate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-ford/observe-don-t-imitate/) [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) > [If I were to write Web now, it would be a much, much darker book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-ford/if-i-were-to-write-web-now-it-would-be-a-much-much-darker-book/) [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) > [The language fictional characters use is chosen for effect, at least if the author is concentrating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-ford/the-language-fictional-characters-use-is-chosen-for-effect-at-least/) [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) > [The ideal, it seems to me, is to show things happening and allow the reader to decide what they mean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-ford/the-ideal-it-seems-to-me-is-to-show-things-happening-and-allow-the/) [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) > [“The worm drives helically through the wood And does not know the dust left in the bore Once made the table integral and good;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-ford/the-worm-drives-helically-through-the-wood-and-does-not-know-the-dust/) [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) > [The people who don't like it tend to dislike it intensely. That's unfortunate, but not surprising when one deliberately goes against audience expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-ford/the-people-who-don-t-like-it-tend-to-dislike-it-intensely-that-s/) [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) > [We're not lost. We're locationally challenged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-ford/we-re-not-lost-we-re-locationally-challenged/) [John M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) [Explore all 24 John M. Ford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-ford/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are people who believe in an absolutely transparent prose; with every respect for clarity of expression, I don't.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John M. 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