Business Quote by Jonathan Swift
“Story-telling is subject to two unavoidable defects,--frequent repetition and being soon exhausted; so that, whoever values this gift in himself, has need of a good memory, and ought frequently to shift his company.”
About This Quote
Storytelling naturally repeats and tires quickly, requiring a good memory and varied audience to stay effective.
In simple terms: Stories repeat and get boring, so you need memory and fresh listeners.
Key Takeaway
Maintain fresh audiences and rely on memory.
Themes
communication
creativity
audience engagement
Mood
reflective
pragmatic
Type
advice
observational
literary
When to use this quote
- public speaking
- teaching
- writing
- performing
- marketing
Key Concepts
memory
repetition
novelty
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you keep stories fresh?
- What strategies help retain audience interest?
A Different Perspective
Limited by audience attention spans and memory capacity.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)