--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Epigram and truth are rarely…" description: "\"Epigram and truth are rarely commensurate. Truth has to get somewhat chiseled, as it were, before it will fit into an epigram.\" — Joseph P. Farrell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/joseph-p-farrell-30695_epigram_epigram-and-truth-are-rarely-commensurat_1420101.png" --- # Epigram and truth are rarely commensurate. Truth has to… ![“Epigram and truth are rarely commensurate. Truth has to get somewhat chiseled, as it were, before it will fit into an epigram.” quote by Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/joseph-p-farrell-30695_epigram_epigram-and-truth-are-rarely-commensurat_1420101.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/joseph-p-farrell-30695_epigram_epigram-and-truth-are-rarely-commensurat_1420101.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/joseph-p-farrell-30695_epigram_epigram-and-truth-are-rarely-commensurat_1420101.png) > “Epigram and truth are rarely commensurate. Truth has to get somewhat chiseled, as it were, before it will fit into an epigram.” [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Epigrams require distilling truth into concise form, which often reshapes the truth itself. **In simple terms:** Truth must be shaped to fit short sayings. Key Takeaway Craft concise statements carefully. Themes writing philosophy communication Mood analytical thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - journalism - poetry - public speaking - teaching Key Concepts brevity truth literary form Questions to Reflect On - When does brevity sacrifice depth? - How can we balance clarity and complexity? A Different Perspective Conciseness can oversimplify complex ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Epigram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epigram/) [Epigrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epigrams/) ## Related quotes > [Take my advice, dear reader, don’t talk epigrams even if you have the gift. I know, to those have, the temptation is almost irresistible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/take-my-advice-dear-reader-don-t-talk-epigrams-even-if-you-have-the/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [You can cram a truth into an epigram - the truth, never.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/you-can-cram-a-truth-into-an-epigram-the-truth-never/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) > [“A maid’s yard, house, wardrobe, fridge, etc. sometimes also serve as her master’s dustbin or dumpsite.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-maid-s-yard-house-wardrobe-fridge-etc-sometimes-also-serve-as-her/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I summed up all systems in a phrase, and all existence in an epigram.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-summed-up-all-systems-in-a-phrase-and-all-existence-in-an-epigram/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Some learned writers . . . have compared a Scorpion to an Epigram . . . because as the sting of the Scorpion lyeth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-topsell/some-learned-writers-have-compared-a-scorpion-to-an-epigram-because/) [Edward Topsell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-topsell/) > [“Most sane human beings’ chances of being alive in a thousand years’ time are a hundred times higher than their chances of being sincerely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/most-sane-human-beings-chances-of-being-alive-in-a-thousand-years/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“Some people who have been working out regularly for months or even years are still out of shape because the number of cheat days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-people-who-have-been-working-out-regularly-for-months-or-even/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“Some people would have killed themselves and/or someone else if they were single; and some people would not have done that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-people-would-have-killed-themselves-and-or-someone-else-if-they/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I am mistaken if a single epigram included fails to preserve at least some faint thrill of the emotion through which it had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-quiller-couch/i-am-mistaken-if-a-single-epigram-included-fails-to-preserve-at-least/) [Arthur Quiller-Couch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-quiller-couch/) > [“Millions of business people are each constantly forced to choose between their desire to not be a bad person and their desire to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/millions-of-business-people-are-each-constantly-forced-to-choose/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [The width of a line may present the idea of infinity. An epigram may contain a world. In the same way, a small picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-hofmann/the-width-of-a-line-may-present-the-idea-of-infinity-an-epigram-may/) [Hans Hofmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-hofmann/) > [“Most human beings would have never been pained by the death of a human being if they had never seen a human being or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/most-human-beings-would-have-never-been-pained-by-the-death-of-a/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“A premature death does not only rob one of the countless instances where one would have experienced pleasure, it also saves one from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-premature-death-does-not-only-rob-one-of-the-countless-instances/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“An expensive coffin does not decrease the deceased’s chances of going to hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/an-expensive-coffin-does-not-decrease-the-deceased-s-chances-of-going/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“For their never-ending endeavours to obtain or retain wealth, countries desperately need companies, because they—unlike most human beings—have the means of production, and human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/for-their-never-ending-endeavours-to-obtain-or-retain-wealth/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) ## More by Joseph P. Farrell > [If you go in for argument take care of your temper. Your logic if you have any will take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/if-you-go-in-for-argument-take-care-of-your-temper-your-logic-if-you/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [Most people like praise . . . When it is really deserved, most people expand under it into richer and better selves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/most-people-like-praise-when-it-is-really-deserved-most-people-expand/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [“An error in the doctrine of God will have inevitable consequences in the sphere of action, of moral behaviour, of the polity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/an-error-in-the-doctrine-of-god-will-have-inevitable-consequences-in/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [The secret of all power is - save your force. If you want high pressure you must choke off waste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/the-secret-of-all-power-is-save-your-force-if-you-want-high-pressure/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [There is an illusion that has much to do with... most of our unhappiness… We expect too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/there-is-an-illusion-that-has-much-to-do-with-most-of-our-unhappiness/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [“one dinosaur, the iguanodon, which did”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/one-dinosaur-the-iguanodon-which-did/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [“...carved marble figures in strata that "suggests the characters were made by intelligent humans from the distant past," a section of gold thread found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/carved-marble-figures-in-strata-that-suggests-the-characters-were/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [We are odd compounds full of explosive material to which circumstances may at any time apply a spark, with results undreamed of even by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/we-are-odd-compounds-full-of-explosive-material-to-which/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [The man who most vividly realizes a difficulty is the man most likely to overcome it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/the-man-who-most-vividly-realizes-a-difficulty-is-the-man-most-likely/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [Take my advice, dear reader, don’t talk epigrams even if you have the gift. I know, to those have, the temptation is almost irresistible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/take-my-advice-dear-reader-don-t-talk-epigrams-even-if-you-have-the/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [When a man thinks he is reading the character of another, he is often unconsciously betraying his own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/when-a-man-thinks-he-is-reading-the-character-of-another-he-is-often/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [When a man thinks he is reading the character of another, he is often unconsciously betraying his own; and this is especially the case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/when-a-man-thinks-he-is-reading-the-character-of-another-he-is-often-2/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) [Explore all 13 Joseph P. Farrell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) ## More Epigram quotes > [“For their never-ending endeavours to obtain or retain wealth, countries desperately need companies, because they—unlike most human beings—have the means of production, and human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/for-their-never-ending-endeavours-to-obtain-or-retain-wealth/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“An expensive coffin does not decrease the deceased’s chances of going to hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/an-expensive-coffin-does-not-decrease-the-deceased-s-chances-of-going/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“A premature death does not only rob one of the countless instances where one would have experienced pleasure, it also saves one from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-premature-death-does-not-only-rob-one-of-the-countless-instances/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“Most human beings would have never been pained by the death of a human being if they had never seen a human being or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/most-human-beings-would-have-never-been-pained-by-the-death-of-a/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [The width of a line may present the idea of infinity. An epigram may contain a world. In the same way, a small picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-hofmann/the-width-of-a-line-may-present-the-idea-of-infinity-an-epigram-may/) [Hans Hofmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-hofmann/) > [“Millions of business people are each constantly forced to choose between their desire to not be a bad person and their desire to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/millions-of-business-people-are-each-constantly-forced-to-choose/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I am mistaken if a single epigram included fails to preserve at least some faint thrill of the emotion through which it had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-quiller-couch/i-am-mistaken-if-a-single-epigram-included-fails-to-preserve-at-least/) [Arthur Quiller-Couch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-quiller-couch/) > [“In youth audacity is wise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allingham/in-youth-audacity-is-wise/) [William Allingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allingham/) > [“Some people would have killed themselves and/or someone else if they were single; and some people would not have done that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-people-would-have-killed-themselves-and-or-someone-else-if-they/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [What is an epigram? A dwarfish whole, its body brevity, and wit its soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/what-is-an-epigram-a-dwarfish-whole-its-body-brevity-and-wit-its-soul/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [“My whole life is an epigram calculated to make people aware.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-whole-life-is-an-epigram-calculated-to-make-people-aware/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Some people who have been working out regularly for months or even years are still out of shape because the number of cheat days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-people-who-have-been-working-out-regularly-for-months-or-even/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“Most sane human beings’ chances of being alive in a thousand years’ time are a hundred times higher than their chances of being sincerely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/most-sane-human-beings-chances-of-being-alive-in-a-thousand-years/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Some learned writers . . . have compared a Scorpion to an Epigram . . . because as the sting of the Scorpion lyeth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-topsell/some-learned-writers-have-compared-a-scorpion-to-an-epigram-because/) [Edward Topsell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-topsell/) > [I summed up all systems in a phrase, and all existence in an epigram.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-summed-up-all-systems-in-a-phrase-and-all-existence-in-an-epigram/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) [Browse all 118 Epigram quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epigram/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Epigram and truth are rarely commensurate. 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