--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You don't want your readers seeing easy…" description: "\"You don't want your readers seeing easy connections; it becomes a distraction.\" — Neal Stephenson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/neal-stephenson-362_books_you-don-t-want-your-readers-seeing-easy_657325.png" --- # You don't want your readers seeing easy connections; it… ![“You don't want your readers seeing easy connections; it becomes a distraction.” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/neal-stephenson-362_books_you-don-t-want-your-readers-seeing-easy_657325.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/neal-stephenson-362_books_you-don-t-want-your-readers-seeing-easy_657325.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/neal-stephenson-362_books_you-don-t-want-your-readers-seeing-easy_657325.png) > “You don't want your readers seeing easy connections; it becomes a distraction.” [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Overly obvious links can pull attention away from deeper analysis, reducing engagement. **In simple terms:** Easy links distract readers. Key Takeaway Avoid obvious links to keep focus. Themes focus attention analysis Mood thoughtful focused Type educational analytical When to use this quote - writing - editing - critical reading - teaching - research Key Concepts cognitive load distraction Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance clarity with depth? - When is a simple link helpful? A Different Perspective If the audience lacks background, some connections may be necessary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Connections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connections/) [Distraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distraction/) [Readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/readers/) ## Related quotes > [I want my readers to find their own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-stoddard/i-want-my-readers-to-find-their-own-way/) [Alexandra Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-stoddard/) > [I want my readers to be disturbed. I want them to ask, 'Could this really happen?' It is my job to think up new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-tilton/i-want-my-readers-to-be-disturbed-i-want-them-to-ask-could-this/) Lois Tilton > [I want my readers to feel, to think, sometimes to laugh. But most of all I want them to enjoy a good read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avi/i-want-my-readers-to-feel-to-think-sometimes-to-laugh-but-most-of-all/) [Avi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avi/) > [I like to create imaginary characters and events around a real historical situation. I want readers to feel: OK, this probably didn't happen, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-follett/i-like-to-create-imaginary-characters-and-events-around-a-real/) [Ken Follett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-follett/) > [I want readers turning pages until three o'clock in the morning. I want the themes of books to stick around for a reader. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-gavriel-kay/i-want-readers-turning-pages-until-three-o-clock-in-the-morning-i/) [Guy Gavriel Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-gavriel-kay/) > [“I want readers to know I write books I want to read. My goal: to engaged readers like I want to be engaged.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-alldredge/i-want-readers-to-know-i-write-books-i-want-to-read-my-goal-to/) Greg Alldredge > [To be honest, I want readers to be wrung out. As a novelist, I don't have a political agenda or specific philosophy; I'm trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-medoff/to-be-honest-i-want-readers-to-be-wrung-out-as-a-novelist-i-don-t/) [Jillian Medoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-medoff/) > [The papers are only going to show what they want the readers to see. It's all propaganda, to be honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dionne-bromfield/the-papers-are-only-going-to-show-what-they-want-the-readers-to-see/) [Dionne Bromfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dionne-bromfield/) > [“I am free to write what I want and my readers are free to think what they can”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlowe-sr/i-am-free-to-write-what-i-want-and-my-readers-are-free-to-think-what/) Marlowe Sr > [Truth, honesty, empowerment - it's what I want for myself and my readers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupi-kaur/truth-honesty-empowerment-it-s-what-i-want-for-myself-and-my-readers/) [Rupi Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupi-kaur/) > [I really want readers to put themselves into the shoes of each character. So the opening lines are an orienting technique: this is where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/i-really-want-readers-to-put-themselves-into-the-shoes-of-each/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [I spend a lot of time loathing the sentences that I put down on the page. Once I'm past that phase, it doesn't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-loathing-the-sentences-that-i-put-down-on-the/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [Almost all accidents take place because of human distraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/almost-all-accidents-take-place-because-of-human-distraction/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) ## More by Neal Stephenson > [“I study dead languages for a living,” I said. “That’s why you hired me. Why should I be up to speed on your line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-study-dead-languages-for-a-living-i-said-that-s-why-you-hired-me/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Other people - store clerks, burger flippers, software engineers, the whole vocabulary of meaningless jobs that make up Life in America - other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/other-people-store-clerks-burger-flippers-software-engineers-the/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“It is what you don’t expect,” he’d said, “that most needs looking for.” “Do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-is-what-you-don-t-expect-he-d-said-that-most-needs-looking-for-do/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“...the insects here see you as a big slab of animated but not very well defended food. The ability to move, far from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-insects-here-see-you-as-a-big-slab-of-animated-but-not-very-well/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“There was no way that these guys were going to let a bleeding, barefoot woman simply wander off alone into the streets. Two of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/there-was-no-way-that-these-guys-were-going-to-let-a-bleeding/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Space and Time! Two minor omissions that no one is likely to notice," grumbled Newton.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/space-and-time-two-minor-omissions-that-no-one-is-likely-to-notice/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [See, the world is full of things more powerful than us. But if you know how to catch a ride, you can go places,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/see-the-world-is-full-of-things-more-powerful-than-us-but-if-you-know/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Hey,” Shaftoe says, “if we surrender to you, you’ll kill us. Right?” “Yes.” “If you guys surrender to us, we won’t kill you. Promise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/hey-shaftoe-says-if-we-surrender-to-you-you-ll-kill-us-right-yes-if/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“My men think you are dead now, and won’t waste balls on you,” Jack said. “In fact I have let you live, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/my-men-think-you-are-dead-now-and-won-t-waste-balls-on-you-jack-said/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He’s got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-deliverator-belongs-to-an-elite-order-a-hallowed-subcategory-he-s/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“and people could only make sense of complicated matters through stories. Likewise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/and-people-could-only-make-sense-of-complicated-matters-through/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Van Eck phreaking,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/van-eck-phreaking/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-the-deliverator-puts-the-hammer-down-shit-happens/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) [Explore all 633 Neal Stephenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You don't want your readers seeing easy connections; it becomes a distraction.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neal Stephenson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-don-t-want-your-readers-seeing-easy-connections-it-becomes-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-don-t-want-your-readers-seeing-easy-connections-it-becomes-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/neal-stephenson-362_books_you-don-t-want-your-readers-seeing-easy_657325.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/neal-stephenson-362_books_you-don-t-want-your-readers-seeing-easy_657325.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/neal-stephenson-362_books_you-don-t-want-your-readers-seeing-easy_657325.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You don't want your readers seeing easy connections; it becomes a distraction.” — Neal Stephenson", "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": "Neal Stephenson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You don't want your readers seeing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-don-t-want-your-readers-seeing-easy-connections-it-becomes-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-don-t-want-your-readers-seeing-easy-connections-it-becomes-a/#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 } } ] } ```