Banality Quote by Nelson Goodman
“Any effort... to make the obscure obvious is likely to be unappealing, for the penalty of failure is confusion while the reward of success is banality.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Paradox of the Obscure Made Obvious", 1971
Making hidden ideas clear can be dull; failure brings confusion, success may be trivial.
In simple terms: Clarity can be boring; failure confuses.
Seek depth, not just clarity.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- teaching
- design
- writing
- public speaking
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- When does clarity become banality?
- How to balance simplicity with richness?
Over‑simplification may strip meaning.