--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can cram a truth into an epigram…" description: "\"You can cram a truth into an epigram - the truth, never.\" — Norman Douglas" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/norman-douglas-15021_epigram_you-can-cram-a-truth-into-an-epigram-the_1914451.png" --- # You can cram a truth into an epigram - the truth, never. ![“You can cram a truth into an epigram - the truth, never.” quote by Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/norman-douglas-15021_epigram_you-can-cram-a-truth-into-an-epigram-the_1914451.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/norman-douglas-15021_epigram_you-can-cram-a-truth-into-an-epigram-the_1914451.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/norman-douglas-15021_epigram_you-can-cram-a-truth-into-an-epigram-the_1914451.png) > “You can cram a truth into an epigram - the truth, never.” [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Truth cannot be neatly packaged into a brief, witty statement. **In simple terms:** Truth resists simplification. Key Takeaway Seek depth beyond catchy phrases. Themes truth communication literature philosophy Mood cautious thoughtful Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - public speaking - writing - media commentary Key Concepts epigram conciseness misrepresentation Questions to Reflect On - When have you oversimplified a truth? - What risks arise from reducing complex ideas? A Different Perspective A succinct phrase may distort nuanced truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cram Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cram-truth-2902675/) [Epigram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epigram/) [Epigram Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epigram-truth-2902673/) [Epigrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epigrams/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Epigram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-epigram-2902674/) ## 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/) > [Epigram and truth are rarely commensurate. Truth has to get somewhat chiseled, as it were, before it will fit into an epigram.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/epigram-and-truth-are-rarely-commensurate-truth-has-to-get-somewhat/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [“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 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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [“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/) ## More by Norman Douglas > [People who have reformed themselves has contributed their full share towards the reformation of their neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/people-who-have-reformed-themselves-has-contributed-their-full-share/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) > [To find a friend one must close one eye. To keep him...two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/to-find-a-friend-one-must-close-one-eye-to-keep-him-two/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) > [The pine stays green in winter... wisdom in hardship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/the-pine-stays-green-in-winter-wisdom-in-hardship/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) > [The true cook is the perfect blend, the only perfect blend, of artist and philosopher. He knows his worth: he holds in his palm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/the-true-cook-is-the-perfect-blend-the-only-perfect-blend-of-artist/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) > [It seldom pays to be rude. It never pays to be only half-rude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/it-seldom-pays-to-be-rude-it-never-pays-to-be-only-half-rude/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) > [One can always trust to time. Insert a wedge of time and nearly everything straightens itself out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/one-can-always-trust-to-time-insert-a-wedge-of-time-and-nearly/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) > [Learn to foster an ardent imagination; so shall you descry beauty which others passed unheeded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/learn-to-foster-an-ardent-imagination-so-shall-you-descry-beauty/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) > [No one can expect a majority to be stirred by motives other than ignoble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/no-one-can-expect-a-majority-to-be-stirred-by-motives-other-than/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) > [There is so much goodness in real life- do let us keep it out of our books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/there-is-so-much-goodness-in-real-life-do-let-us-keep-it-out-of-our/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) > [No great man is ever born too soon or too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/no-great-man-is-ever-born-too-soon-or-too-late/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) > [The business of life is to enjoy oneself; everything else is a mockery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/the-business-of-life-is-to-enjoy-oneself-everything-else-is-a-mockery/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) > [Wine is a precarious aphrodisiac, and its fumes have blighted many a mating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/wine-is-a-precarious-aphrodisiac-and-its-fumes-have-blighted-many-a/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) > [Nobody can misunderstand a boy like his own mother. Mothers at present can bring children into the world, but this performance is apt to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/nobody-can-misunderstand-a-boy-like-his-own-mother-mothers-at-present/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) > [You can construct the character of a man and his age not only from what he does and says, but from what he fails…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/you-can-construct-the-character-of-a-man-and-his-age-not-only-from/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) > [Bouillabaisse is only good because cooked by the French, who, if they cared to try, could produce an excellent and nutritious substitute out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/bouillabaisse-is-only-good-because-cooked-by-the-french-who-if-they/) [Norman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) [Explore all 44 Norman Douglas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/) ## 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": "You can cram a truth into an epigram - the truth, never.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Norman Douglas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/you-can-cram-a-truth-into-an-epigram-the-truth-never/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Epigram" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/you-can-cram-a-truth-into-an-epigram-the-truth-never/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/norman-douglas-15021_epigram_you-can-cram-a-truth-into-an-epigram-the_1914451.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/norman-douglas-15021_epigram_you-can-cram-a-truth-into-an-epigram-the_1914451.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/norman-douglas-15021_epigram_you-can-cram-a-truth-into-an-epigram-the_1914451.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can cram a truth into an epigram - the truth, never.” — Norman Douglas", "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": "Norman Douglas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-douglas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can cram a truth into...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/you-can-cram-a-truth-into-an-epigram-the-truth-never/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-douglas/you-can-cram-a-truth-into-an-epigram-the-truth-never/#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 } } ] } ```