--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To put it succinctly: description without…" description: "\"“To put it succinctly: description without prescription is the germ of resignation, and prescription without description is mere whim.”\" — Reza Negares..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/reza-negarestani-67267_description_to-put-it-succinctly-description-without_2263746.jpg" --- # To put it succinctly: description without prescription is… ![“To put it succinctly: description without prescription is the germ of resignation, and prescription without description is mere whim.” quote by Reza Negarestani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/reza-negarestani-67267_description_to-put-it-succinctly-description-without_2263746.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/reza-negarestani-67267_description_to-put-it-succinctly-description-without_2263746.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/reza-negarestani-67267_description_to-put-it-succinctly-description-without_2263746.jpg) > ““To put it succinctly: description without prescription is the germ of resignation, and prescription without description is mere whim.”” [Reza Negarestani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-negarestani/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describing without offering solutions leads to resignation; prescribing without describing is mere whim, highlighting the need for both description and prescription. **In simple terms:** Both description and prescription are needed; lacking one leads to failure. Key Takeaway Combine clear description with actionable guidance. Themes communication policy action clarity Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - leadership training - policy drafting - educational design - project planning Key Concepts description prescription resignation whim Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure balance in guidance? - When does prescription become whim? A Different Perspective Over‑prescription can become rigid; under‑description can be vague. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Description](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/description/) [Description Prescription](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/description-prescription-2586739/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Prescription](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prescription/) [Prescription Description](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prescription-description-5219182/) [Prescription Germ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prescription-germ-5219183/) [Resignation Prescription](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resignation-prescription-5219181/) [Succinctly Description](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succinctly-description-5219184/) ## Related quotes > [“The move from description to prescription, from saying what happens to passing judgment on what should happen, is a creative one, a fundamentally human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-carroll/the-move-from-description-to-prescription-from-saying-what-happens-to/) [Sean Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-carroll/) > [“Time heals without a prescription.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/time-heals-without-a-prescription/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [Manipulation, sloganizing, depositing, regimentation, and prescription cannot be components of revolutionary praxis, precisely because they are the components of the praxis of domination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/manipulation-sloganizing-depositing-regimentation-and-prescription/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [Many different relationships among patients, doctors, and drugs are possible and desirable. As in so many other areas of life, the Internet encourages experimentation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/many-different-relationships-among-patients-doctors-and-drugs-are/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [“THE MAXIMS OF MEDICINE Before you examine the body of a patient, Be patient to learn his story. For once you learn his story,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-maxims-of-medicine-before-you-examine-the-body-of-a-patient-be/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“You do not want to be taking doctors prescription drugs. They will turn you into a drug addict! 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I believe in feeling better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-leary/i-believe-in-prescription-drugs-i-believe-in-feeling-better/) [Denis Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-leary/) > [Like Lyndon Johnson, President Obama understands that timidity in a time of troubles is a prescription for failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/like-lyndon-johnson-president-obama-understands-that-timidity-in-a/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [I believe gelato is meant to be treated as medicine and taken daily as a prescription.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-brandt/i-believe-gelato-is-meant-to-be-treated-as-medicine-and-taken-daily/) [Betsy Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-brandt/) > [The only medicine that needs no prescription, has no unpleasant taste, and costs no money is laughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/the-only-medicine-that-needs-no-prescription-has-no-unpleasant-taste/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [The best prescription is knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-everett-koop/the-best-prescription-is-knowledge/) [C. Everett Koop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-everett-koop/) > [Pretending that there are no choices to be made - reading only books, for example, which are cheery and safe and nice - is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/pretending-that-there-are-no-choices-to-be-made-reading-only-books/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [We must oppose programs that would take food from the mouths of younger generations to buy prescription drugs for old people, and we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/we-must-oppose-programs-that-would-take-food-from-the-mouths-of/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) ## More by Reza Negarestani > [“In Hidden Writing, a main plot is constructed to camouflage other plots (which can register themselves as plot holes) by overlapping them with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-negarestani/in-hidden-writing-a-main-plot-is-constructed-to-camouflage-other/) [Reza Negarestani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-negarestani/) > [“In line with the total assault of scientific investigation and critical rationality on our most well-cherished and established intuitions, why should we expect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-negarestani/in-line-with-the-total-assault-of-scientific-investigation-and/) [Reza Negarestani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-negarestani/) > [“Anything can happen for some weird reason; yet also, without any reason, nothing at all can happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-negarestani/anything-can-happen-for-some-weird-reason-yet-also-without-any-reason/) [Reza Negarestani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-negarestani/) [Explore all 4 Reza Negarestani quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-negarestani/) ## More Description quotes > [Developing fewer features allows you to conserve development resources and spend more time refining those features that users really need. Fewer features mean fewer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-nielsen/developing-fewer-features-allows-you-to-conserve-development/) [Jakob Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-nielsen/) > [It is a great delusion to suppose that flesh-meat of any kind is essential to health. Considerably more than three parts of the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-booth/it-is-a-great-delusion-to-suppose-that-flesh-meat-of-any-kind-is/) [Catherine Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-booth/) > [“There was a short railway official travelling up to the terminus, three fairly short market-gardeners picked up two stations afterwards, one very short widow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/there-was-a-short-railway-official-travelling-up-to-the-terminus/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [First of all, principles should be general. That is, it must be possible to formulate them without use of what would be intuitively recognized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/first-of-all-principles-should-be-general-that-is-it-must-be-possible/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [I already know what things look like - I don't want description. People believe in appearances, and I don't believe in appearances at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-michals/i-already-know-what-things-look-like-i-don-t-want-description-people/) [Duane Michals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-michals/) > [Selfish hedonism is not a pejorative. It is a description - an exactly accurate description of what is involved in homosexual relations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/selfish-hedonism-is-not-a-pejorative-it-is-a-description-an-exactly/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [Part of my plan was not only to introduce all useful animals that I possibly could into this part of Australia, but also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-grey/part-of-my-plan-was-not-only-to-introduce-all-useful-animals-that-i/) [George Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-grey/) > [The camera is simply not the supple and powerful instrument of description that the pen is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/the-camera-is-simply-not-the-supple-and-powerful-instrument-of/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [The word actress has always seemed less a job description to me than a title](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-tierney/the-word-actress-has-always-seemed-less-a-job-description-to-me-than/) [Gene Tierney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-tierney/) > [My Calvinism persuades me that we are open to God, in the sense that we are not delimited, not organisms with fixed attributes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/my-calvinism-persuades-me-that-we-are-open-to-god-in-the-sense-that/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [Christianity also stands in opposition to intellectual, as well as physical, health. To doubt becomes sin. 'Faith means not wanting to know what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheaffer/christianity-also-stands-in-opposition-to-intellectual-as-well-as/) [Robert Sheaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheaffer/) > [My tears will keep no channel, know no laws to guide their streams, but like the waves, their cause, run with disturbance till they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleveland/my-tears-will-keep-no-channel-know-no-laws-to-guide-their-streams-but/) [John Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleveland/) > [All I want to say, with the utmost emphasis at my command, is that the description of India as a military country is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/all-i-want-to-say-with-the-utmost-emphasis-at-my-command-is-that-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Matter-of-fact descriptions make the improbable seem real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/matter-of-fact-descriptions-make-the-improbable-seem-real/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Discovered W. Somerset Maugham in about 5th grade. Didn't understand the plots, but loved the descriptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-p-kinsella/discovered-w-somerset-maugham-in-about-5th-grade-didn-t-understand/) [W. P. Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-p-kinsella/) [Browse all 1,075 Description quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/description/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To put it succinctly: description without prescription is the germ of resignation, and prescription without description is mere whim.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Reza Negarestani" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-negarestani/to-put-it-succinctly-description-without-prescription-is-the-germ-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Description" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-negarestani/to-put-it-succinctly-description-without-prescription-is-the-germ-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/reza-negarestani-67267_description_to-put-it-succinctly-description-without_2263746.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/reza-negarestani-67267_description_to-put-it-succinctly-description-without_2263746.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/reza-negarestani-67267_description_to-put-it-succinctly-description-without_2263746.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To put it succinctly: description without prescription is the germ of resignation, and prescription without…” — Reza Negarestani", "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": "Reza Negarestani", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-negarestani/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“To put it succinctly: description without...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-negarestani/to-put-it-succinctly-description-without-prescription-is-the-germ-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-negarestani/to-put-it-succinctly-description-without-prescription-is-the-germ-of/#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 } } ] } ```