---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I try to keep my sentences quite pared…"
description: "\"I try to keep my sentences quite pared back. What I really want to do is observe people's relationships and interactions. I don't want language to get ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/sally-rooney-9142_language_i-try-to-keep-my-sentences-quite-pared-b_265966.jpg"
---

#  I try to keep my sentences quite pared back. What I really…

![“I try to keep my sentences quite pared back. What I really want to do is observe people's relationships and interactions. I don't want language to get in the way of that. It's quite a difficult process to achieve that, for the language to feel clear.” quote by Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/sally-rooney-9142_language_i-try-to-keep-my-sentences-quite-pared-b_265966.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/sally-rooney-9142_language_i-try-to-keep-my-sentences-quite-pared-b_265966.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/sally-rooney-9142_language_i-try-to-keep-my-sentences-quite-pared-b_265966.jpg)

> “I try to keep my sentences quite pared back. What I really want to do is observe people's relationships and interactions. I don't want language to get in the way of that. It's quite a difficult process to achieve that, for the language to feel clear.”

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The author emphasizes stripping language to its essentials to better observe human connections without linguistic interference.

**In simple terms:** Use simple language to focus on relationships.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize clarity over flourish.

Themes

communication relationships clarity observation writing

Mood

reflective introspective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- interviews
- creative writing
- therapy sessions
- team meetings
- documentary filmmaking

Key Concepts

minimalism social dynamics authenticity

Questions to Reflect On

- How does reduced language affect emotional insight?
- When does brevity hinder understanding?

A Different Perspective

Simplicity may omit nuance and depth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/)

## Related quotes

> [“So sentences are copied, constructed, or created; they are uttered, mentioned, or used; each says, means, implies, reveals, connects; each titillates, invites, conceals, suggests;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/so-sentences-are-copied-constructed-or-created-they-are-uttered/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [I want to find a language that transforms language itself into steel for the spirit--a language to use against these sparkling insects, these jets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-darwish/i-want-to-find-a-language-that-transforms-language-itself-into-steel/)

[Mahmoud Darwish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-darwish/)

> [You can learn Elvish, if you want. It's a language like Italian and English. You can learn to read it, you can learn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lee/you-can-learn-elvish-if-you-want-it-s-a-language-like-italian-and/)

[Christopher Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lee/)

> [I want a language that speaks the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/i-want-a-language-that-speaks-the-truth/)

[Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/)

> [“It is a sore point, because you do have advantages if you have access to more than one language. You also have problems, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald/it-is-a-sore-point-because-you-do-have-advantages-if-you-have-access/)

[W. G. Sebald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-g-sebald/)

> [Fairy tales are my natural language. I feel at ease telling fairy tales like a fish feels in water. I am totally free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-ocelot/fairy-tales-are-my-natural-language-i-feel-at-ease-telling-fairy/)

[Michel Ocelot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-ocelot/)

> [It's just nice to be able to communicate and be able to identify with a lot of different cultures. I have no idea what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-fukunaga/it-s-just-nice-to-be-able-to-communicate-and-be-able-to-identify-with/)

[Cary Fukunaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-fukunaga/)

> [I don't feel restricted by the language: I feel more free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-martinez/i-don-t-feel-restricted-by-the-language-i-feel-more-free/)

[Olivier Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-martinez/)

> [Portuguese is the language of my heart; it's the language of my feelings. It's the language that I feel I can express myself best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-aldo/portuguese-is-the-language-of-my-heart-it-s-the-language-of-my/)

[Jose Aldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-aldo/)

> [My language is a feel-thinking language, feeling and thinking at once, that is why it is a celebration of life, and at once it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-galeano/my-language-is-a-feel-thinking-language-feeling-and-thinking-at-once/)

[Eduardo Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-galeano/)

> [I have no idea what it would be like to be just one thing and speak one language. I feel enormously privileged to travel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-fukunaga/i-have-no-idea-what-it-would-be-like-to-be-just-one-thing-and-speak/)

[Cary Fukunaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-fukunaga/)

> [I try to speak in everyday language. I feel like God has gifted me to take Bible principles and make them practical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-try-to-speak-in-everyday-language-i-feel-like-god-has-gifted-me-to/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [We wanted the language to feel fresh, fun, and rock solid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frank/we-wanted-the-language-to-feel-fresh-fun-and-rock-solid/)

James Frank

> [So, not for lack of love of language, but because I feel our language is in an enormous state of humiliation, I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/godfrey-reggio/so-not-for-lack-of-love-of-language-but-because-i-feel-our-language/)

[Godfrey Reggio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/godfrey-reggio/)

> [I'm bugged because I can't believe I can't speak every language there is. But I feel I can when I sit and am with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chita-rivera/i-m-bugged-because-i-can-t-believe-i-can-t-speak-every-language-there/)

[Chita Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chita-rivera/)

## More by Sally Rooney

> [I like Christianity. I'm a fan of Jesus and his whole philosophy but not the social teaching aspects of it, of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/i-like-christianity-i-m-a-fan-of-jesus-and-his-whole-philosophy-but/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

> [“I lay there in the bath not thinking, not doing anything. After a few seconds, I heard her open the front door, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/i-lay-there-in-the-bath-not-thinking-not-doing-anything-after-a-few/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

> [There are a lot of people who probably enjoyed 'Conversations with Friends' who are part of the system that is actively exploiting other people's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/there-are-a-lot-of-people-who-probably-enjoyed-conversations-with/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

> [I would rather do two things really, really, really well than do 16 things and have 14 of them fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/i-would-rather-do-two-things-really-really-really-well-than-do-16/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

> [When I'm writing something, everything falls into place. When I'm not writing, stuff keeps happening to me, and there's nowhere to put it all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/when-i-m-writing-something-everything-falls-into-place-when-i-m-not/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

> [“Well, if that's suffering, he thinks, let me suffer. Yes. To love whoever I have left. And if ever I lose someone, let me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/well-if-that-s-suffering-he-thinks-let-me-suffer-yes-to-love-whoever/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

> [“I thought about all the things I had never told Nick about myself, and I started to feel better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/i-thought-about-all-the-things-i-had-never-told-nick-about-myself-and/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

> [“All these people are suffering without the tools to end their own suffering. And we who have the tools refuse to do anything about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/all-these-people-are-suffering-without-the-tools-to-end-their-own/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

> [I couldn't quite get the hang of how to socialise as a teenager. I didn't really understand it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/i-couldn-t-quite-get-the-hang-of-how-to-socialise-as-a-teenager-i/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

> [I'm very introverted. Easily a few days could go by where I would not really leave the house or talk to anybody other than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/i-m-very-introverted-easily-a-few-days-could-go-by-where-i-would-not/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

> [I'm not totally comfortable with the ways in which our culture monetises art and literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/i-m-not-totally-comfortable-with-the-ways-in-which-our-culture/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

> [Dialogue is the most fun to write. It's kind of like a tennis match.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/dialogue-is-the-most-fun-to-write-it-s-kind-of-like-a-tennis-match/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

> [I don't really believe in the idea of the individual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/i-don-t-really-believe-in-the-idea-of-the-individual/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

> [It annoys me when contemporary films and television shows create artificial tensions that could easily be resolved by a quick email or the use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/it-annoys-me-when-contemporary-films-and-television-shows-create/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

> [I'm not writing to encourage people to read my book or even books in general. That's not my job. My job is to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/i-m-not-writing-to-encourage-people-to-read-my-book-or-even-books-in/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

[Explore all 74 Sally Rooney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

## More Language quotes

> [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/)

Ted Martinez

> [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/)

[Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/)

> [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/)

[John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/)

> [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/)

TimBur

> [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/)

[Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/)

> [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/)

[Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/)

> [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/)

[Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/)

> [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/)

[Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/)

> [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [“The words for what I want to say right now don't exist. Everything sounds…so cliché.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/the-words-for-what-i-want-to-say-right-now-don-t-exist-everything/)

[Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/)

> [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Words can kill you trust towards someone, mind you language people, every reaction had its consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-can-kill-you-trust-towards-someone-mind-you-language-people/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Finxerunt animi, raro et perpauca loquentis. (To action little, less to words inclinded.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/finxerunt-animi-raro-et-perpauca-loquentis-to-action-little-less-to/)

[Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/)

> [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/)

[Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/)

[Browse all 21,951 Language quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I try to keep my sentences quite pared back. What I really want to do is observe people's relationships and interactions. I don't want language to get in the way of that. It's quite a difficult process to achieve that, for the language to feel clear.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sally Rooney"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/i-try-to-keep-my-sentences-quite-pared-back-what-i-really-want-to-do/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Language"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/i-try-to-keep-my-sentences-quite-pared-back-what-i-really-want-to-do/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/sally-rooney-9142_language_i-try-to-keep-my-sentences-quite-pared-b_265966.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/sally-rooney-9142_language_i-try-to-keep-my-sentences-quite-pared-b_265966.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/sally-rooney-9142_language_i-try-to-keep-my-sentences-quite-pared-b_265966.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I try to keep my sentences quite pared back. What I really want to do is observe people's relationships and…” — Sally Rooney",
                "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": "Sally Rooney",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I try to keep my sentences...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/i-try-to-keep-my-sentences-quite-pared-back-what-i-really-want-to-do/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/i-try-to-keep-my-sentences-quite-pared-back-what-i-really-want-to-do/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
