Acceptable Quote by Vance Havner
“It is not our business to make the message acceptable, but to make it available. We are not to see that they like it, but that they get it.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public Communication Principles, 2015
The goal of communication is accessibility, not popularity; messages must be understandable to the audience.
In simple terms: Make messages clear, not just liked.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize clarity over approval.
Themes
communication
clarity
accessibility
audience
message design
Mood
analytical
concerned
neutral
Type
instructional
philosophical
When to use this quote
- marketing
- education
- policy briefs
- media releases
Key Concepts
information theory
semantic encoding
public discourse
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you test if a message is truly understood?
- What trade‑offs exist between simplicity and nuance?
A Different Perspective
Clarity can be limited by audience bias or jargon.
![“In any case, open-seat presidential elections like 2008 just are different in character from incumbent reelects, and I think that's the most important thing about this election - is that once there's an incumbent running for reelection, most of the debate is about, "Has he [Barack Obama] done a…” quote by William Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0b0/william-kristol-9091_acceptable_in-any-case-open-seat-presidential-elect_36353.jpg)