--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If one were to say but few words, though…" description: "\"If one were to say but few words, though ones with meaning, one would do better than to say many that were only empty sounds, and just as easy to utter..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/vincent-van-gogh-486_easy_if-one-were-to-say-but-few-words-though_1942787.jpg" --- # If one were to say but few words, though ones with… ![“If one were to say but few words, though ones with meaning, one would do better than to say many that were only empty sounds, and just as easy to utter as they were of little use.” quote by Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/vincent-van-gogh-486_easy_if-one-were-to-say-but-few-words-though_1942787.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/vincent-van-gogh-486_easy_if-one-were-to-say-but-few-words-though_1942787.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/vincent-van-gogh-486_easy_if-one-were-to-say-but-few-words-though_1942787.jpg) > “If one were to say but few words, though ones with meaning, one would do better than to say many that were only empty sounds, and just as easy to utter as they were of little use.” [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Speak few meaningful words rather than many empty ones; brevity conveys substance over noise. **In simple terms:** Choose meaningful words over many empty ones. Key Takeaway Prioritize substance in communication. Themes communication brevity meaning efficacy Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - public speaking - writing - teaching - personal conversations Key Concepts linguistics philosophy of language Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance brevity and clarity? - When is it okay to speak more? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on brevity may omit necessary detail. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Easy Utter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy-utter-1709162/) [Empty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empty/) [Few words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/few-words/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Little Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-use-666655/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Say Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-words/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Sounds Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sounds-just-1283889/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Words Ones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-ones-654449/) ## Related quotes > [“It's as easy to utter lies as truth”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/it-s-as-easy-to-utter-lies-as-truth/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [The Holy Spirit has a way of His own to say much in few words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/the-holy-spirit-has-a-way-of-his-own-to-say-much-in-few-words/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [The speeches to be wary of are those that begin with I'm just going to say a few words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-muir/the-speeches-to-be-wary-of-are-those-that-begin-with-i-m-just-going/) [Frank Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-muir/) > [You think you can say a few words and end us? There is no end, Eva.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/you-think-you-can-say-a-few-words-and-end-us-there-is-no-end-eva/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [We never say so much as when we do not quite know what we want to say. We need few words when we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/we-never-say-so-much-as-when-we-do-not-quite-know-what-we-want-to-say/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“..the loudest words are the ones we live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-sheridan/the-loudest-words-are-the-ones-we-live/) [Mia Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-sheridan/) > [The best words are the ones unspoken\*](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-words-are-the-ones-unspoken/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you were able to capture the pain into words, it would be ones you've never heard before. They don't have words for that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-landon/if-you-were-able-to-capture-the-pain-into-words-it-would-be-ones-you/) [Chelsea Landon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-landon/) > [The most honest words are the ones that will never leave your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-honest-words-are-the-ones-that-will-never-leave-your-mouth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“My Words Are For The Ones Who Get It, Rest Forget It !”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syed-sharukh/my-words-are-for-the-ones-who-get-it-rest-forget-it/) [Syed Sharukh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syed-sharukh/) > [I wanted my own words. But the ones I use have dragged through I don't know how many consciences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wanted-my-own-words-but-the-ones-i-use-have-dragged-through-i-don-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There will be days when I walk in an arena and people will cheer and then there might be days when I walk in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/there-will-be-days-when-i-walk-in-an-arena-and-people-will-cheer-and/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [The world is full of sounds. We just don't usually hear them as music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryuichi-sakamoto/the-world-is-full-of-sounds-we-just-don-t-usually-hear-them-as-music/) [Ryuichi Sakamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryuichi-sakamoto/) > [Good sounds, they just make you feel good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/good-sounds-they-just-make-you-feel-good/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [Many people say to me, particularly about my dance writing, 'It sounds just like you.' But it sounds just like me after I've made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gottlieb/many-people-say-to-me-particularly-about-my-dance-writing-it-sounds/) [Robert Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gottlieb/) ## More by Vincent Van Gogh > [What am I in most people's eyes? A nonentity or an eccentric and disagreeable man... I should want my work to show what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/what-am-i-in-most-people-s-eyes-a-nonentity-or-an-eccentric-and/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/the-heart-of-man-is-very-much-like-the-sea-it-has-its-storms-it-has/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [“I take great care of myself by carefully shutting myself away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/i-take-great-care-of-myself-by-carefully-shutting-myself-away/) [Vincent van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [There certainly is an affinity between a person and his work, but it is not easy to define what this affinity is, and on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/there-certainly-is-an-affinity-between-a-person-and-his-work-but-it/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [I confess I do not know why, but looking at the stars always makes me dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/i-confess-i-do-not-know-why-but-looking-at-the-stars-always-makes-me/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [Ah, Manet has come very, very close to it and Courbet - the marrying of form and colour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/ah-manet-has-come-very-very-close-to-it-and-courbet-the-marrying-of/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [We must not judge God from this world. It's just a study that didn't come off. It's only a master who could make such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/we-must-not-judge-god-from-this-world-it-s-just-a-study-that-didn-t/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/our-goals-can-only-be-reached-through-a-vehicle-of-a-plan-in-which-we/) [Vincent van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [One can never study nature too much and too hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/one-can-never-study-nature-too-much-and-too-hard/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [But by fighting the difficulties in which one finds oneself, an inner strength develops from within our heart, which improves in life's fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/but-by-fighting-the-difficulties-in-which-one-finds-oneself-an-inner/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [Ah! My dear friend painting is to us what the music of Berlioz and Wagner was before us - a consolatory art for sore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/ah-my-dear-friend-painting-is-to-us-what-the-music-of-berlioz-and/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [Painting demands an intelligent model.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/painting-demands-an-intelligent-model/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [That this awareness of my own fallibility will prevent me from making many mistakes doesn't alter the fact that I'm bound to make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/that-this-awareness-of-my-own-fallibility-will-prevent-me-from-making/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [What is drawing? It is working oneself through an invisible iron wall that seems to stand between what one feels and what one can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/what-is-drawing-it-is-working-oneself-through-an-invisible-iron-wall/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [You will say that everyone has seen landscapes and figures from childhood on. The question is: Has everybody also been reflexive as a child?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/you-will-say-that-everyone-has-seen-landscapes-and-figures-from/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) [Explore all 508 Vincent Van Gogh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) ## More Easy quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [I don't want easy success. It's boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sudeep/i-don-t-want-easy-success-it-s-boring/) [Sudeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sudeep/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [People think that the Club World Cup is an easy competition, but it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keylor-navas/people-think-that-the-club-world-cup-is-an-easy-competition-but-it-s/) [Keylor Navas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keylor-navas/) > [New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/new-york-is-large-glamorous-easy-going-kindly-and-incurious-but-above/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [Sometimes life can suck and not be fair ,but we have to deal with it,because we feel we cant do anything but,we can.We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-life-can-suck-and-not-be-fair-but-we-have-to-deal-with-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Mortals are such fragile things. Just tender feelings walking around exposed in their delicate shells...Easy to crush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-marr/mortals-are-such-fragile-things-just-tender-feelings-walking-around/) [Melissa Marr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-marr/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [I don't know why, but I'm an easy target. And I don't do anything to dispel it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-mcginley/i-don-t-know-why-but-i-m-an-easy-target-and-i-don-t-do-anything-to/) [Ted McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-mcginley/) > [I know that I'm going to have to work hard, keep working hard, and not because of this victory think, "I'm back." 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Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) [Browse all 14,306 Easy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If one were to say but few words, though ones with meaning, one would do better than to say many that were only empty sounds, and just as easy to utter as they were of little use.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Vincent Van Gogh" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/if-one-were-to-say-but-few-words-though-ones-with-meaning-one-would/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Easy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/if-one-were-to-say-but-few-words-though-ones-with-meaning-one-would/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/vincent-van-gogh-486_easy_if-one-were-to-say-but-few-words-though_1942787.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/vincent-van-gogh-486_easy_if-one-were-to-say-but-few-words-though_1942787.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/vincent-van-gogh-486_easy_if-one-were-to-say-but-few-words-though_1942787.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If one were to say but few words, though ones with meaning, one would do better than to say many that were…” — Vincent Van Gogh", "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": "Vincent Van Gogh", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If one were to say but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/if-one-were-to-say-but-few-words-though-ones-with-meaning-one-would/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/if-one-were-to-say-but-few-words-though-ones-with-meaning-one-would/#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 } } ] } ```