--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He who writes badly thinks badly" description: "\"He who writes badly thinks badly\" — William Cobbett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/william-cobbett-8980_badly_he-who-writes-badly-thinks-badly-2160755_2160755.png" --- # He who writes badly thinks badly ![“He who writes badly thinks badly” quote by William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/william-cobbett-8980_badly_he-who-writes-badly-thinks-badly-2160755_2160755.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/william-cobbett-8980_badly_he-who-writes-badly-thinks-badly-2160755_2160755.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/william-cobbett-8980_badly_he-who-writes-badly-thinks-badly-2160755_2160755.png) > “He who writes badly thinks badly” [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Bad writing reflects poor thinking, suggesting a link between clarity of expression and quality of thought. **In simple terms:** Poor writing shows poor thinking. Key Takeaway Improve thinking by writing clearly. Themes communication thought clarity Mood reflective serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - academic writing - public speaking - personal journaling - editorial work - teaching Key Concepts critical thinking expression Questions to Reflect On - How does your writing style reveal your thought process? - Can you rewrite a recent paragraph for greater clarity? A Different Perspective Clear writing requires discipline and practice, not just talent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [A politicians willingness to listen to good advice rises in inverse proportion to how badly he thinks he is doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-caddell/a-politicians-willingness-to-listen-to-good-advice-rises-in-inverse/) [Patrick Caddell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-caddell/) > [A man always writes absolutely well whenever he writes in his own manner, but the wigmaker who tries to write like Gellert ... writes badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/a-man-always-writes-absolutely-well-whenever-he-writes-in-his-own/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [I used to stutter really badly. Everybody thinks it's funny. And it's not funny. It's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/i-used-to-stutter-really-badly-everybody-thinks-it-s-funny-and-it-s/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [When I want to do something badly enough, I do it, but there is a practical side of me that thinks I should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/when-i-want-to-do-something-badly-enough-i-do-it-but-there-is-a/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [I was turning up at sets where inexperienced people were making these badly written films - but they were doing it; that was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-fletcher/i-was-turning-up-at-sets-where-inexperienced-people-were-making-these/) [Dexter Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-fletcher/) > [There are two ways of knowing if something ends badly: If you're honest with yourself, you just kind of know it. And then there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-gilligan/there-are-two-ways-of-knowing-if-something-ends-badly-if-you-re/) [Vince Gilligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-gilligan/) > [I'm talking to anyone who has been dumped - have not gotten the job you really wanted or have received those horrible rejection letters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/i-m-talking-to-anyone-who-has-been-dumped-have-not-gotten-the-job-you/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [“Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/anything-worth-doing-is-worth-doing-badly/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [You know, sometimes you fall in love and you get treated badly, sometimes you get treated well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estelle/you-know-sometimes-you-fall-in-love-and-you-get-treated-badly/) [Estelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/estelle/) > [People are generally badly advised when they're starting out in the creative field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-lennon/people-are-generally-badly-advised-when-they-re-starting-out-in-the/) [Julian Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-lennon/) > [Trump spoke badly about women... It sparked worldwide reactions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-chandrababu-naidu/trump-spoke-badly-about-women-it-sparked-worldwide-reactions/) [N. Chandrababu Naidu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-chandrababu-naidu/) > [You can have everything you want as long as you don't want it badly enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/you-can-have-everything-you-want-as-long-as-you-don-t-want-it-badly/) [Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/) > [In an era when party fundraising is badly tainted, dinners are a really good way of raising cash for campaigning. Lots of people giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/in-an-era-when-party-fundraising-is-badly-tainted-dinners-are-a/) [Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/) > [I love pushing my boundaries and seeing how far I can go without, you know, dying or injuring myself too badly. On set I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-grammer/i-love-pushing-my-boundaries-and-seeing-how-far-i-can-go-without-you/) [Spencer Grammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-grammer/) ## More by William Cobbett > [If the people of Sheffield could only receive a tenth part of what their knives sell for by retail in America, Sheffield might pave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/if-the-people-of-sheffield-could-only-receive-a-tenth-part-of-what/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [WESTBURY, a nasty odious rotten-borough, a really rotten place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/westbury-a-nasty-odious-rotten-borough-a-really-rotten-place/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [It is not the greatness of a man's means that makes him independent, so much as the smallness of his wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/it-is-not-the-greatness-of-a-man-s-means-that-makes-him-independent/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [There never yet was, and never will be, a nation permanently great, consisting, for the greater part, of wretched and miserable families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/there-never-yet-was-and-never-will-be-a-nation-permanently-great/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [Protestations of impartiality I shall make none. Theyare always useless and are besides perfect nonsense, when used bya news-monger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/protestations-of-impartiality-i-shall-make-none-theyare-always/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [Never esteem men on account of their riches or their station. Respect goodness, find it where you may.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/never-esteem-men-on-account-of-their-riches-or-their-station-respect/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [DEAL is a most villainous place. It is full of filthy-looking people.Great desolationof abomination has beengoing on here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/deal-is-a-most-villainous-place-it-is-full-of-filthy-looking-people/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [“He who can deliberately inflict torture upon an animal, in order to heighten the pleasure his palate is to receive in eating it, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/he-who-can-deliberately-inflict-torture-upon-an-animal-in-order-to/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [Patience is the most necessary quality for business, many a man would rather you heard his story than grant his request. It is by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/patience-is-the-most-necessary-quality-for-business-many-a-man-would/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [Having still in my recollection so many excellent men, to whose grandfathers, upon the same spots, my grandfather had yielded cheerful obedience and reverence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/having-still-in-my-recollection-so-many-excellent-men-to-whose/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [It is by attempting to reach the top in a single leap that so much misery is produced in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/it-is-by-attempting-to-reach-the-top-in-a-single-leap-that-so-much/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [Free yourself from the slavery of tea and coffee and other slop kettles!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/free-yourself-from-the-slavery-of-tea-and-coffee-and-other-slop/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [The ancient nobility and gentry of the kingdom... have been thrust out of all public employment... a race of merchants, and manufacturers and bankers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/the-ancient-nobility-and-gentry-of-the-kingdom-have-been-thrust-out/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [But what is to be the fate of the great wen of all? The monster, called, by the silly coxcombs of the press, "the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/but-what-is-to-be-the-fate-of-the-great-wen-of-all-the-monster-called/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [The very hirelings of the press, whose trade it is to buoy up the spirits of the people. have uttered falsehoods so long, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/the-very-hirelings-of-the-press-whose-trade-it-is-to-buoy-up-the/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) [Explore all 76 William Cobbett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) ## More Badly quotes > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [There are two ways of knowing if something ends badly: If you're honest with yourself, you just kind of know it. And then there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-gilligan/there-are-two-ways-of-knowing-if-something-ends-badly-if-you-re/) [Vince Gilligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-gilligan/) > [I'm talking to anyone who has been dumped - have not gotten the job you really wanted or have received those horrible rejection letters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/i-m-talking-to-anyone-who-has-been-dumped-have-not-gotten-the-job-you/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [“Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/anything-worth-doing-is-worth-doing-badly/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [You can have everything you want as long as you don't want it badly enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/you-can-have-everything-you-want-as-long-as-you-don-t-want-it-badly/) [Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/) > [I was turning up at sets where inexperienced people were making these badly written films - but they were doing it; that was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-fletcher/i-was-turning-up-at-sets-where-inexperienced-people-were-making-these/) [Dexter Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-fletcher/) > [In an era when party fundraising is badly tainted, dinners are a really good way of raising cash for campaigning. Lots of people giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/in-an-era-when-party-fundraising-is-badly-tainted-dinners-are-a/) [Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/) > [I love pushing my boundaries and seeing how far I can go without, you know, dying or injuring myself too badly. On set I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-grammer/i-love-pushing-my-boundaries-and-seeing-how-far-i-can-go-without-you/) [Spencer Grammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-grammer/) > [Trump spoke badly about women... It sparked worldwide reactions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-chandrababu-naidu/trump-spoke-badly-about-women-it-sparked-worldwide-reactions/) [N. Chandrababu Naidu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-chandrababu-naidu/) > [People are generally badly advised when they're starting out in the creative field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-lennon/people-are-generally-badly-advised-when-they-re-starting-out-in-the/) [Julian Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-lennon/) > [You know, sometimes you fall in love and you get treated badly, sometimes you get treated well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estelle/you-know-sometimes-you-fall-in-love-and-you-get-treated-badly/) [Estelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/estelle/) > [Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/books-are-well-written-or-badly-written-that-is-all/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Mandela's heroism is the heroism of a man who suffered so badly for what he thought of as freedom. And yet when he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bono/mandela-s-heroism-is-the-heroism-of-a-man-who-suffered-so-badly-for/) [Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bono/) > [Some fighters had blinding speed and reflexes in their heyday but faded badly with age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-froch/some-fighters-had-blinding-speed-and-reflexes-in-their-heyday-but/) [Carl Froch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-froch/) > [“the only sin on earth was to do things badly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-only-sin-on-earth-was-to-do-things-badly/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) Browse all 351 Badly quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He who writes badly thinks badly", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Cobbett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/he-who-writes-badly-thinks-badly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Badly" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/he-who-writes-badly-thinks-badly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/william-cobbett-8980_badly_he-who-writes-badly-thinks-badly-2160755_2160755.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/william-cobbett-8980_badly_he-who-writes-badly-thinks-badly-2160755_2160755.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/william-cobbett-8980_badly_he-who-writes-badly-thinks-badly-2160755_2160755.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He who writes badly thinks badly” — William Cobbett", "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": "William Cobbett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "He who writes badly thinks badly", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/he-who-writes-badly-thinks-badly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/he-who-writes-badly-thinks-badly/#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 } } ] } ```