When Twitter is Verbose

140 characters.  It doesn’t seem like much.  Condensing an idea can be frustrating.  There is so much to say, so many points to  make, so many arguments to counteract. I can’t be the only person who has thought “if I don’t acknowledge that I understand all the various viewpoints, won’t I look dumb, or worse, narrow-minded?”

We are taught in school to make a thesis statement.  Short, concise, simple, powerful.  We employ a variety of word images to convey this: boil it down, extract the kernel, get to the root of it. If someone lacks the tools to be succinct and convey their point in a sentence, why should we expect them to convey their point effectively in pages? No one likes a PowerPoint presentation with paragraphs.  No one wants a scene-by-scene movie review.

And the problem is not that we are opposed to lengthy reading.  We just want to make sure it’s a wise investment of time before we commit.

140 characters.  It may not seem like much. But when you think about it…

Just do it.
There’s no place like home.
To be or not to be, that is the question.
I’ll be back.
Will you  marry me?
Every man dies. Not every man really lives.
I have a dream.
Et tu, Brute.
Here’s looking at you, kid.
Jesus wept.
Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.
I do.
Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.
All men are created equal.
I feel the need – the need for speed.

140 characters.  Or less.  It can be done.

Go for less.

Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.  -Albert Einstein