The more I'm around people, the more I'm convinced that a rambling style is the sign of an immature, under-developed, and/or un-disciplined mind. The rule applies to written or oral communication.
I have made this letter long because i have not the time to make it shorter. ~Blaise Pascal #quote
— Philosophers Quotes (@Philosophers21) November 16, 2014
When I was a young attorney, I went out to lunch with my mentor at the large law firm where I was employed right after graduation. My mentor was a hardened litigator, of the old-school Jewish kind, but he was nice and fond of me. He asked me a question. I replied with a long, rambling response. He, as nicely as possible, said, "When you prepare to speak, try to organize your idea quickly then convey it as concisely as possible" (not an exact quote). I was embarrassed, of course, but the lesson stuck with me. It's a difficult thing to do and takes practice. To this day, I often fail to pull it off, but the continued pursuit of this ideal helps keep the mind sharp (senile people ramble for a reason).
When I fail to convey my thoughts concisely, it's normally because I'm being lazy and just indulging my desire to hear myself talk, much to the detriment of my interlocutor.
Brevity, I've come to conclude, is a form of politeness.
And in a world where time is money, it might be the paramount form of consideration you can show another person.
