It has always seemed to me that so long as you produce your dramatic effect, accuracy of detail matters little. I have never striven for it and I have made some bad mistakes in consequence. What matter if I hold my readers?
Arthur Conan DoyleRead
That which is clearly known hath less terror than that which is but hinted at and guessed.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding and clarity can diminish fear more than uncertainty and ambiguity.
This quote highlights the idea that when we have clear knowledge about something, it often mitigates our fear or anxiety surrounding it. In contrast, the unknown, which is frequently left to our imagination, can be far more daunting because it allows for speculation and conjecture, leading to greater terror than actual facts would incite.
Themes
FearKnowledgeUnderstandingClarityUncertainty
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about overcoming anxiety, one might reference this quote to emphasize the importance of knowledge.
More from Arthur Conan Doyle
All quotes βI had neither kith nor kin in England, and was therefore as free as air -- or as free as an income of eleven shillings and sixpence a day will permit a man to be. Under such circumstances, I naturally gravitated to London, that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained.
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I could not rest, Watson, I could not sit quiet in my chair, if I thought that such a man as Professor Moriarty were walking the streets of London unchallenged.
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It seems very strange ... that in the course of the world's history so obvious an improvement should never have been adopted. ... The next generation of Britishers would be the better for having had this extra hour of daylight in their childhood.
Arthur Conan DoyleRead
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