In an age where all manner of distractions exist to throw every creator off their aim, mastering how to cut to the chase has become imperative.
It is an interesting facet of human nature that the more of a connoisseur someone is, the more they tend to be attracted to intricate and complex ideas. This can lead to an almost hypnotic state where they forget that something can have the appearance of complexity and still be essentially hollow and meaningless. That is when we need to remind ourselves that simplicity can truly be genius.
That ability to recognize the fine line between when to keep things simple and when to add layers of rich tapestry is what separates those who really have something to say and creatives overly smitten with the sound of their own voice, literally or metaphorically.
I don’t personally feel we live in the era of the word salad, as one can just as easily, if not more so, find examples of such indulgence while delving into historical archives of speech and writing. The fact that the term has entered our popular vernacular is, in fact, a good sign of humanity’s increasing intolerance of being taken for a ride, of a general appreciation and demand for substance over style.
Does this mean there is no longer a place for digression and nuance, for favoring journey over destination? Must we always get to the point asap? Hardly. As with all things in creation, it’s about the dance of yin and yang. Knowing when to hold, and when to fold.
I often think of that scene from the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indiana Jones comes up against a swordsman. The story behind it is well-known. An elaborate duel was originally planned, which would have taken days to film. The stuntman playing the swordsman had spent weeks practicing his moves. But actor Harrison Ford was ill, and the production was behind schedule. So it was decided Indy would just shoot the guy, and the rest is movie history.
Cutting to the chase is an art, not a science. There is no rulebook to follow, and no approach that fits every scenario. Bruce Lee famously said: “Be water”. If water represents yin and fire represents yang, does this mean Mr. Lee was saying we must always be yin? Certainly not. He knew when to be water, and when to be fire.
