Who said “It is no great art to say something briefly when, like Tacitus, one has something to…”?

Verified

Georg C. Lichtenberg. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceNotebook E (1775 - 1776)

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“It is no great art to say something briefly when, like Tacitus, one has something to say; when one has nothing to say, however, and none the less writes a whole book and makes truth into a liar -- that I call an achievement.”
VerifiedNotebook E (1775 - 1776) · evidenceBrevity

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Notebook E (1775 - 1776).

APA

Lichtenberg, G. C. (n.d.). It is no great art to say something briefly when, like Tacitus, one has something to say; when one has nothing to say, however, and none the less writes a whole book and makes truth into a liar -- that I call an achievement. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/8785-it-is-no-great-art-to-say-something/

MLA

Lichtenberg, Georg C. “It is no great art to say something briefly when, like Tacitus, one has something to say; when one has nothing to say, however, and none the less writes a whole book and makes truth into a liar -- that I call an achievement.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/8785-it-is-no-great-art-to-say-something/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Lichtenberg, Georg C. “It is no great art to say something briefly when, like Tacitus, one has something to say; when one has nothing to say, however, and none the less writes a whole book and makes truth into a liar -- that I call an achievement.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/8785-it-is-no-great-art-to-say-something/.