Clarity as a Core Value

Not everyone has the ability to express themselves clearly. In fact, at the risk of sounding pessimistic or even cynical, I would argue that true clarity is the hallmark of a very small minority.

But why is that?

I have two or three theories.

Before the rise of plain language, which has been gaining momentum in recent years, it seems to me that people rarely spoke about clarity as such. We would often say that someone was “well spoken” or that they were “easy to understand,” but we rarely said they “communicated clearly.” As though being pleasant to read or listen to—and easy to understand—were simply the result of chance.

But clarity isn’t something that randomly finds its way into our communication. It is a deliberate choice.

The Value We Rarely Name

I came to realize surprisingly late in life that clarity could be a core value. The few times I completed exercises designed to identify my personal values from a predefined list, clarity was never among the options. Instead, I would always see values like honesty, kindness, respect, integrity, authenticity, courage, or joy.

A coincidence? I highly doubt it.

Our society celebrates qualities such as honesty, kindness, respect, and integrity. Our parents, our schools, and other authority figures teach us to cultivate and embody these values. But very few people ever talk about clarity.

And yet, I believe everything begins there. In The Art of Poetry, published in 1674, the French poet Nicolas Boileau wrote these famous lines:

“What is well conceived is clearly expressed, and the words to say it come easily.”

In other words, the clarity of our expression is a direct reflection of the clarity of our thinking.

Thought Before Words

There it is: clarity of thought.

Which means we must think before we speak. And keep thinking until the idea we want to convey becomes so clear in our own minds that the words needed to explain it become simple, precise, and accessible to anyone.

That brings us to a third layer of complexity: vocabulary. Boileau was writing for the authors of his time, assuming they already possessed the language needed to express their ideas. Their task was simply to uncover the right words through careful thought, patience, and meticulous refinement.

Unfortunately, most people have a limited vocabulary. The smaller our lexicon, the harder it becomes to express nuance and precision. Clarity therefore requires us to continually expand our personal vocabulary. The good news is that this is entirely possible. Like any skill, it can be developed. The key is reading, and reading broadly.

Everything Begins with Clarity

Clarity is also the starting point for countless other things: building strategies, setting goals, defining our identity, our mission, and our vision. Without a clear destination, it becomes impossible to chart an effective course. Everything remains vague, difficult to measure, and only mildly satisfying.

So we need to pause and think deeply about what we’re trying to define until we can express it in just a few simple words. Then we need to test it. Put it in front of other people. Because while it’s difficult to judge our own clarity, the questions that immediately follow—or the puzzled expressions on people’s faces—usually reveal when our message still isn’t clear.

Having gone through this process many times myself, I’ve come to believe that nothing is more valuable than a thinking partner in the pursuit of clarity. Someone to brainstorm with. To dig deeper. To narrow the focus. To refine. Someone who encourages you to put words on what you’re feeling and bring colour to ideas that still feel grey. Someone who reflects your own thoughts back to you in a way that suddenly makes perfect sense. And once that clarity emerges, everything that follows becomes more fluid.

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If you’re looking for someone to help you clarify your goals, your values, or your boundaries, and find the alignment that feels genuinely right for you, I’d be happy to help.