A thought for you

The condition missing from the short excerpt

The image shortens a passage in Einstein's On the Method of Theoretical Physics, Philosophy of Science 1(2), April 1934, page 165. The footnote on page 163 dates the Oxford lecture to 10 June 1933. Read the printed article (PDF page 4, hosted by Information Philosopher).

This is an excerpt, not the complete sentence. It omits an opening qualification and the requirement that simplification must still represent the evidence adequately. The surrounding paragraph concerns physical theories. The German version is a shortened translation of this English publication, not a verified German original.

Make a message shorter without losing its purpose

Try this editorial exercise with an invitation or appointment note of your own. First list the information another person needs to act: purpose, date, time, place and any preparation. Shorten the message while keeping those details. Then read only the shorter version and answer: what should I do, when and where? Restore any missing answer. This gives you a practical check for clarity; the shortest version is not automatically the most useful. This exercise is a suggestion from Motivation4you, not an instruction from Einstein's lecture.

Printed article and both shortened versions checked 27 October 2026. Editorial note and exercise: Motivation4you.