Quotes by Brevity Of Life The greatest surprise in life to me is the brevity of life. Billy Graham brevity-of-life surprise-in-life surprise Brevity and conciseness are the parents of correction. Hosea Ballou brevity-of-life parent discovery Brevity is the best recommendation of speech, whether in a senator or an orator. Marcus Tullius Cicero brevity-of-life philosophical speech it is the brevity of life which makes it tolerable; its experiences have value because they have an end. Winifred Holtby brevity-of-life tolerable ends