Summarising is tough. Extracting the main points and leaving everything else, all without the changing the message? That's hard work.

The alternative? Walls of impenetrable text, endless ramblings, confusing information, all seemingly intent on making you space out.

What's even tougher, though, is simplifying.

Not only do you have to emphasise the main points, you have to make them easier to grasp. Often, you have to use a different vocabulary and sentence structure to do this.

Which means that, not only do you need to be good at summary, you have to own a certain finesse and elegance in the language, understand the audience, and be ruthless in your quest for clarity.

These aren't skills you can pick up in a couple of days, hence the rarity of good editors and communicators.

So, the next time you see or hear a well-crafted, polished, easy-to-grasp message, thank these precious individuals.

Even if you only do so in your heart.