Be obscure clearly.

The paradoxical imperative “Be obscure clearly” reads like a wry, self-aware maxim about prose style: if you cannot avoid complexity, at least present it with precision. It can be taken as a jab at writers who mistake muddiness for depth, while also acknowledging that some subjects are inherently difficult and may remain “obscure” even after a writer’s best effort. The phrase’s humor lies in its contradiction—clarity is the virtue, obscurity the vice—yet it suggests a practical ethic: make the limits of understanding legible, and don’t compound difficulty with sloppy expression.