The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one's real and one's declared aims, one turns, as it were, instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish squirting out ink.

Summary

This quote by George Orwell suggests that when people are not sincere or genuine in expressing themselves, they tend to use complex and pretentious language to mask their true intentions. When there is a discrepancy between one's genuine beliefs or goals and what they publicly declare, they rely on convoluted language as a form of obfuscation, similar to a cuttlefish using ink to hide. Orwell emphasizes that clear language is essential, and insincerity often results in the erosion of clarity and understanding.

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