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 spurting out ink.

Summary

This quote by George Orwell suggests that the use of convoluted language and clichés is often employed as a defense mechanism to hide dishonesty or a lack of sincerity. When people have ulterior motives or hidden agendas, they tend to obscure their true intentions behind complex words and overused phrases, akin to how a cuttlefish releases ink to obscure itself. Orwell stresses that clear and straightforward language is essential for honesty and transparency, highlighting that a divergence between genuine intentions and stated goals leads to the misuse of language as a smokescreen.