Clarity

Clarity is the degree to which something is clear, easy to understand. The word clarity has many related definitions in English, all of which are very positive. It is a synonym for lucidity, transparency, and purity. Clarity is the absence of confusion, insanity, or ambiguity.

As a compliment, one can praise someone for having clarity. For example, a lovely singing voice has clarity because it is clear and pure.

Clarity also refers to the ability to think clearly or rationally. Mental clarity is the mind’s natural state and is extremely beneficial to solving problems. When one has clarity, the mind is clear and not clouded by any distractions or worries, and this clarity maximizes the person’s ability to give their best. Author Jamie Smart highlights the vitality of clarity in his 2013 book, titled Clarity. The book discusses the use of implication-based learning for achieving mental clarity. Smart suggests that mind has its own "self-clearing" capacity. In the book, he writes about the misperception that circumstances are responsible for feelings. He refers to “clarity of understanding” as the recognition that feelings are always and only caused by moment to moment thinking.

Etymology

The word clarity derives from Latin word claritas, which means “brightness, splendor,” ultimately from the root word clarus , which means “clear.” Its earliest known use dates to 1616. The word was created around 1300. The word evolved throughout the first half of the 15th century (1400 to 1450). The original senses went obsolete as this word evolved into its modern form with its modern definition.

Other fields

• In mineralogy, diamond clarity is the quality of diamonds that relates to the existence and visual appearance of internal characteristics of a diamond called inclusions, and surface defects, called blemishes. Clarity is one of the four Cs diamond grading, the others being carat, color, and cut. The higher the clarity, the better the diamond.
• “Clarity” can also be used as a girls name. An estimated 574 people in the United States bear this given name, though it is expected to increase significantly over the next several years. It was given to 64 baby girls in 2021. This estimated figure is accurate as of January 1, 2020, and it is more than double what it was six years prior. Back on January 1, 2014, there were only 257 people named Clarity in the United States, so the 2020 figure is 123% greater (574/257 = 2.233463).
• In skin health, clarity means the absence of marks or spots. To protect your skin, you can take vitamins and medications that improve skin clarity.

In pop culture

• In late 2012, Zedd released a song named “Clarity”, and its accompanying music video was released on January 11, 2013. The song makes use of opposite pairs of words, where in the chorus, the negative words (“tragedy” and “insanity”) are used in contrast to the positive words (“remedy” and “clarity”). Vocalist Foxes sings, “If our love’s insanity, why are you my clarity.” The meaning of both this line and its preceding line (“If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?”) is that love, which has been a universal experience in humans since humans were introduced as a species over 300,000 years ago, can be the tragedy or madness that causes hurt or damage, but at the same time, love can also be the medicine or clarity that heals and undoes the damage. The song is a universally acclaimed classic, having a user rating of 85% on Album of the Year based on 59 user ratings, as of August 2023. Idolator editor Sam Lansky praised the vocals produced by Foxes, and praised Zedd for "[transforming] his EDM sound into a lovely, downtempo emo-style set." The song peaked at number 8 on Billboard Hot 100 during the week of August 11-17, 2013.
• The word “clarity” has been used in other songs, too. In the song Big Girls Don't Cry (Fergie song) last three words of the first verse are “clarity, peace, serenity.”
• In an interview on August 28, 2015, the day of the release of What Do You Mean, Canadian singer and songwriter Justin Bieber talked about the new single. During the interview, he shared his advice and wisdom that it is very important to be surrounded by people who are supportive and understanding. We should not waste time on people who are not good for us. Ultimately, you need to think and decide for yourself. Justin Bieber said, at 5:01 in the video: “It takes moments of clarity to be like, oh, that’s why I’m not like this. That’s why I shouldn’t do this.” Justin then goes on to remind us that without such moments of realization, you should not simply quit doing something just because another person tells you to stop doing it.
• In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the map description of the location Poni Coast reads: "The north-eastern coast of Poni Island, where the clarity of the water makes it a popular view spot."

Arts, entertainment, and media

Fictional entities

• Clarity, a magic spell in the online game EverQuest
• Clarity, a fictional drug from the film Minority Report

Music

Albums

• Clarity (Jimmy Eat World album)
• Clarity (Kim Petras album)
• Clarity (Sifow album)
• Clarity (Zedd album)
• Clarity, a 2010 album by Article One

Songs

• "Clarity" (John Mayer song), a 2003 song by John Mayer
• "Clarity" (Senakah song)
• "Clarity" (Vance Joy song). a 2022 song by Vance Joy
• "Clarity" (Zedd song), a 2012 song by Russian-German electronic dance music producer Zedd featuring the vocals of British singer Foxes
• "Clarity", a song by All That Remains from the 2002 album Behind Silence and Solitude
• "Clarity", a song by Attila from the 2021 album Closure
• "Clarity", a song by Kim Petras from the 2019 album of the same name
• "Clarity", an instrumental song by Linkin Park from LP Underground 12
• "Clarity", a song by Northlane from the 2022 album Obsidian
• "Clarity", a song by Protest the Hero from the 2013 album Volition
• "Clarity", a song by Upon a Burning Body from the 2022 album Fury
• "The Clarity", a 2014 single by Sleep

Other uses in arts, entertainment, and media

• Clarity (Homeland), an episode of the television series Homeland

Brands and enterprises

• Clarity Wireless, a wireless networking company
• Honda FCX Clarity, a hydrogen fuel cell automobile

Science and technology

• Optical clarity meter, an instrument used to measure the transparency of an object
• CLARITY (Clear, Lipid-exchanged, Anatomically Rigid, Imaging/immunostaining compatible, Tissue hYdrogel), a method of making brain tissue transparent using acrylamide discovered by researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine

Other uses

• Clarity Act, Canadian bill C-20
• CLARITY – Employment for Blind People, a charitable organization
• Diamond clarity, relating to the appearance of internal and surface defects in diamond
• Microsoft Clarity, a free heatmap and session recording software
• Image clarity or image resolution, the detail of an image

See also

• Clearness committee, a Quaker religious practice
• Transparency (disambiguation)