Write as little code as needed to complete the task and as much code as needed to be understood. At the same time. Both incredibly dense and incredibly verbose

Write as little code as needed to complete the task and as much code as needed to be understood. At the same time. Both incredibly dense and incredibly verbose code can become maintenance headaches. You want it short enough that it can be contained in your head, but long enough that the steps are obvious. I liken it to the scene in Return of the Jedi where Han is instructing Chewie to fly close, but not too close.