Why write? Especially in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and fish-like attention spans, writing, especially anything beyond the length of a tweet can seem futile.
So why should someone write? Why am I writing? Why have I started this personal blog to write and share my ideas?
Really because writing is a sophisticated form of thinking. I think Tyrion Lannister got it wrong, or at least only partly correct:
“A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.”
– Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones (Book One of A Song of Ice and Fire)
I don’t disagree that reading helps to sharpen the mind as a whetstone sharpens a swords edge. But writing exercises the mind in a way that reading alone cannot. If you read and then write about what you read, then you truly are training your mind.
Table of Contents
- Writing is Sophisticated Thinking
- Writing is a Form of Organized Expression
- Writing Helps Knowledge Permeate
- Writing is Exercise for the Mind
Writing is Sophisticated Thinking
It has been said that writing is a sophisticated form of thinking. Writing requires you to collect your thoughts, collect evidence, collect other people’s thoughts, analyze this information so that you have some level of comprehension, come up with something to say (a summary, a thesis, an argument, a counter-argument, etc) and then to articulate those thoughts in a logical cohesive product.
“Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That’s why it’s so hard. – David McCullough
Good Reads, Interview with NEH Chairman Bruce Cole, Humanities, July/August 2002
In this sense, writing is a way to exercise the brain and to digest things that you read, experience, learn, and contemplate.
In fact there was a study published in 2019 in the American Journal of Pharmacological Education titled Writing and Thinking which essentially supports the argument that students who are better able to articulate and reason through a problem via writing correlate with higher scores.
Writing is a Form of Organized Expression
Writing enables groups or individuals to convey ideas, articulate thoughts, and even to share experiences. Writing clarifies our thinking, helps us distil complex emotions and record our knowledge for future generations.
For some writing is also a therapeutic tool for self expression, communication, and self-reflection. It acts as a mirror, allowing writers to examine their own beliefs and identity. Journaling, creative writing, or even casual correspondence can reveal insights into the self, encouraging growth and introspection.
Anne Frank said “I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.” (Anne Frank Wiki)
It provides structure to our ideas, helping us present arguments and narratives in a coherent and compelling manner. Through writing, we connect with others, share our stories, and influence the world around us.
Writing Helps Knowledge Permeate
In the Age of the Internet, words transcend time and space. Essays can be replicated 10,000 times and stored on USBs in 10,000 different locations throughout the world, and printed on paper to have a more robust physical copy. Today words can last forever.
Moreover, writing plays a pivotal role in education and knowledge dissemination. It allows for the preservation of information, theories, and discoveries, contributing to the intellectual growth of societies. Through written works, we build on the thoughts and ideas of those who came before us, while adding our own unique contributions.
Writing is Exercise for the Mind
One might question the importance of writing in the 21st century when we have podcasts and pictures ad infinitum, thanks mostly to smart phones and social media (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc).
I don’t denigrate the technological advances that we enjoy. In fact I think they are highly useful for sharing more information as quickly as possible. My contention is that writing is still a superior form of communication, in great part because it forces active thinking. It forces one to gather information, think, and formulate a sentence. More often than not you’ll find that you need to research more, or find a legitimate source to quote, or organize your writing in a coherent way only to realize that your logic is wrong and so you must start the process again.
Writing is great exercise for the mind.
I hope you help sharpen my brain by sharing your thoughts, comments and constructive criticisms.
Mark