On Writing

Why is writing important? Writing is an evolved mode of communication. Civilizations that learned to write survived and the ones that didn't, did not survive. Our communication evolved through sound, signs and eventually spoken language. Developing a script and writing the language was the next state of evolution. Writing transcends space and time. It kicked off the accumulation of human knowledge at a rapid pace. The innovation in the modes of transportation of information helped spread ideas and kicked off the rapid development of our species. First Information traveled through feet and then through wheels. The innovation of printing press allowed the information to be duplicated at a rapid pace cheaply. The invention of steam engine gave a huge boost to how far and wide information could travel. Being able to store information in a digital form turbo charged how fast we could replicate it at a very low cost. Finally, the invention of the Internet allowed any information written anytime, anywhere to be available to anyone instantaneously at a negligible cost. 

Writing as a Communication mode

While speaking has been primarily a synchronous mode of communication, writing is primarily an asynchronous one. This asynchronicity confers many advantages both to the reader and the writer. A writer can take their time in formulating ideas before putting them down on the paper. They can go back, edit and reedit. Similarly readers can consume information at their own pace. They can revisit the parts they did not understand. Humans can also grasp information at a much faster pace visually then through audio. There is nothing more powerful in the world than effectively written great ideas distributed cheaply at a fast pace. We are living in an age where anyone can achieve the above and change the world (e.g The bitcoin paper by Satoshi Nakamoto). 

How to write effectively?

There are a few rules that one must follow to write effectively. 

1) Effective writing is a result of clear thinking. Many people equate writing with creating a mental dump on paper. Well that may be a good start but one needs to iterate not only on the written words but on their thinking to separate wheat from chaff. In this way, thinking and writing are parts of an integrated process. 

2) Write for your audience. Do not assume that they have the same context as you do. Albert Einstein said - “if you can't explain it simply you don't understand it well enough” (see rule #1). 

The most important audience for your writing is yourself. Yes, we write for ourselves all the time. Checklists, reminders, journals are all examples of writing for oneself. Writing for oneself is communication one has with one’s future self. What would you want to tell your future self? Write it down.

Finally, effective writing is a skill that can be honed with constant practice. Building a habit of writing is one of the most important things you could do to get more meaning in your life.