Everyone should aspire to write well

The Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia already felt the need to store information. That is why they invented writing. But they were not the only ones; at the same time, it is known that in China and Mesoamerica, they were also creating their own writing systems.

Writing is the greatest information technology that has ever existed and probably ever will.

Thanks to writing, we were able to acquire all the knowledge the Greeks left us, such as mathematics, theater, poetry, history, and philosophy.

Through writing, we established a foundation for later societies, which allowed us to progress much more quickly.

We unlocked the great ability to build upon what was already written, without having to rediscover or recreate that knowledge.

If we transport ourselves to today, writing is probably more important than ever. Yet, we are losing it.

Over-consumption of short content, lack of reading, poor quality of education, and other factors have made writing an activity for the few, when it’s something we do every day.

You can write a message to a friend, a letter to your partner, in your journal, send an email to a colleague, or ask ChatGPT, etc.

Every day, you have an opportunity to write something. If you don’t seize it, you will miss the chance to think along with it. Then, that dystopian moment may arrive when you are replaced by a machine, as I mentioned in my previous edition of Yugen:

“AI is not going to kill your job. The person who can handle AI most easily will. And that means knowing how to write specifically what you want. So, learn to write. Learn to think clearly. It’s the only way.”

Because, as I said, you will lose your ability to think if you don’t write. Because writing is like playing Brain Training for your mind. You learn to think by writing, and you learn to write by thinking.

It’s in the act of pressing the keys or using your hand that you see if you’re capable of putting down on paper what you have in your head, and it’s that very act that, once written, stays in your head in a much more organized way.

I have no idea how to write, although I want to. My plan is to do it all my life, and maybe one day I’ll get it right. So I can’t give you any advice.

Just write without a specific goal. Try to do it every day, even if it’s just one sentence. You can keep it to yourself or share it with others. You can start a blog or just keep it in your notebook.

It doesn’t matter; the only thing that matters is that you sit down to write every day, even if it’s just for ten minutes.

Because being able to articulate your thoughts clearly makes you a better citizen, a better spouse, a better child, and a better professional. And especially in today’s world, where people write worse and spend less time doing it, you can get more out of this practice.

Today’s recommendations

• When I have a slower publishing cadence my blog grows faster. What is the best way to improve writing? Is it to write many pieces quickly (quantity) or to write fewer pieces but take great care with them (quality)?
• How to write. 10 tips David Ogybly gives for writing well.
• Don’t specialize, hybridize. “The world needs more hybrid people because the world is getting more complex. Specialists are important because they help us push the limits in each field. But we also need people who can see the big picture, find unexpected connections, and guide the world’s efforts.”

Keep going

I haven't been able to work much on my projects this week, so I don't have anything to share here.

Simply put, if you're working on something, keep going.

Just this week, two people shared one of my articles on their websites, and a guy contacted me by email to ask what I thought about a topic related to another article he was working on.

Maybe it sounds like a little, but for me, it is a lot. I’m not writing into the void. I’m writing for you. For someone.

So whatever you're doing, keep going. People will ultimately find you as long as you enjoy what you do.