For some time, I thought it would be helpful to try to reasoning in my mind alone. I hoped I could free myself from devices and documents. I experienced minor improvements, but the losses were greater. Thoughts, like words, are fleeting, and at the mercy of many conditions. Worse yet, most interesting problems are too great to contain in our conciousness. Giving them form, through writing, allows many advantages:
- A degree of permanence
- Even if I forget, I can refer back to notes
- An object to review
- Given a little time, we can evaluate from a new perspective
- Share reliably
- It can be difficult to express thoughts without critical errors or omissions
- Written works can develop a life of their own
- People can adapt, critique, or expand documents
- The act of writing helps focus
- Thinking alone is not enou1gh effort to prevent distraction, but writing keeps both hands and eyes busy
Since highschool, I occasionally wrote in notebooks. I found it rewarding, more often than not, but I was inconsistent at best. I enjoyed reading old ideas or wise reflections, but hated nearly forgetting all of it. After following many bloggers, I noticed they were able to grow from the contributions of readers, and constant reminders of past entries. As one who has his mind blown by many posts, I hope my writing can spark similar breakthroughs in others.