Writing is at its most basic, the attempt to formulate and organize our thoughts into coherent sentences and paragraphs, and thus express our ideas for the benefit of ourselves and others. We benefit, because we help both us and others understand ourselves better. Others, benefit because they can learn something new after interacting with us. And when debating or expressing our opinion, it is essential to come mentally armed with organized thoughts. Especially in the workplace, but without neglecting our personal lives.
Perhaps we want to do business with someone, negotiate our debts or simply be more eloquent. Continuous training in the art and science of communication will get us there. Therefore, choosing a time of the day to sharpen our mind, either when we wake up and we take the time to describe what we dreamed about during the night, or before going to bed detailing the events of the day. Any moment is the perfect moment, and the nice thing is that we can edit the words we use and reorganize the order of what we write so that it gets better, more precise and more organized every time.
Fortunately, we can write about whatever we want and with whatever purpose, be it persuasive, informative, descriptive, argumentative or whatever. It all depends on what our goal is, but the goal is to learn to think critically and express our critical thoughts effectively. This way we can achieve more confidence in ourselves and in what we project to others. We just need a pen, a sheet of paper and a little time to start this practice that never tires of benefiting us. So, let’s get started.
In this video, professor and psychologist, Jordan B. Peterson, explains to his students that the best way to teach people how to think critically, is to write, because “there is no difference between that and thinking.” Thinking helps us to be effective in the world and to win the battles we take on, Peterson details. Thinking, speaking and writing makes us lethal, he strikes. Consequently, formulating our thoughts and presenting them, opens up a world of possibilities. So, we are obliged to learn to use these weapons if we want to carve out a better future for ourselves.