Didion Speaks For Me On This
I also write to entertain (or, ideally, to make the reader bust a spleen), but this -- below -- is a major part of it:
"I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means."--Joan Didion
From a Brain Pickings blog item by Maria Popova.
I write to understand others.
I can usually argue any side of an argument, even one I dont believe in, and often do just to see others reactions.
Its been my experience the most effective method of changing someones mind has less to do with makeing a persuasive argument and more to do with understanding the basis of WHY they believe what they believe
Its also been my experience that the angrier a person is in such an argument they dont know why, on a rational level, they believe what they believe and are trying to avoid realizing that fact
lujlp at March 26, 2013 1:03 PM
I have to admit I enjoy reading tremendously. I tried to read the Didion link that you posted. To me it is too dense.
I don't know how to express it clearly other than to say "If you try to have too much nuance in your statement, I don't trust it."
Most of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are straightforward. Read it and understand it. I know SCOTUS has done the nuance thing, usually to the detriment of everyone.
If you can't express your idea, without caveats, it just becomes a loser to me.
Jim P. at March 26, 2013 9:07 PM
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money."
- Samuel Johnson
blockhead at March 27, 2013 5:47 AM
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