I remember writing, as if the only thing I needed to do was impress my professor…
I used words that required a dictionary and a philosophy degree.
Paragraphs that said in fifty words what could be said in five.
I thought complexity meant intelligence.
I was wrong.
Funny thing though is, we get taught to write like in school.
The smartest people I know talk like they’re explaining things to their grandmother. Not because their grandmother is stupid.
It’s because clarity is respect.
Simple words are fun to use. You can get your message across easily. Using short sentences help make your ideas land.
Einstein also supposedly said something along the lines of…
“If you can’t explain it simply. Then you don’t understand it.”
Whether he actually said it doesn’t matter. The principle tracks.
Pappa Hemingway knew this. His sentences hit like punches because he stripped away everything unnecessary.
On top of that. If you look at the most successful communication in history. Religious texts. Political slogans. Advertising taglines. They stick because they’re simple…
“Just do it” beats “Execute your athletic aspirations with determination.”
“I have a dream” beats “I envision a future characterised by racial harmony.”
“We hold these truths to be self evident” beats “It is our considered opinion that certain principles require no additional justification.”
Simple doesn’t mean stupid. It means clear.
When you write clearly.
People actually read what you wrote instead of skimming and guessing. They understand your point instead of interpreting it. They take action instead of feeling confused.
Your ideas deserve to be understood and the best way to make that happen is wrapping them in words everyone understands.
One of my goals has always been to make my writing fun to read and brevity is another thing I’m trying to master every day.
If you’re stuck on starting. Pick it up.
Stephen Walker.