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#34 - Aug.2022

I once read: "If you’re thinking without writing, you only think you’re thinking." As I continue to reflect on this quote by Leslie Lamport I can't agree more.  

Downloading your ideas, either through paper or conversations, is key for in-depth understanding and for refining your thoughts.

Raw ideas are very fragile. They precisely gain form & body by turning them into something concrete that others (and you) can refer to. They are polished through interactions.

Scribbling, journaling, and sharing with others, are all great ways for downloading your thoughts. Writing, for instance, is a creative process and, as you reflect on it, you validate your assumptions.

History has good examples of the benefits of this technique. Stoics like Seneca and Epictetus called out the importance of journaling. Sharing ideas with others is what made Feynman's approach of "learning through teaching" so effective.

Share your ideas. Make them public. Debate upon them. Refine your understanding of the truth.