An Invitation To Shit On My Ideas

I write extremely because I'm a weak writer.

Better writers accurately express ideas. They communicate their beliefs, their feelings, and the magnitude of their convictions. And then they choose word after word after word to share the view from their skull holes.

"Probably" and "maybe" dilute writing, but those words reduce intensity. I tend to err on the side of "too intense", but this is usually not how I feel -- it's just an artifact of weak writing.

I really wanted to use fancy words like "affect" and "valence" here, but I don't think I actually know what those words mean.

I'm still trying to solve this intesity dilemma, but it seems the only way to become a better writer is to write more. Consider this a disclaimer, an advance apology, and a big "student driver" sign for this blog.

To help me grow more quickly, please post feedback. Poke holes in my theories. Give counterexamples to my claims. Share your experience.

My therapist says that effective feedback follows this pattern: "When I see <phenomenon\>, I feel <emotion\>." For example: "When I see dishes in the sink, I feel anxious and overwhelmed." It's difficult (but so important) to remove judgements/assumptions when you're speaking about your experience.

Thank you for all the insightful comments across the link aggregators. Thank you for brightening up my inbox. Thank you for bringing the best parts of the internet to my feeds on X, Bluesky, and Mastodon.

Thanks. With your continued help, I can [probably] become a better writer, and [maybe] a better thinker.