Dear reader,
It’s the last day of the month, the last day to publish this month’s essay, and it’s 5 am, which means I have some time to write before the girls wake up. I have been thinking about the reasons that compel me to write each month, that keep this newsletter going, but then again, I am a little cautious about exploring this topic because I don’t want to write about writing again, since this is the least favorite topic for my editor-in-chief1 to read. Still, I think this is an interesting topic to explore, so here goes.
I think my main motivation for writing is to inspire other people to write. The best writing, in my opinion, is that which inspires the reader to write something of their own. And I want my writing to have that effect. Sure, it’s nice to have a record of my thinking over time, as these essays are nothing else than snapshots of my thinking. But I don’t think that’s the main driving force.
If I do that in some way, I’m happy. The difficult part is knowing that your writing has had such an effect, not only because people are reluctant to share something like that with you, for various reasons, but also because sometimes this effect is indirect. I think what we read influences us in one way or another, even if we don’t remember precisely what we have read. The effects are subtle, even for things we can’t provide a nice summary for.
For some period while or immediately after reading a book, I think I’m under its influence and it shapes the way I think and write. It’s like drinking beer.
To share what the current biggest influence is, I have spent some time just before writing this reading What Do You Care What Other People Think by Feynman, a very charming book by one of my favorite authors. There’s so much to love about that book: from how much importance he places on his father for developing the way he thinks, which inspires me even more to really put in the effort of teaching my daughter how to learn, to his attitude towards science and learning and really understanding things at a deep level and spotting “baloney”, even when it comes from authority or prestigious figures2.
See, I probably couldn’t give you a nice summary of that book, other than listing a couple of examples, that are currently in my working memory, but this book will work on me in ways I don’t understand. I say this as a person who likes keeping highlights of books in order to remember them better. I need to keep in mind that what I don’t highlight will also be remembered in a way. A delightful experience that has recently confirmed this for me is remembering a quote from a book I’ve read years back3. I was aware of its existence even though I haven’t saved it anywhere.
If you remember anything from this newsletter years after reading it, let it be that you should write. If anyone asks me what the desired outcome of this newsletter is I will say that it’s the increase in the number of other newsletters. This is what I consider success. And if there’s one thing that I can ask you to do after reading this it’s this: please write.
As always,
Thank you for reading,
Yours,
SH
My wife.
There’s a nice example of thinking that Descartes arguments are “baloney”. Complete disregard about who’s the author of the argument, which I love.
Also by Feynman, coincidentally.
What a delightful wish for your fellow writers. And yes, what we read so affects what we write. I find myself imitating so many different things.
I have the same experience of being affected by whatever I’m reading. I can see/feel the authors words seeping into my own writing, like osmosis or something. It’s a very interesting experience, but it does make me somewhat weary of what I commit to reading. I mean, I’m not sure how ready I am to have some huge tome seeping into the next few things I write.
Nice reflection, Hrvoje :)