Month: December 2010

This haunts me sometimes, particularly how easily things can just slip through the cracks (specially if English is not your native language). Grammar and spelling are indeed important, some glitches can easily be seen as a reflection of ones ability to focus and attention to details, or as an attitude – responsibility and care about what-ever is being written, offered as communication. One misplaced letter or comma and you may be saying exactly the opposite of your intent…

Never-the-less, while the above mentioned is very important, I have always thought that ideas are way more important, and is more ignorant to ignore the content or have a lower attitude towards it because of such mistakes. These days our focus is spread in multitasking and distractions like never before, there are tons of visual, audible or plain psychological distractions. These don’t only affect us directly whenever we might find ourselves typing, but can easily contribute and buildup tiredness which again isn’t so productive for our focusing capabilities.

I suppose we are adapting creatures and technology is helping us with auto-correction but it can fail, I don’t always want to write “i donut kink munch about it” (that phrase did not get corrected – wasn’t underlined). But specially if it’s something that will be public, do take the time and have an extra run through it for this purpose.

I keep thinking of extremes in this: on one side you can miss important moments or opportunities by not expressing yourself as directly and fast as possible (or at all) – it’s best to DO write down your thought or ideas; but not realizing what you actually express and how you express it can have an unfavorable outcome – picture yourself in a couple of years not understanding what you wanted to say when trying to read your own text. (one of the main reasons for content of this blog actually – track myself, but maybe also share).

Being aware of what we’re really saying is important not only for the stuff we write, but also for things we say or for behavior we have, choices we make.
Consider it as an incentive to think before we talk or act, to first exchange perspectives (hats or shoes or roles with the others involved, or with the world – like Kant would suggest; how ever helps), using critical thinking, skepticism, questioning everything – including our own premises and conclusions.

Of-course, there’s more.

PS. This post had some adjustments when checked after some years. Also things like Grammarly also popup up since this was written.

This is a challenge for me, a challenge I must take > pass > and only remember in laughter that I was once like this.

This post needs not be scrolls long(er). Even closest readers may not have the patience to read it entirely or at all. Actually, at times when looking back at my old long mails, post or memos, etc – I my self do not have the patience or the time to read them.

I guess it gets that long in my case as I try to cover so many thoughts and aspects, and try to clarify. But it can easily get ineffective, the message not understood – not evaluated, no feedback / reply – and literally just into the void.
Sure sometimes the length can work and be as intended, it can make sense, like when you are writing a book I suppose; but most of the times it’s just wasting what could be a possibility to share, get evaluated, evolve.

What can be done? On one hand: attention to details is good, so if you do have the time to write the whole thing (all your thoughts) do it – it can be an interesting exercise to realize how jumbled thoughts can be. But if you want to share or get evaluated, give only the essential and let people know there’s more if they want it… is what I found for my self for now anyway.

An example, instead of a long post on time management – it applies in content management too:

“Collect all in one place > Choose the essential > Eliminate the rest > Organize the remaining”

Got any other perspectives / solutions? (appreciate it)
PS. There’s more.