Ink Here, Think Clear
Writing is an extension of the mind
David McCullough once said, “Writing is thinking.”
There’s a distinct precision to written words that can be lacking in speech. A single written sentence can be the product of minutes if not hours, spent in front of a piece of paper – a process that helped shape and refine the original idea, thought, or feeling.
A single sentence can be the result of several rewritings, representing the journey your mind went through when engaging with challenging perspectives.
Ultimately, writing brings clarity – both to ourselves and to others. Thanks to the patient nature of paper, we have the opportunity to achieve this objective without rushing to fulfill anyone's (including our own) need for immediate understanding.
Over the past few years, I’ve enjoyed reading letters to shareholders (investors in a company or a fund). Some of the best are written by giants like Warren Buffet, Jeff Bezos, and Nick Sleep. They dedicate a substantial amount of time to thinking, and some of that thinking gets distilled into writing.
The purposes of writing letters to shareholders are many. Some do it to hold themselves accountable. Some do it for transparency. Some do it as a noble means of sharing their knowledge and wisdom with the masses. While varying degrees of these motivations may be present in such writing, another undeniable benefit is having the paper act as a companion for their thinking.
The act of writing and the process of articulating thoughts in written form helps them become more precise and clear in their expression. They also gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them.
Problems with writing
While these people may write out of duty, this should not be the approach for most. Writing should serve as an invitation, not an obligation. Here, some unsettling clouds from the past linger, casting a shadow on writing.
Most, if not all, of our experience with writing has been within the context of school. Consequently, writing has strong associations with tasks and assignments. Format and style.
Once I began writing, I still found myself confined within the school box. I knew I was writing for myself, yet there was this lurking feeling of a required arrangement. Format, style, grammar, and chronology were still annoying voices in the back of my head.
Now, ditch that. We should dictate the paper, not the other way around. We should approach it in any way we please.
The paper is a gift. An incredible one. Receive it or not. But it will remain there as an open invitation for us to fire at – with the ammunition of whatever’s on our mind. No list of criteria should keep us from that.
And it will fire back. Sometimes it fires back in the same way. But other times – a bit differently. When your own words stare back at you, your perception of what those words represent can change slightly. There's a process of polishing happening. Your thoughts and ideas become a bit clearer.
But what’s also great about writing – it happens on your timeline.
Paper is patient
70-odd years ago, Anne Frank said, “Paper is more patient than people”.
Time is our friend when we try to simplify complex abstractions in our minds, and paper gives us plenty.
One of the greatest attributes of communication is patience, even when it's communication with oneself. Writing allows for a greater degree of reflection. When we write something down, we have the opportunity to truly sit with our thoughts. We can express ourselves in a raw and unfiltered manner, more so than we might in spoken communication. Speaking is more prone to impatience from both parties – inviting shortcuts that might compromise clarity.
Human interaction is a beautiful thing. It's where ideas can merge, take shape, and flourish. The combination of ideas is often greater than the sum of their parts, which has proven true in many of the greatest discoveries and inventions.
But at the end of the day, we need to steward our own ideas and thoughts – whether they will stand on their own, or join forces with others. And writing is a great tool for this.
To end
Investing (like several domains in life) involves many aspects, including idea generation, but it's all in jeopardy if we can't manage our psychology.
Investing is a field where emotions can easily spiral out of control. Having the tool of writing can, in some cases, serve as an anchor for our psychology. Sometimes it serves as a patient counselor to visit.
Other times as a rule book to revisit.
Successful investing sits on top of a merciless mountain, accessible only via a shortlist of decisions you need to get right.
And stick to.
When big decisions are being made, nothing captures our thoughts like an empty sheet of paper. And nothing preserves our decisions like a written statement.