Reflecting on the ways in which we communicate today, I have noticed a significant shift in how people interact with the written word.
The focus since the introduction of mass social media like Facebook has drastically moved from personal sensemaking to catering to a larger audience on social media platforms.
It saddens me to realize that most of the writing and communication that happens today is geared towards gaining followers and increasing impressions, becoming a sort of implicit game.
It's worrying how engrossed people get in this game, to the point where they lose sight of the significantly more critical game: pursuing the truth and understanding it – sensemaking.
I believe that sensemaking isn't a public act, but rather a personal journey or a discourse in a small intellectual fellowship. The primary goal isn't to attract an audience but to dissect and hone your own thinking, to achieve a better match with reality and make informed decisions.
Without a habit of scrutinizing your thoughts and beliefs, you risk living in a bubble of your own misconceptions. Trust me on this – when you write down your thoughts, they often seem more absurd than when you analyze them in your head. Writing your perceptions and beliefs helps you become a sharper thinker and grounds you in reality.
Then, if you still want to play the social media game, you do so with a clearer mind, more grounded perspectives. And whatever you communicate publicly will likely be more beneficial and impactful to your audience because it's grounded in your understanding of truth, not just what's currently trendy.
If you haven't already started doing this, I highly recommend it. I call these personal reflections 'brain drops.' Don't just make sense of reality by consuming other people's social media communications. Everyone puts a particular spin on their communications, be it on Twitter, Meta’s Threads, LinkedIn, etc.
It's crucial to write for yourself, for the truth, and to see things as clearly as possible. No one else can do that for you. No one else can make sense of the world for you.
The world is changing too fast to rely solely on others' writing. To fully understand the world, you must learn to think for yourself and connect with base-level reality. Have a ritual where you confront your thoughts, and realize their errors. Share these 'brain drops' with those you trust to help you improve your understanding and clarity.
When you do decide to publish something, you can trust that it's primarily based on your comprehension of truth rather than being a reflection of what's popular at the time.
Your soul will thank you.