Why I always write things down
Because I understand the world through writing.
For me, writing is the only way to really understand.
But there are two different ways of writing.
These two ways are not fundamentally different. They differ in one crucial respect.
The first way I use to find answers to questions like these: What are the differences between Polish and German society? What is the best way to fight populist parties? To get an answer, I do some research, listen to what others know, collect what I find interesting, and structure ideas. It is an outward-facing process.
And it doesn’t stop with reading. For things to make sense to me, I have to channel those thoughts into written structure, into words, sentences, paragraphs.
I call this outward-facing writing.
Then there is another way of writing. I call it the know-what-I-already-know-writing.
With this, I am not looking outside. I don’t googling it; I don’t ask Claude or people. I ask myself. How can I do good to other people without forgetting myself in the process? What do I love by taking the train? For questions like these, I ask myself, collect thoughts, and cluster them. This writing is only about me. What is inside of me, I let out. Again, I don’t just read or think about these questions. I write down what I am thinking. Initially uncontrolled, later organised, finally revised.
These are the two ways. For both: Only the polished and finished text reflects my thought process. My finished thought process.
Not finished for good. Just finished for now. What is written isn’t set in stone. I might think differently tomorrow. I often do. Slightly different. Sometimes completely different. And my thinking and writing always have errors. That is okay. It is even important. With thoughts written down, criticism becomes possible. Because one can engage more effectively with the written word.
And so I write and write. Outwardly and inwardly. Almost every day. And in doing so, I make sense of my world. Does it make me any wiser? I do not know. I hope so. What I do know is that writing makes me happy and content. It allows me to feel at home in the world. Because one can only feel at home in a world one understands, right? Or at least, when you think you have understood the world. Besides that, writing helps me remember later on. And perhaps it helps me be remembered, too.
Walk on 