[March 1, 2023] The importance of writing cannot be understated. The best way to improve your thinking, develop your logic, and expand your ability to function well is to learn to write. The difficulty in learning to write is that it is time intensive.
When I accept (or reject) guest articles in my leadership blog, the best ones are easy for me. Approved! But those that are rejected, well, that is challenging work for me if I want that article. The words are wrong, the phrases are wrong, the sentences are wrong and not appropriately ordered in the paragraph, the paragraphs are not coherent, and the whole thing makes no sense.
For me trying to tell the person what they did wrong is, well, they did everything wrong. And that is not helpful either. I try to show them what they did wrong and how to fix it while encouraging them by showing what they did right. That is very expensive for me in terms of my time.
The best thing we can do is to teach people to write. I believe so because there is no difference between writing and thinking. One thing that irks me about the formal education system today is that no one tells students why they should write. They need to learn to write because they need to learn to think. After all, that makes them act effectively in the world. Thinking makes you win the battles of life that you undertake.
If you can think and speak and write, you are absolutely unbeatable. Nothing can get in your way. So that’s why you learn to write; it is unbelievable that people are not told that. In addition, I see that students and those in the workplace are told not to bother to learn to write because it is “not needed in modern society.” They are not told that the most powerful skill one can have is writing.
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If you do not get this logic by Gen. Satterfield, then you need to spend some time rethinking your personal philosophy.
Even a Toad knows better.
Your future is largely determined by how quickly and how well you learn to write properly. Too many American subcultures de-emphasize writing, like the black communities. Too bad. Writing is seen as being “white” and thus unacceptable. This is why the black community will never reach equality with the rest of the nation. They put their own selves into mental slavery.
If you can’t write, you ain’t sh##.
Well anita, that is surely true, a bit blunt tho. I like to think that if a person cannot write, and has little or no motivation to write, then I simply will not waste my time on them. Why go out of my way to help a person who is unwilling to help themselves. If you want to succeed in life, learn to write and that takes practice, practice, practice.
https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-requires-practice/
Good comment. 😎
“The best thing we can do is to teach people to write.” – Gen. Satterfield
Employers generally recognize that someone who demonstrates good writing skills is more likely to be someone who thinks clearly, knows how to organize information and understands how to put themselves in someone else’s shoes.
In high school, teachers who hand out essay assignments are often met with groans from the class. Why? Writing isn’t always easy! Yet, it’s one of the most essential skills to learn, no matter where your life may take you in the future. Why is writing important? It’s the fuel that drives communication, and communication serves as a framework for society. Clear communication—and hence, good writing—is critical because it facilitates coworker collaborations, business transactions and interpersonal interactions. In short, no matter what you plan on doing with your life or which academic fields interest you, you will need to know how to write effectively.
Good points Wild Bill. Thank you.
Hi Da Man, haven’t heard from you lately. Hope all is well.
Even if you don’t do a lot of writing on the job (which is rare), you still communicate in other ways. Improving your writing helps you to become a better communicator overall and it also improves your reading, which is another essential job skill. And your ability to write a well-crafted application, resume, and cover letter is the first step to getting a job. Disorganized writing could indicate that your thinking is disorganized. If your writing is not fully developed, it could indicate that you have not fully developed your thoughts. Improving your writing skills will improve the way you think about your topic and help you explain or discuss it with others.
Most folks, esp. younger people, will totally ignore this logic. That is just the way it is today with “merit” removed from the classroom.
Good comment, once again, Max. Emphasizing writing is a positive virtue. But take the time to help those who need help in organizing their writing and thinking.
Yep, that’s what being a good person is all about. ❤
Very good article, Gen. Satterfield … you are starting to sound like my school teachers now.
We do more writing as a society than ever before. It has now become the primary way we gather information and interact and connect with others. Improving your written communications allows you to confidently communicate with everyone. Writing is often the first impression that others have of us.
You’re more likely to get what you want with clear and direct writing. Writing is a form of communication. We often communicate in order to request something of someone. If the one reading your request cannot fully understand or locate what you need from them, you are not likely to get your request fulfilled.
Let’s not ever forget that those teachers in primary school had some pretty rough gems to work with. A few of us shinned but most just continued on our way to a blah existence.
My English teacher in HS would be proud of you, Gen. Satterfield.
Yeah, mine too, she hated me because I never could conjugate a sentence properly and also, maybe, because I was always talking in class at the wrong time on the wrong subject. But , believe it or not, I did learn a tiny bit how to write and that has carried me throughout my career.
I think, Veronica, that we all remember our English (writing) teachers. They push on us what we did not want to do but was necessary for learning how to live correctly and reading and writing are two indispensable skills that we all must have.
Got that right. 😀
As always. If anyone is reading Gen. Satterfield’s blog, be sure to go out onto Amazon and get a copy of his latest book “55 Rules for a Good Life” and read it and post a review on Amazon. Do it to support Gen. S. and to help make yourself a better person.
https://www.amazon.com/55-Rules-Good-Life-Responsibility/dp/1737915529/
You will be happy you did.
Love the book, “55 Rules for a good life” and have extra copies to give away.