Thinking in Paragraphs

It's hard to let go of the individual words. There are so many endlessly interesting details of spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. After the words come the sentences, which we want to diversify and complicate, with semicolons and complex clauses. But as Oakeshott says, these are the platforms that eternally distract the philosopher. The true secret of writing is to embrace the idea behind a paragraph and to write it in one thrust, leaving the careful wording for later revisions.

It's about taking a step back from how the idea sounds to make sure the idea is conveyed. I spent years of my education analyzing the way that I communicate, without stopping to consider whether I was communicating anything in the first place. The coherence of the argument through a paragraph and the entire piece is the most important aspect of any writing. This is the writer's opportunity to confront his writing from the reader's perspective. And honestly, the reader cares most about getting the main idea.

I've increasingly realized that this philosophy applies widely outside writing. If marathon runners were to think hard about each step before taking it, they would never run an entire rce - let alone win it. If those jumping over the rocks at the tide pool were to consider each jump, they would end up splashing in the salt water half the time. Walking without individual steps and writing without individual words requires having faith in your subconscious to cover the minutiae.

I know a rare few people who can think in paragraphs, but these are the ones who are truly creative, inhumanly inspirational. They are able to put aside the mechanics and open themselves to profundity. If I am ever to write a good book, I know it must be one that is thought in paragraphs, in which each thought is ordered and complete. You cannot string together thousands of independent sentences and hope for a coherent work - no matter how smooth your transitions.

Essentially, self-consciousness is comforting because it makes us feel like we are being reflective and meticulous and philosophical. But it kills inspiration.