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vehemenzyesterday at 5:08 PM1 replyview on HN

> Writing is thinking.

This way of phrasing it is needlessly confusing. Writing is a kind of thinking--one of many--but it's not equivalent to thinking.

Dialectical thinking, for example, produces similar results.


Replies

hitekkeryesterday at 7:49 PM

It’s a flattering phrase, not a thoughtful one. It gives the illusion of higher level thinking that’s beyond our actual ability. The phrase also justifies writing without thinking, i.e. most internet comments.

The best thinkers I know mostly use writing for refinement, distillation— as a tool. The worst thinkers I know are owned by writing; they require its fixation & stimulation upfront to compensate for limited attention spans.