Learn more about communication with this collection
How to apply new knowledge in everyday life
Why continuous learning is important
How to find and evaluate sources of knowledge
Choose your words carefully
Use words that will help people understand what you’re trying to say rather than words that are confusing or distracting.
Avoid using jargon, idioms and obscure metaphors.
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679 reads
MORE IDEAS ON THIS
Edit savagely
The most important part of writing is rewriting.
For every sentence, ask: ‘Is that actually conveying to someone other than me what I mean for it to convey? Can I state it more succinctly, more concretely?’
460
730 reads
The “curse of knowledge”
It is a cognitive bias that describes the fact that when you know something, it's very difficult to know what it's like not to know it.
The things you know seem so obvious to you and you assume that everyone else knows them too.
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1.17K reads
Take a break
Write your message and put it aside. Come back to it after a while and read it again.
It will give you a fresh perspective on it.
378
586 reads
Test out your message
Seek feedback. What it's obvious to you might not be obvious to the others.
Show your message to other people and have them honestly say how clear it is to them.
381
628 reads
Related collections
More like this
Avoid pretentious words
If your reader has to use Google or a dictionary to decipher what you’re trying to say, they’re going to feel annoyed.
Avoid jargon - it makes you sound pretentious, and it can further alienate your reader. Instead, write the way you talk. Keep it natural and direct.
Be Clear And Concise
- Do not obscure your message by words that are there to decorate the sentence and make it sound wordy while camouflaging what you mean.
- Make good use of qualifiers ("I think, In my opinion") while not coming across as a perpetually confused person. Don’t use qualifier...
Writing well: choosing the right words
- Avoid at all costs the cliches of the thousands of writers who have gone before you.
- When you’re choosing words and stringing them together, be aware of how they sound.
- Use words you enjoy and that are vivid.
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