Although one can think without writing (and) one can write without thinking, these are not, ultimately, separate activities. I am not much impressed when a student tells me that he has thought A+ thoughts but has written them in C- language. We do not think wordlessly and later put our thoughts into words. Language is a medium of thought as well as of expression; we think in and with words, just as we speak and write with words. In short, I believe that muddy writing is, more often than not, a symptom of muddy thinking. If I cannot say clearly what I want to say, I probably haven‘t thought it out clearly. Taking the time to think can do wonders for our writing.
—Inis L. Claude, Jr.
Captain Lambert,
ReplyDeleteI never really learned the art of writing, but that was not for lack of trying, or studying, or meditating over the words, and thoughts, that I was attempting to present. The good Inis L Claude, Jr. has given the answer to the world’s great problems as near as I can determine. I am not evidently the learned individual that he is, but I do attempt to apply some words to paper on occasion and I attempt to give it much thought, as well.
I only have a question or so for the Professor; shouldn’t (I am not much impressed), which sounds wordy to this untuned ear be changed to say (I am unimpressed). Another point is the sentence “If I cannot say clearly what I want to say, I probably haven‘t thought it out clearly.” This wording seems to me to be the use of a double negative. I do not know, I am only the student, but this is what I would have written. “If I cannot say clearly what I want to say, I should attempt to rethink what I am trying to say to make it clearer”.
Very Respectfully,
Navyman834