Have you ever felt that if you could just start reading again, your brain would get back to it's young, dynamic state? Yes? Then think again!
Reading is just the first step. Merely reading is of no use if we don't find an outlet for it. The "easiest" way is to write!
Writing is the closest thing to thinking
Writing is the physical reflection of the mental process of thinking. It's the art of sifting through a ton of information, finding the relevant pieces, and then stringing them together in a coherent, logical way.
Example: If someone asks you to multiply 217 and 39, it's almost impossible to do it mentally; but when you write the sum down on a piece of paper, suddenly it's "child's play"!
What changed? Merely by putting down your problem on the paper, you were able to focus on it better and approach in easy, solvable chunks. The same applies to your other thoughts as well. If you are unable to think through a problem, try writing it down.
That's why schools and colleges give you "essays" as homework. We all learnt to write when we were young. But as we grow up, we let go of this very precious habit. It may not seem like such a loss, but in reality, we losing our ability to express ourselves.
Jordan Peterson, someone whom I admire, constantly reiterates this point. He stresses on the importance of learning to write, saying that, “If you can think, and speak, and write, you are absolutely deadly. Nothing can get in your way. It’s the most powerful weapon that you can possibly provide someone with.”
It's cumulative thinking
When you write something down, you're much more likely to retain that information for longer. This is not a theory or speculation. This is a widely documented scientific fact:
“When we write by hand, we have to coordinate verbal and fine movement systems. The complexity of this coordination results in 'body memory' ;and working memory alone involves no physical reinforcement whatsoever. Handwriting, as much as punching in a calendar reminder to call your mom, is a technology that has allowed humans to rely less and less on pure memory." [Source]
When things remain in your memory for longer, you are able to make better connections over time. This is what I call "cumulative thinking". It helps you draw better conclusions and reach there faster. This is what often comes across as "intelligence".
It's therapeutic
This one is a bit personal. But I am ready to bet that it applies to most of you as well. Writing helps me calm down. When I look at a paragraph I wrote, it fills be with an unknown satisfaction. And each time I re-read it (like an incessant narcissist), I am filled with a sense of relief: I have made my point!
Even otherwise, I am sure that at least once, you'd have looked at a piece of your writing with pride and joy. Wouldn't it be nice to feel that again?
So take a break from the scrolling, and leave a lengthy comment down below. Even if it's to vehemently oppose every point I make here, do it! Or go to that WhatsApp group and finish the argument that you'd been waiting to close for so long. Go write a damn essay there.
It doesn't matter what you write, as long as you write something today!
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