"To the world you may be one person. But to that person, you may be the world."
Your message will get lost if writing is not clear
That goes for text-messaging as well.
By Gary Gilson
March 4, 2023 at 2:00PM
Huh?
Someone wrote that phrase, which is a slogan used to raise money for a charitable organization.
If you read the quote slowly and carefully, you will realize that it makes no sense. It can stop you in your tracks — as it did for Don Christenson of Eagan, who was so puzzled that he sent it to me.
Who, he asked, is "that person"?
Here's the true meaning:
"To the world, you may be one person. But to a person you reach out to and help, you may be the world."
The true meaning got lost in the writer's act of compressing separate elements.
In a strange way, your mind may exert itself to override the error and let you guess what the writer meant. But that makes you work, when responsibility for work and clarity belongs to the writer.
A subtler example of compression and murkiness appears in a New York Times obituary of David Harris:
"Mr. Harris, ... an unlikely avatar of the antiwar movement, ... entered Stanford University in 1963 after being elected 'boy of the year' by his high school, where he debated and lettered in football."
What? Did he debate with the quarterback about what play to call?
For clarity, try this:
"... where he took part in debate competition and won a varsity letter in football."
Reminder: Little things mean a lot.
Speaking of little things, consider the practice of texting. Looseness and abbreviations undermine precision and clarity of the message.
Since texting is growing in practice, shouldn't we be concerned about what we are losing in the craft of clear writing?
What does our society value?
Certainly, freedom and democracy. Also, entertainment — streaming, podcasts, football, movies. If texting becomes the norm, we'll be sacrificing the entertainment we could be enjoying in reading crackerjack writing.
I doubt that texting affords delight in language.
What do you think we can do to charm a nation of texting-obsessed youngsters into enjoying linguistic flights of fancy?
Gary Gilson conducts writing workshops online. He can be reached through www.writebetterwithgary.com.
about the writer
Gary Gilson
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