I like writing about things I haven’t figured out yet.
“I can’t think if I can’t write.” 1
I’m writing this blog to get things out of my head. When I don’t understand
something, it rattles around in my brain like a loose pebble. I’ll kick it
around and try to recognize how it confirms or changes the way I think.
Understanding something that was previously beyond my grasp is both exciting
and a huge relief. I’m able to thread that loose thought-pebble into the rest
of my brain where it gets incorporated into how I see and interact with the
world.
A problem arises when I add more and more of these pebbles to the cage, and
none get taken out and strung onto the thread of understanding. When too many
are shaken around, I get worried I’ll lose one. What if I never have that
thought again and it’s gone forever? I have to write all these thoughts out, so
I can stay present and continually learn from my experiences.
These are my pebbles.
1 Jia Tolentino, interview at Stanford Jan 16, 2020