The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish cover image

#14 Morgan Housel: Reading, Writing, and Lifelong Learning

The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

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What Makes the Best Writing?

The best writing is simple and uses small words, short sentences, and quick phrases that anyone can understand. Many new writers tend to use big words and long sentences, thinking it will make them sound smart. However, the best writers throughout history, such as Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway, have used simple language that even a ten-year-old can understand. It's important for writers to remember that using complex language does not necessarily make their writing more credible. The best writers today, like Josh Brown, Barry Ritholtz, and Michael Batnick, also use short sentences and small words to make their content easy to understand. Complicated research and papers filled with long, convoluted sentences can be difficult for readers to comprehend. The best writers are those who can decipher complex information and explain it in simple terms that anyone can understand. A good test for writers is to ask themselves if their mother would understand what they've written. If the answer is no, then they need to simplify their writing without losing the essence of the message.

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