2min snip

The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish cover image

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

The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

NOTE

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.

00:00

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode