Writing to Think

About a year ago, I wrote a piece about dollar stores that I thought was really clever.  It basically made the case that, even more than yachts or private jets, the dollar store is the true symbol of capitalist excess.  In short, inexpensive, disposable junk that nobody wants, made with exploited labor in third world countries using up resources and damaging the planet. 

I thought that it was the perfect amount of internet snarkiness to get some attention.  Still, if you look through my site you’ll notice that such an article was never posted.  That’s because writing about the topic got me thinking about it, and while I still may generally agree with the premise, I think all that truly reveals is that I’m not the target market for those stores. 

First, to say no one wants the items in those stores isn’t actually a statement of fact.  Enough items are sold there, even at a dollar or so each, to keep physical stores with staff open.  There are other giant retail chains that can’t even make that claim. 

Second, even though many economists claim that consumers reveal their preferences based on their purchasing behavior, that model never seems to take into account the consumers financial status.  In other words, maybe I’d like to get my kid a name brand Barbie for their birthday, but can’t afford it, so I’ll get them what I can afford at the dollar store and do everything I can to give them the best birthday possible.  I’d hate to inadvertently judge someone's consumer choices just for the sake of posting a snarky internet post. 

The point of this isn’t to pick apart an article that no one has seen, but rather to make a different observation.  Even though our brains evolved for abstract thinking, they’re often not very good at it.  We make decisions and hold opinions based on unconscious biases, logical flaws, and rational shortcuts.  Sometimes thinking your thoughts is not enough.

How often have you had your feelings about a movie or show changed by a friend pointing out the story's logical flaw like, “If the whole action of Toy Story is driven by Buzz Lightyear not realizing he’s a toy, that makes no sense because he freezes like all the other toys when Andy comes in the room." 

You might’ve loved Toy Story, but you find yourself saying, “I hadn’t thought of that.” 

There’s a magical quality to writing.  Your inner thoughts, made manifest, makes them tangible and harder to ignore.  That’s why we’re told to write down our goals, tasks, and priorities. 

Writing can also force reflection on an opinion or belief, making one consider other points of view, at best, or hopefully the accumulation of supporting evidence for a position, at a minimum.   Some of the best thinking is done in writing.