Bring Intellectual Curiosity to Your Writing

I enjoyed the holidays with family. I hope your holidays were full of happy times with people you love.

Here’s something to think about as you write in this new year. 

Intellectual curiosity withers

in either or, black or white,

up or down, left or right.

It thrives on

maybe, what if, but, and so,

possibly and even though.

Intellectual curiosity allows us to look through another’s lens. It forces us to consider viewpoints other than our own. When the world is presented as either or it puts blinders on the intellect. The world is not black and white. It is filled with a kaleidoscope of color.

Media Landscape

The media landscape paints issues as two dimensional: black white, left right. The reality is we live in a complicated world. Writers recognize this. Intellectually curious writers stretch themselves by examining their own positions. One useful exercise is to write a persuasive essay supporting a position that you reject. In other words, try to write a convincing argument for a position that you oppose. 

It’s easy to find articles, posts, and memes that present stilted versions of the author’s truth. One-sided, cherry picked facts sprinkled with heavy doses of opinion will only convince people who already hold that same view. A thoughtful exploration of a subject requires considering all sides, black, white, and gray.

Gray Area and intellectual Curiosity

The gray area is where intellectual curiosity flourishes. This is where the writer can experiment with uncomfortable or unfamiliar tropes. To do this the writer must use broad brushstrokes to promote the position he or she is trying to make. The writer must adopt a different mindset, one that conforms to the position he or she is defending. This exercise informs not only the reader but the writer as well.

After setting the stage with broad brushstrokes the writer has to flesh out the details: Why does this argument make sense? Who benefits from this approach? What will be the end result? How does it affect the reader? Without intellectual curiosity this would be an impossible task. That’s why it is important to look beyond the obvious. Delve into the whys and wherefores. Challenge your own beliefs in order to understand the other side.