Part of the series: Why and How I Started a Blog
Another uninvited thought spiral, dropped here for safekeeping. This one’s about the art of explanation, why we stopped doing it, and what we’ve lost by skipping the in-between.
The Moment That Stopped Me Mid-Stride
I was on a walk, earbuds in, listening to The Art of Charm podcast when Joe Navarro said something that made me stop right where I was. People used to gather in French salons and explain how they came to believe what they believe. Thought was conversational. Explanation wasn’t just tolerated; it was expected.
Today, we’re more likely to be told to “get to the point.” We’ve grown fluent in conclusion but illiterate in process. Sometimes, what I miss isn’t longer conversations, but slower ones.
How We Lost the Art of Explanation
Brevity travels fast; depth requires stillness. In a space built for immediacy, pausing to unpack how you think can seem indulgent. But what begins as efficiency often becomes erosion. The nuance we trim away for clarity sometimes carries the meaning we most need to keep.
If Rethinking the Newsletter in the Age of TL;DR was about slowing communication to create care, this reflection is about slowing thought itself to make space for shared understanding.
The Courage to Ask
It takes real steadiness to admit what you don’t know. In business especially, we’re told not to ask what we don’t already know. The best discussions start with someone saying, “I don’t know yet. Tell me what you know, and let’s see where we can go from there.”
Maybe that’s why I find AI oddly comforting. It’s the first space in a long time where asking doesn’t feel risky. I can ask the same question five different ways without worrying about how I sound.
Why I Write Here
This blog gives me the space that modern communication has quietly edited out — the room to explain, to follow a thought through instead of clipping it for speed. Long-form writing lets me linger where social media scrolls past. It gives the reader time to meet me halfway.
Reclaiming the Art of Explanation
We say “just get to the point” as if the point exists apart from the journey. But sometimes the getting there is the point.
So here’s my invitation: take the scenic route with someone this week. Explain something that doesn’t fit in a caption. Let the pauses do their work.
(See The Power of Being Understood for where this reflection continues.)