Communication is my bread and butter. When everything else is stripped away, communication is the root of our company. As a pastor, communication is key. The WynnBlog exists to communicate. And so, I try my best to adequately communicate as simply as possible. I think it was in some CS Lewis work where he said (something very similar to) no one can truly be called an expert in a matter until he can explain it to a child. Granted, that is probably a very horrible paraphrase of a vague recollection, but the sentiment is meaningful.

There are a lot of voices in the room, so to speak, these days, and I think one of the best lessons anyone who strives to communicate can really learn is to communicate simply by abandoning all attempts, by using impossibly difficult words and structures (and this is coming from a grammar Nazi), to appear smart in your writing. You can communicate, educate, and inform people, or you can shoot for impressing them with your "intelligent" writing and never transfer an idea further than your own mind.

I picked up one of Jeane’s books, Encyclopedia of a Common Life, the other day, and the author, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, quoted Alain de Botton, who said:

But writing with simplicity requires courage, for there is a danger that one will be overlooked, dismissed as simpleminded by those with a tenacious belief that impossible prose is a hallmark of intelligence.

de Botton’s words ring very true, and I think they would be beneficial to anyone who truly wishes to communicate with others.

By the way, I am speaking from experience here. I have looked back over some old writings from high school and college and all I can think is Man, I can’t believe the teachers let me get away with that; I was so trying to look smart. It’s just embarrassing. And, there are times we are tempted to over-write press materials for people. When I feel we are headed in that direction, I sit down and start stripping out the attempts to be smart or impressive and replace them with attempts at simply communicating, and we end up with a much better work. And before you blame the general populace for being un-educated by government schools (to which I would agree to an extent), understand I am not advocating dumbing down anything. I am recommending everyone pull the arrogance and pride out of their text, not the subject matter, deep thoughts, and important statements. Just develop and communicate those things more effectively–more simply. All the best writers have and do.

Unrelated post-script: If it has ever occurred to you that you are the smartest person in the room, you were wrong.