Understanding Comes Before Writing
Marc Morganstern is a legendary deal-making attorney and investor. He was once a Clevelander, but now spends much of his time out west. Not long ago, I happened to come upon his company website, which has a page of his maxims. I especially admired the elegant concision of one of them: "If you can't write it, then you don't really understand it." You'd be surprised how many otherwise bright people never seem to grasp that simple idea.
9 Comments:
I just heard about Winston Churchill's oratory style. He wrote all his speeches out and then memorized them so that it seemed he was a skilled, extemporaneous speaker but he was in fact "performing" what he had written.
Can't say I've ever come across that, Britta, but I'm also not surprised to learn it. Churchill was sui generis, a man like no other.
It reminds me of something my Ki Aikido teacher once said to me: "The best way to learn something is to have to teach it." Which is why he made us advanced students regularly teach a class. And he was right.
He was right on.
By the way, I probably should acknowledged a related idea we've occasionally explored here: that sometimes (maybe even often) understanding comes during the act of writing. In other words, some writers only really understand what they think through the very act of putting an idea into writing.
Lack of understanding sure doesn't stop a lot of writers and politicians. Was Morgan being sarcastic with this maxim? "Pandering and groveling are underrated virtues."
Knowing his reputation (but not the man himself) I'd guess he said that with a wicked smile on his face. And you're right about how lack of understanding hasn't stopped many.
One aphorism of his that I really appreciate it is:
"Great management knows that power is obligation; not privilege."
That is so true. Politicians and CEOs who forget this one forget that they serve at the pleasure of the people, not at their sufferance.
If everyone in power took that one to heart, what a different world it could be.
Glad you noticed that one also, Art, because that one happened to be my second-favorite.
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