Pasted

The Curse of Knowledge  

Pinker identifies the "curse of knowledge" as the primary cause of bad writing: the inability to imagine what it’s like not to know something you’re familiar with.  
Example: A molecular biologist lost a TED audience by diving into jargon without context.  
Solution: Empathize with your audience, avoid jargon, and test drafts on outsiders (e.g., Pinker’s mother, a non-specialist).  



Concrete vs. Abstract Language  

Good writing helps readers form mental images. Avoid abstractions like "stimulus" when you mean "bunny."  
Historical writing was more vivid because it relied on shared visual metaphors (e.g., biblical symbolism). Modern abstractions sacrifice clarity for efficiency.  



Brevity and Rhythm  

"Omit needless words" (Strunk & White) and prioritize rhythm. Pinker reads drafts aloud to ensure prosody.  
Humor thrives on brevity and freshness—children’s uninhibited explanations exemplify this.  



Why Writing Feels Harder Than Speaking  

Conversation provides real-time feedback (e.g., facial expressions); writing lacks this.  
Writing must stand alone, divorced from shared context (e.g., "this" or "she" without explanation).  



AI and Language  

LLMs (like ChatGPT) produce generic, "sound" prose but lack originality or depth.  
Pinker speculates AI’s clarity might stem from averaging out bad writing, akin to how composite faces appear more attractive.  
If rewriting his books today, he’d weigh the power of pattern extraction (AI’s strength) against human cognition’s rule-based learning.