Engineer here: As a user and student of technical communication I noticed you also utilize well the tools of typesetting: bold, italic, all caps, lower case, ellipses, spacing, paragraph returns, etc. You yourself also mentioned stating your premise, describing your premise, and summarizing your premise as a way to solidify your premise in the readers mind and memory. This was a great expose on technical communication. 😎
Sheila...that means a lot...especially coming from an engineer who thinks about communication as a system...not just as words on a page.
You’re exactly right: those elements...bold...italics...spacing...pacing...repetition...aren’t decoration. They’re signal-routing tools.
They tell the reader’s brain what to prioritize...what to skim...what to linger on...and what to remember. In that sense...typesetting is closer to circuit design than prose styling: you’re managing load... reducing noise...and preventing signal loss.
And...yes...state the premise... explain the premise...then restate it in a slightly altered form. That’s not redundancy...it’s error correction.
Different readers “lock on” at different moments. Repetition with variation...increases the odds the idea survives contact with distraction...bias...or fatigue.
What I especially appreciate in your note...is that you saw this as technical communication...not rhetoric. That distinction matters. Good persuasion fails if comprehension fails first.
The job is not to impress...it’s to transfer a mental model intact...from one mind to another.
So... thank you for naming it so clearly. That kind of recognition tells me the signal got through...exactly as intended!
I can't agree completely, for certain types of brains. I understand what you are saying. I often trip over such things myself. As one who years ago would have been called strictly "left-brained", and now, while I'm pretty sure I don't qualify as having OCD or being on the Aspergers spectrum, I resonate with how that must feel; as a result the annoyance factor of spotting a knowingly broken or bent rule is greater perhaps than for the average reader. Yes, I can get past it for the content, but the pain sticks with me a bit longer.
And on the topic of commas, let me just say that while the extra comma may be noticeable or annoying, it is much much better to include more commas than you have to than it is to omit even a single necessary comma. Perhaps someone describes the routine of life as "Eat, shit, and die." Very different if you leave out the commas.
J.B., before I address the rest of the "on the mark" thoughts you expressed, THIS was the one that jumped out as being most relevant, regarding the article on this topic: "Yes, I can get past it for the content, but the pain sticks with me a bit longer."
You are exactly the kind of reader/subscriber I was talking about.
Now...your other points; yes...for some people, a bent or knowingly broken convention isn’t just a minor annoyance...it creates cognitive drag. It pulls attention away from meaning and lodges there...unresolved. Even when the reader understands the point...the friction lingers.
I especially appreciate how you framed it...not as pathology...not as labels...but as lived experience. A mind that once operated very cleanly in one mode...and later learned to move more fluidly...doesn’t forget what that earlier precision felt like. It just gains empathy for both sides.
And you’re absolutely right about commas.
An unnecessary comma may be irritating.
A missing...necessary...comma can be catastrophic.
Your example makes the point perfectly...and memorably. Punctuation isn’t cosmetic; it’s structural. It governs meaning...pacing...and sometimes morality. When in doubt...clarity beats minimalism every time.
So yes: I take your point fully. Precision isn’t pedantry when it protects meaning—and for some readers, it’s the difference between smooth comprehension and low-grade... persistent irritation.
The best evidence that the "pain" that lingers for you...isn't enough to tilt the scales against the benefits...is 1. The length of time you have been subscribed, and 2. The number of articles you have read in that time...and the participation in the comment section during that time.
I appreciate you taking the time to organize your thoughts, and give us a glimpse of a J.B. Levin SPECIFIC, internal experience. Subjectivity is very useful to know about...here...and with this.
Now, I wish I was still awake at this hour because of something other than breaking news on U.S. forces capturing Maduro and brining him to the U.S. to stand trial. I really do.
You said "Now, I wish I was still awake at this hour because of something other than breaking news on U.S. forces capturing Maduro and bringing him to the U.S. to stand trial. I really do."
I'm with you 100% on that. I guess I had my best sleep last night that I'll have for a while, since I _didn't_ know about this until after I woke up. Sigh.
This is why I love how you lay out the written word - I always feel as if we are in a conversation, (I can 'hear' you take a breath I think) - even though you cannot hear me … I have started to imitate you a bit which is great fun for a grammar freak like me. Thanks for this commentary. I have always thought the written word should feel like a conversation instead of a lecture. Helps the reader's thoughts emerge and engage.......And now I am just babbling. Cheers
Side note here: you listed ' people that can't tolerate small deviations often struggle with : complex systems, emotional nuance, competing truths, tolerance gor ambiguity, imperfections, for signal inside noise- is so dam true. I learned that being a artist: When my son went away for college for a summer, I painted his bedroom a deep glaze in a purple- deep dark blue/ white ceiling/ gray pretend stone flooring..on 3 walls I painted a car flames in metallics on each wall near its corner...1 car flame went from bright yellow blended to orange to red, 2nd flame rose metallic to deep purples, 3rd flame from.light metallic seafoam to deep turquoises.
Each flame was 2ft tall X 3ft. People that saw the room came into 2 distinct categories: some hated it - these people were all uptight & conservative on all aspects of their world . Others that loved the graphics view were open, creative and approachable to open ideas.
It’s much more difficult than you’d think to write the way you do. It’d be far easier to write in a kind of broadsheet style; but you’d lose the directness and clarity. The art of what you do is to make what is really a complex message clear and accessible to anyone without dumbing down or sacrificing rigour or accuracy. This is hard, and most writers can’t do it. But you carry it off! Bravo Zulu!
Jack, thanks for this fascinating article and for including sources! It makes me wonder about some aspects of a project of mine.
Your writing always holds my attention. While your ideas are fascinating, your layouts are map-like. I keep reading because I always want to know more while contemplating along the way.
I love the ellipsis! Just the right amount of pausing for my brain to catch up with the messaging. I used to be an editor for my job and lived by the Oxford comma rules. However it works for your writing, commas matter.
Thank you Jack, I love this approach to what I believe awakens the brain to think about things, understanding in a different way without correct grammar. Communicating with you and others as I am speaking rather than did I use the correct grammar to convey my thoughts.
Great photo Jack, did you buy the aviator glasses?
The invasion of Venezuela has begun. Malcolm Nance just posted.
Retired English teacher. A font came out maybe 10-15 years ago called “sans forgetica” (brilliant!) It omits small pieces of letters so you have to focus more, which in turn stores that info more securely. I had noticed over the years that students often did better on difficult tasks that made them reach but not despair than they did on easy tasks. When the font came out, I did a dance, man. Type up some notes in *sans forgetica* and study while your brain keeps itself awake focusing that extra like 8-12% deciphering the words. Anything trickier will tend to overwhelm. There’s also that little brain hit you get in your rewards section when you figure out a puzzle = self-reinforcement. Absolutely changed how my students looked at tasks—not as afraid of challenges since they were expecting an actual payoff from studying. Super important neuroscience here, which is among my favorite content from JHN
I remember a long time ago (years) when I was following you on Twitter.. probably sometime between 1.0 and 2.0.. someone commented about your grammar or punctuation and you basically gave a short form answer of this article explaining that you write like you would speak in person and a short why you do it. So I’ve been aware for quite sometime. I do feel the speed bump but it in no way bothers me. I don’t follow the rules either. I’m also fully aware that you could use proper grammar if the situation called for it. Still, I like the longer form answer that explains how it works in the brain so thanks for this and carry on. Whatever gets the job done.
I also get URGENCY from your communication, @jackhopkins and appreciate your smashing the expected to get to the true. The Dems are mostly all behaving nicely, cogitating and parsing, essentially saying nothing and getting less done in this deadly important time. That’s why I’m a paying subscriber, and it’s more than worth it to me.
People who can't tolerate ambiguity and signal noise (even cognitive dissonance) also tend to skew right politically and conservative socially. That's why dogma is not ambiguous and presented straight up.
I handle claims for a Local Municipality. Mainly Firefighters, Police Officers and Bus Drivers.
The client (County Supervisors) have access to my notes. I have discovered that complex issues need to be broken down in understandable/digestible chunks.
Large paragraphs of type do not bode well. The answer is in there but they will not read through verbosity. Bold, All Cap, italics, underlines all utilized.
When I ran across your news letter I practically jumped on signing up. I knew exactly what you were doing.
I went to Design School and was taught to write at a third grade reading level….
Engineer here: As a user and student of technical communication I noticed you also utilize well the tools of typesetting: bold, italic, all caps, lower case, ellipses, spacing, paragraph returns, etc. You yourself also mentioned stating your premise, describing your premise, and summarizing your premise as a way to solidify your premise in the readers mind and memory. This was a great expose on technical communication. 😎
Sheila...that means a lot...especially coming from an engineer who thinks about communication as a system...not just as words on a page.
You’re exactly right: those elements...bold...italics...spacing...pacing...repetition...aren’t decoration. They’re signal-routing tools.
They tell the reader’s brain what to prioritize...what to skim...what to linger on...and what to remember. In that sense...typesetting is closer to circuit design than prose styling: you’re managing load... reducing noise...and preventing signal loss.
And...yes...state the premise... explain the premise...then restate it in a slightly altered form. That’s not redundancy...it’s error correction.
Different readers “lock on” at different moments. Repetition with variation...increases the odds the idea survives contact with distraction...bias...or fatigue.
What I especially appreciate in your note...is that you saw this as technical communication...not rhetoric. That distinction matters. Good persuasion fails if comprehension fails first.
The job is not to impress...it’s to transfer a mental model intact...from one mind to another.
So... thank you for naming it so clearly. That kind of recognition tells me the signal got through...exactly as intended!
-Jack
I can't agree completely, for certain types of brains. I understand what you are saying. I often trip over such things myself. As one who years ago would have been called strictly "left-brained", and now, while I'm pretty sure I don't qualify as having OCD or being on the Aspergers spectrum, I resonate with how that must feel; as a result the annoyance factor of spotting a knowingly broken or bent rule is greater perhaps than for the average reader. Yes, I can get past it for the content, but the pain sticks with me a bit longer.
And on the topic of commas, let me just say that while the extra comma may be noticeable or annoying, it is much much better to include more commas than you have to than it is to omit even a single necessary comma. Perhaps someone describes the routine of life as "Eat, shit, and die." Very different if you leave out the commas.
J.B., before I address the rest of the "on the mark" thoughts you expressed, THIS was the one that jumped out as being most relevant, regarding the article on this topic: "Yes, I can get past it for the content, but the pain sticks with me a bit longer."
You are exactly the kind of reader/subscriber I was talking about.
Now...your other points; yes...for some people, a bent or knowingly broken convention isn’t just a minor annoyance...it creates cognitive drag. It pulls attention away from meaning and lodges there...unresolved. Even when the reader understands the point...the friction lingers.
I especially appreciate how you framed it...not as pathology...not as labels...but as lived experience. A mind that once operated very cleanly in one mode...and later learned to move more fluidly...doesn’t forget what that earlier precision felt like. It just gains empathy for both sides.
And you’re absolutely right about commas.
An unnecessary comma may be irritating.
A missing...necessary...comma can be catastrophic.
Your example makes the point perfectly...and memorably. Punctuation isn’t cosmetic; it’s structural. It governs meaning...pacing...and sometimes morality. When in doubt...clarity beats minimalism every time.
So yes: I take your point fully. Precision isn’t pedantry when it protects meaning—and for some readers, it’s the difference between smooth comprehension and low-grade... persistent irritation.
The best evidence that the "pain" that lingers for you...isn't enough to tilt the scales against the benefits...is 1. The length of time you have been subscribed, and 2. The number of articles you have read in that time...and the participation in the comment section during that time.
I appreciate you taking the time to organize your thoughts, and give us a glimpse of a J.B. Levin SPECIFIC, internal experience. Subjectivity is very useful to know about...here...and with this.
Now, I wish I was still awake at this hour because of something other than breaking news on U.S. forces capturing Maduro and brining him to the U.S. to stand trial. I really do.
Enjoy your Saturday, J.B.!
-Jack
You said "Now, I wish I was still awake at this hour because of something other than breaking news on U.S. forces capturing Maduro and bringing him to the U.S. to stand trial. I really do."
I'm with you 100% on that. I guess I had my best sleep last night that I'll have for a while, since I _didn't_ know about this until after I woke up. Sigh.
This is why I love how you lay out the written word - I always feel as if we are in a conversation, (I can 'hear' you take a breath I think) - even though you cannot hear me … I have started to imitate you a bit which is great fun for a grammar freak like me. Thanks for this commentary. I have always thought the written word should feel like a conversation instead of a lecture. Helps the reader's thoughts emerge and engage.......And now I am just babbling. Cheers
I catch myself imitating, too, which makes me giggle. He’s jolly well snagged us, hasn’t he?
Absolutely.
Side note here: you listed ' people that can't tolerate small deviations often struggle with : complex systems, emotional nuance, competing truths, tolerance gor ambiguity, imperfections, for signal inside noise- is so dam true. I learned that being a artist: When my son went away for college for a summer, I painted his bedroom a deep glaze in a purple- deep dark blue/ white ceiling/ gray pretend stone flooring..on 3 walls I painted a car flames in metallics on each wall near its corner...1 car flame went from bright yellow blended to orange to red, 2nd flame rose metallic to deep purples, 3rd flame from.light metallic seafoam to deep turquoises.
Each flame was 2ft tall X 3ft. People that saw the room came into 2 distinct categories: some hated it - these people were all uptight & conservative on all aspects of their world . Others that loved the graphics view were open, creative and approachable to open ideas.
Yes!
It’s much more difficult than you’d think to write the way you do. It’d be far easier to write in a kind of broadsheet style; but you’d lose the directness and clarity. The art of what you do is to make what is really a complex message clear and accessible to anyone without dumbing down or sacrificing rigour or accuracy. This is hard, and most writers can’t do it. But you carry it off! Bravo Zulu!
Jack, thanks for this fascinating article and for including sources! It makes me wonder about some aspects of a project of mine.
Your writing always holds my attention. While your ideas are fascinating, your layouts are map-like. I keep reading because I always want to know more while contemplating along the way.
#Holdfast
What enlightening article!
I love the ellipsis! Just the right amount of pausing for my brain to catch up with the messaging. I used to be an editor for my job and lived by the Oxford comma rules. However it works for your writing, commas matter.
Thank you Jack, I love this approach to what I believe awakens the brain to think about things, understanding in a different way without correct grammar. Communicating with you and others as I am speaking rather than did I use the correct grammar to convey my thoughts.
Great photo Jack, did you buy the aviator glasses?
The invasion of Venezuela has begun. Malcolm Nance just posted.
Meidas also posted
1 hr ago 👇
https://apple.news/AO0_pcL4eT_eHEpcEostGZQ
Retired English teacher. A font came out maybe 10-15 years ago called “sans forgetica” (brilliant!) It omits small pieces of letters so you have to focus more, which in turn stores that info more securely. I had noticed over the years that students often did better on difficult tasks that made them reach but not despair than they did on easy tasks. When the font came out, I did a dance, man. Type up some notes in *sans forgetica* and study while your brain keeps itself awake focusing that extra like 8-12% deciphering the words. Anything trickier will tend to overwhelm. There’s also that little brain hit you get in your rewards section when you figure out a puzzle = self-reinforcement. Absolutely changed how my students looked at tasks—not as afraid of challenges since they were expecting an actual payoff from studying. Super important neuroscience here, which is among my favorite content from JHN
I remember a long time ago (years) when I was following you on Twitter.. probably sometime between 1.0 and 2.0.. someone commented about your grammar or punctuation and you basically gave a short form answer of this article explaining that you write like you would speak in person and a short why you do it. So I’ve been aware for quite sometime. I do feel the speed bump but it in no way bothers me. I don’t follow the rules either. I’m also fully aware that you could use proper grammar if the situation called for it. Still, I like the longer form answer that explains how it works in the brain so thanks for this and carry on. Whatever gets the job done.
I already know I’m where I’m supposed to be!
#HOLDFAST
~Susan
PS. I love the aviators on you. You should get some but in a bit larger size than those 😎
I appreciate the pauses. It makes it easier to read.
LW needed a comma in her complaint.
I also get URGENCY from your communication, @jackhopkins and appreciate your smashing the expected to get to the true. The Dems are mostly all behaving nicely, cogitating and parsing, essentially saying nothing and getting less done in this deadly important time. That’s why I’m a paying subscriber, and it’s more than worth it to me.
People who can't tolerate ambiguity and signal noise (even cognitive dissonance) also tend to skew right politically and conservative socially. That's why dogma is not ambiguous and presented straight up.
Workers’ Compensation Adjuster here.
I handle claims for a Local Municipality. Mainly Firefighters, Police Officers and Bus Drivers.
The client (County Supervisors) have access to my notes. I have discovered that complex issues need to be broken down in understandable/digestible chunks.
Large paragraphs of type do not bode well. The answer is in there but they will not read through verbosity. Bold, All Cap, italics, underlines all utilized.
When I ran across your news letter I practically jumped on signing up. I knew exactly what you were doing.
I went to Design School and was taught to write at a third grade reading level….
Now it’s more like first grade Dick and Jane.
I even toyed with the idea of Seusification.
When we have to convert to crayons, I quit. ;)
Till then, I’ll be here reading.
Crayons 😂