Jaywalking: So What?

I have a confession to make. The "Jaywalking" segment on NBC's The Tonight Show used to really worry me. Watching and listening to the ignorance demonstrated by the people in those segments used to actually create physical pain in me and a very real fear about the future of America.

But now I'm not so concerned.

Unapologetic Ignorance
For those of you who might not be familiar with Jaywalking, the premise is simple: Jay Leno interviews random people on the street, asking them simple questions like "can you name three American presidents?" Invariably, he finds clueless people who, rather than admitting that they can't name three American presidents, announce with total sincerity "Martin Sheen, Ben Franklin and Winston Churchill."

What horrified me about Jaywalking was not that the people seemed ignorant, but that they didn't even have enough sense to be ashamed or embarrassed by that fact.

A Need To Know Basis
I've lightened up since then, beginning with asking a very important question: "So what?"

So what if you don't know who any of America's presidents were? So what if you don't know what countries border America? So what if you can't point to America on the globe?

Frankly, in the scope of all those things that truly matter, those things don't matter.

In life, there are things you need to know, and there are things you don't need to know. I was no longer annoyed by what I once saw as unapologetic ignorance, because what shame is there in not knowing something you don't need to know?

The Circle Of Influence
What, then, qualifies as something you need to know? The answer is simple. By focusing on those things that are within your circle of influence, you discover those things that you absolutely, positively must know (and must know well)! Anything else falls into the category of good to know, nice to know, and may-never-need-too-know.

I was introduced to the circle of influence by Stephen Covey's book, "The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People." The idea is that there are things you can influence and there are things that you either can't influence or have very little power to influence. As much as we may want world peace, most of us have very little power to influence that. Peace within our own homes, however, is very much within our circle of influence.

In the same sense, knowing a lot about something you will never experience or use has very little practical value. There is nothing wrong with knowing a little or even a lot about things outside of your circle of influence, but if it comes at the cost of knowledge about things you should be focusing much more attention to, then it becomes a problem.

Truly Shameless Ignorance
As you can see now, my frustration with the ignorance of people featured on Jaywalking was misplaced.

Truly shameless ignorance is to be ignorant of those things that do matter. The things within your circle of influence certainly matter the most, for they belong to that part of your world that suffers the most noticeably as a direct result of your action or inaction.

If I were to conduct an experiment Jaywalking-style, it might go something like this:

(I pull aside some random guy on the street)
Babblermouth: Excuse me, can I ask you a few questions? It'll be painless, just a little social experiment...
Guy: (Glances at his watch) Sure, but I only have about five minutes.
Babblermouth: Great, I'll keep it fast. The first question is, do you have any children?
Guy: Yes, a boy and a girl.
Babblermouth: Ok, thanks. Are they in school?
Guy: Yes, our oldest is in 3rd grade, and youngest just started kindergarten this year.
Babblermouth: And what are their favorite subjects in school?
Guy: (Winces, then chuckles uncomfortably) I, uh...I guess I don't know.
Babblermouth: That's ok. Are you married?
Guy: I sure am, for fifteen years now.
Babblermouth: Congratulations. Where does your wife want to go for your next vacation?
Guy: Oh, man. (Tries hard to think before finally shrugging his shoulders) I don't know.
Babblermouth: No problem, one last question. What are the major goals you're trying to accomplish in the next 5 years?
Guy: (After a long, uncomfortable silence) I'm sorry, I really need to get going or I'll be late for work.
Babblermouth: Well, thanks for your time...somehow, this wasn't as funny as when Jay does it!

I don't know about you, but I find something terribly sad about this kind of ignorance.

Are you shamelessly ignorant when it comes to your circle of influence? Have you neglected it for too long, or taken it for granted? If so, take a moment right now to increase your knowledge where it really matters. Talk to the ones you love, and be amazed at how much there is to learn about them. It will be the best thing you've ever done for yourself -- and for the people in your circle.


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Write Less To Write Best

The days of the classic writers are gone. It is no longer acceptable to use 10 adjectives to describe every noun, as Dickens or Melville once did. (But can you blame them? If I were paid by the word, I'd describe the heck out of everything, too.)

More Is Not Better
The goal of writing is to convey a message. People -- especially people on the internet -- are becoming increasingly impatient, so you must convey your message quickly and clearly. And that means using as few words as possible and the best words possible.

As an example, look to your own reading habits. How often do you linger on a web page if all you see is a dense block of text? How much introduction do you tolerate before you demand substance? In the modern age of writing, the rule is clear: don't use 50 words to say what 10 words can.

You can improve your writing immensely by improving your use of description and by eliminating pointless introductory or qualifying phrases.

Fewer (and Better) Details
Your use of detail has a powerful impact on your writing. A writer quickly learns that all words are not equal -- some words are worth five to ten words!

For instance, if I were to send you an invitation to "a party at my house", how much would you know about the party? You'd know only that it exists, right?

But what if I sent you an invitation to "a kegger at my house"? Here I've used the same number of words, but I've communicated a lot more information! You can now make a lot of assumptions about the party. You would expect, for instance, a raucous party filled with booming music and obnoxious revelry. Around midnight, somebody's likely to be dancing on the end table, and the police will be escorting the minors out of the house by 3 A.M. (As an aside, you'd also figure I was joking, since I hate such parties and certainly wouldn't want the responsibility of hosting one.)

In this case, "kegger" is worth several words. By packing specificity into individual words, your writing becomes crisp and interesting without appearing overly descriptive.

Say It Boldly
Timid writing also threatens your message. Too often, needless introductory phrases or qualifiers weaken the message or destroy its clarity.

Consider this sentence: It may surprise you to know it, but I'm able to fly around the room by flapping my arms like a bird.

What purpose does the introductory phrase "It may surprise you to know it" serve? Does it convey any useful information? No! Of course it would surprise you to know it -- flying around the room by flapping your arms just isn't normal. The reader doesn't have to be told that it's surprising, because the statement is surprising in and of itself.

Qualifiers are also dangerous to your message. Consider the sentence, "I normally think that most people are usually pretty nice at times." What's the message in that sentence? Who could know? A bolder statement would be "I think people are generally nice." Bolder still would be "Most people are nice."

If your message is important enough to share with others, it's important enough to share boldly. After all, who would share your opinion if even you are ashamed of it?

The Proper Time and Place
Before you turn to something you've previously written and decimate the word count, remember that there is a proper time and place for details. At all times, you must keep the overall message in mind. Anything you can do to share that message with your reader, do it. But be aware of those things that may get in the way of sharing that message, such as clumsy phrasing or being timid about your message.

In his book, On Writing, Stephen King tells of the best writing advice he received, which I will paraphrase as: trim your first draft by ten percent.

This is fantastic advice. By condensing what you've written, you force out that weak writing that dilutes your message's potency. It also gives you persmission to trust that most of what you've written is actually usable.

As you can see, you are not on the hunt for a smaller word count for its own sake -- you are on the hunt for a smaller word count for the message's sake. By using the message as your guide, you ensure that your writing stays interesting and informative, even while concise.

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