Understanding Writing: How to Avoid Losing Track of Your Own Thoughts

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges of understanding one's own writing, particularly in the context of academic proofs and essays. Participants share personal experiences and strategies related to writing clarity, comprehension, and the proofreading process.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses difficulty in understanding their own writing after some time has passed, questioning if others experience the same issue.
  • Another participant recounts a similar experience where they discovered an error in their writing upon revisiting it, suggesting that rest and fresh perspectives can help clarify misunderstandings.
  • A participant emphasizes that understanding may not have been achieved initially, referencing a quote attributed to Feynman about comprehension and creation.
  • Some participants suggest that if writing does not make sense upon review, it indicates a need for revision to enhance clarity.
  • One participant humorously notes their slow writing pace, indicating frustration with the writing process.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that difficulties in understanding one's writing can stem from initial misunderstandings and that revisiting the text is crucial for clarity. However, there are varying perspectives on the reasons behind these challenges and the best approaches to address them.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention the importance of rest and external feedback in the writing process, but the discussion does not resolve the underlying reasons for the initial lack of understanding.

Who May Find This Useful

Writers, particularly those engaged in academic or technical writing, may find this discussion relevant as it addresses common challenges in comprehension and revision.

tgt
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I am doing a long 'essay' which is essentially an expansion of a graduate level proof but each time I write something like a lemma down and then try to go back to it, I don't seem to be able to understand it. In other words, I don't seem to understand what I wrote down myself. I do seem to understand it at the moment of writing it down. Why? Does this happen to anyone else?

How can it be corrected?
 
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Well its happened to me before in the sense that when I wrote that original stuff down, it actually had an error in it and didnt make sense. When I took some rest and came back to it, I look at it for a while wondering what I don't get, and finally realize that I was wrong lol. Just make sure you are taking good rest, read through it slowly, and if that doesn't work, it will most likely be solved if you get a fresh pair of eyes on it =]
 
Gib Z said:
Well its happened to me before in the sense that when I wrote that original stuff down, it actually had an error in it and didnt make sense. When I took some rest and came back to it, I look at it for a while wondering what I don't get, and finally realize that I was wrong lol. Just make sure you are taking good rest, read through it slowly, and if that doesn't work, it will most likely be solved if you get a fresh pair of eyes on it =]

What level is yours?

A graduate level lemma can be two or more pages.
 
Well its happened to me on many different things, on many different levels. Regardless, the procedure is the same.
 
My immediate thought is "you didn't understand it properly in the first place".
 
Cexy said:
My immediate thought is "you didn't understand it properly in the first place".

You are right, I didn't understand it. Wasn't it Feynman who said, 'I don't understand something until I'm able to create it'.
 
Cexy said:
My immediate thought is "you didn't understand it properly in the first place".

I agree. This is part of the proofreading process. If you write something, then set it aside, and go back again, if it doesn't make sense to you, it certainly won't make sense to someone else. It means you need to edit/revise and make it clearer.
 
I am writing a report with 1 word per hour speed :cry:.
 

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