Why We Write Things Down

Ideas are in existence but not concrete until they are written down. Information can be passed down in a multitude of ways; however, it has been proven that information that is written lasts longer than when spoken. Once something is printed it can not be altered without destructive measures. You don't see "white out" in any of the holy books or your newly purchase course textbooks.

We write things down because we can always go back to that exact moment in time. Teenagers write in journals to express things they feel can not be said and years after laugh about what seemed so important at the time. Organization construct documents with by laws which would easily be changed or forgotten about if relying only on word of mouth.

A perfect example would be European or Chinese history versus African history. Historical texts allow people to see into a past world. Since African historians handed down information orally, today's world doesn't know as much about the African way of life as we do of the ancient European or Chinese way of life.

We write things down because it makes our thoughts real, tangible. Books are written because someone felt their research or creatively needed to be shared. Written information goes further: a book can be sold internationally; whereas, a spoken story will probably only circulate among friends. Personally, I enjoy reading through my old journals and diaries to see how far I have come. When I'm writing in the journal now I wonder how I'll view myself in the future when I read through it.