Be Right V

Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.

 - From Revelation 21

The written word carries with it a sense of legitimacy. Word of mouth isn't enough, unless your reputation for honesty and fairness is pure gold. 

You may report some news to someone, verbally. And more often than not, you'll "How do you know that?" Or "Where did you hear that?"

But when it's written, that doesn't happen. The written word is a one-way form of communication, normally. You don't know exactly who's reading it. And you don't know their response. 

Writing takes more effort than simply telling. Perhaps we honor the extra effort by giving the writer automatic credibility. "If they put the effort into writing it, it must have some truth to it." And then, legitimate writers cite their sources. It's built into the system of good writing. Verbal conversations come and go quickly. There isn't time to review and cite sources.

Social Media bears more of a resemblance to verbal communication, in that way. Perhaps that is why we get more aggravated with it. One party writes it down (or types), and assumes it will be received with the seriousness of all writing. But the other side receives it as spoken word, because of its immediacy. 

Maybe people should not post things on social media without providing sources?

The Apostle John was told to "write this." Keep a permanent record. 

I had a boss that insisted we write everything down, so that we wouldn't forget it. And recently, I have begun working with some songwriters, that record everything. 

Keep a record of it. Your memory is suspect. 

Scribes were highly valued in ancient times. 

Indeed, if it's in writing, take it seriously!

Let's make ourselves more right, about more things, by doing more reading, and more writing. We really don't know as much as we think we do, and our memories are too selective, biased, and limited, to trust.