It’s Okay To Say Things That Seem Obvious
March 10, 2023Microcosmographia xlii: It’s Okay To Say Things That Seem Obvious
Microcosmographia is a newsletter thing about honestly trying to understand design and humanity.
When planning a writing project, a talk, a presentation, or even a conversation, I often end up at an anxiety about my apparent lack of novel thoughts that boils down to the tautology “Everything I can think to say is something I already know.”
As it turns out, people love to hear an idea they already had, phrased in a fresh way. Sitting in a conference hall hearing someone hitch one agreeable sentence to another, in words you hadn’t thought to use yet, is a genuinely enjoyable time. Reading a text that takes ideas that existed as nameless nebulae in your mind and puts them down, in sturdy sentences, is cathartic and validating.
Listening to my dear friend Jon Bell narrate my own words back to me feels lovely, even though it’s the most obvious and familiar content possible, because I wrote every word of it.
In that spirit, I’ve written intentionally simplistic, reductive titles for all issues of this letter so far, to highlight how a seemingly obvious message can still be worth communicating.
- Microcosmographia i: Twitter Can Be Emotionally Unsatisfying
- Microcosmographia ii: After A Long Time Nothing Matters
- Microcosmographia iii: Writing Is Hard Because You Worry What People Will Think Of It
- Microcosmographia iv: Hard Things Are Easier If Someone Helps You Plan Them
- Microcosmographia v: Emoji Are Fun
- Microcosmographia viii: Designed Experiences Should Not Be Confusing Or Frustrating
- Microcosmographia vii: Bright Screens Are Uncomfortable To Look At
- Microcosmographia vi: If You Make Something Popular Some People Will Say Uninformed Things To You
- Microcosmographia xviii: Doing Things Regularly Is Helpful
- Microcosmographia xix: Touching Glass Is Unatisfying
- Microcosmographia ix: AI Might Kill Us
- Microcosmographia xxi: The Lord Of The Rings Is Good
- Microcosmographia xxviii: Shake To Undo Is Unsatisfying
- Microcosmographia xxix: It Seems Like Siri Should Work Better
- Microcosmographia xiv: Long-Term Planning Is Helpful
- Microcosmographia xxx: Writing Is Helpful In Designing Software
- Microcosmographia xxxiv: I Enjoyed Meeting Clammbon
- Microcosmographia xxxv: I Enjoyed Meeting Saya From Tenniscoats
- Microcosmographia xxxviii: Developing Good Habits Is Helpful
- Microcosmographia xxxi: Most Choices Are Compromises
- Microcosmographia xli: People Are Different Sometimes
- Microcosmographia liv: It’s Calming to Stop Thinking
- Microcosmographia xvi: You’re Made of the Same Stuff as Everything Else
- Microcosmographia liii: Babies Don’t Know Anything Yet
- Microcosmographia xlvi: It Would Be Cool to Know Historical Figures
- Microcosmographia lv: Telling Yourself What to Do Reduces Stress About What to Do
- Microcosmographia lxiii: When You Are Overwhelmed, Focus on Your Well-Being
- Microcosmographia lxii: Some Things Are Not Worth Doing
- Microcosmographia lxv: People Care About Different Things
- Microcosmographia lvxiii: Most Things Are Out of Your Control
- Microcosmographia lxiv: Value Is Relative
- Microcosmographia lxxi: I’ve Been Through A Lot
- Microcosmographia xlii: It’s Okay To Say Things That Seem Obvious
Thank You and Be Well
This one has been sitting as a nearly-finished draft for just over six years. Something said in a meeting by my dear career mentor prompted me to add some final touches and get it out to you. You might be surprised by how many letters are just sitting here waiting for me to do that.