Comment by zahlman

> I've long considered writing to be the "last step in thinking". I can't tell you how many times an idea, that was crystal clear in my mind, fell apart the moment I started writing and I realize there were major contradictions I needed to resolve. Likewise I also have numerous times where writing about something loosely and casually revealed to me something that fundamentally changed how I viewed a topic and really consolidated my thinking.

I've found that I instinctively try to work around this by thinking in an explicit inner voice; i.e. I imagine that I can hear my thoughts put into words and spoken to myself. (Actually speaking aloud is somehow too embarrassing, even if nobody is around to hear.)

It still doesn't quite seem to work as well as actually writing.