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sapinker's profile
Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker
Verified account
@sapinker

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Steven PinkerVerified account

@sapinker

Cognitive scientist at Harvard.

Boston, MA
pinker.wjh.harvard.edu
Joined January 2010

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    Steven Pinker‏Verified account @sapinker 25 Sep 2014

    The Source of Bad Writing: The curse of knowledge leads writers to assume their readers know everything they know.http://on.wsj.com/1rmjgFj 

    4:56 PM - 25 Sep 2014
    • 306 Retweets
    • 278 Likes
    • Juan Mateus Yeşim Çobankent Alex Archie Henry Rahul Lilium Luismiguel Samperio Michael Egan Peter M. Iovine
    40 replies 306 retweets 278 likes
      1. Geoff Barton‏ @RealGeoffBarton 25 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        So what's the cause of bad writing?: @sapinker @WSJ explains why it's 'the curse of knowledge': http://on.wsj.com/1rmjgFj 

        0 replies 6 retweets 7 likes
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      1. Gotham_Knowledge‏ @GothamKnowledge 25 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        “@sapinker: The Source of Bad Writing: The curse of knowledge http://on.wsj.com/1rmjgFj ”@AcademicsSay "opaque prose is a deliberate choice. "

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      1. Melissa‏ @SuperscriptMel 25 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        “@sapinker: Advice on writing is not so much advice on how to write as on how to revise. http://on.wsj.com/1rmjgFj ” Good reminder!

        0 replies 1 retweet 0 likes
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      1. Terry Willett‏ @Williewoose 25 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker You are clearly more intelligent than me but without reading your article, that is an obvious problem with all written works.

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
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      1. Alan Gleeson‏ @AlanGleeson 10 Oct 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        RT @sapinker Source of Bad Writing: Curse of knowledge leads writers to assume their readers know e/thing they know http://on.wsj.com/1rmjgFj 

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Florian Wellmann‏ @flohorovicic 28 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        “@sapinker great piece on bad writing "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity" http://on.wsj.com/1rmjgFj ”

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Jessie Sun‏ @JessieSunPsych 27 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker Great insights; applicable beyond writing to design/creating in general. Thanks!

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. 3PP Movies‏ @3PennyMovies 27 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        Do we have an 'instinct' to oppose our own freedom to read? http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/indexlibrorum.asp … @sapinker http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/11/freedoms-curse/307046/ …pic.twitter.com/ZyJEz7pBhA

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      1. Rebecca Geier‏ @rebeccag 27 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker Thank you for this incredibly well-written, compelling article @ bad writing. Wkg daily with engineers, I'll referr to it often!

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Ellen Vollinger‏ @emv52 27 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        Don't assume .@ewallwice3 @JeffWice @BethNY @tklowenstein @ChrisClaytonDTN @GazetteNET MT @sapinker Bad Writing http://on.wsj.com/1rmjgFj 

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Lucy Walker‏Verified account @lucywalkerfilm 26 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        ! “@sapinker: The Source of Bad Writing: curse of knowledge leads writers to assume their readers know everything.. http://on.wsj.com/1rmjgFj ”

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      1. Matthew Powell‏ @canadapatentguy 26 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker patent writers take note. Looking forward to buying your book!

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Marko Grönroos‏ @Magi42 26 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker I usually try to write by assuming that readers are idiots. It may not be very PC, but fortunately they don't realize it.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. j holefelder gaines‏ @keywestjoan 26 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker @Lizamaemusic i speak like that. Good thought for me to realize.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Laura Calenda‏ @lcalenda 26 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker Great piece, and so true. But the writer who over-informs, providing too much info, is just as bad. Key messaging is, well, key.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Good God no!  🇪🇺‏ @I_Love_Atheism 26 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker The same applies to good or bad teachers.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Greenmantales‏ @Greenmantales 26 Sep 2014
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker @RichardDawkins The Curse of bad writing is often the result of writers assuming we're all stupid

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