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Ask HN: Pros and cons of thinking in public vs. in private?

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Re: Ask HN: Pros and cons of thinking in public vs. in private?

#51

Post by Swizec »

taeric wrote: post #46
Swizec wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It looks well rehearsed because by the time you see it, usually it has been rehearsed. Comedians bomb in small clubs so they shine on the big stage. Writers like me publish blog posts and articles so the ideas that make it into books are battle tested. The podcast episode that goes viral is usually the 10th+ time that podcaster has said the same thing in slight variations. TV and radio hosts keep saying the same thin…

Right, my choice of calling it well rehearsed was on purpose. I wish all things didn't have to be rehearsed. See any of my poor blogs. :) Note, edited and redone is fine. Rehearsed is also fine. I just don't think all things should have to be. Which is why I say I wish it were more allowed.

I think it is allowed. See all my examples :)

It’s just super unlikely that any of us will get to see the early versions. When something is repeated hundreds of times, being there for the first one is pretty rare.

Especially when you consider that the versions that didn’t work get killed quickly whereas the things that worked get repeated lots.

Re: Ask HN: Pros and cons of thinking in public vs. in private?

#52

Post by rglover »

Pros:

- Allows you to see your growth over time.

- Gives you a "proof of work" so others can validate claims you make.

- Creates higher likelihood for opportunities as people stumble upon something that resonates with them/their business.

- Allows you to really hone your craft as you can "compete with yourself" by reflecting on past work and seeing what feels off now.

Cons:

- You can get down on yourself if you look back on something you feel is "cringe" or a poor representation of who you are today.

- It's easier for people to take swings and discourage you. Backhanded compliments, outright dismissals, etc, while not common, do happen more (i.e., broader attack surface).

- It's easier for things to bite you later. Something you said years before either out of frustration or jest-that no longer represents your views but you don't want to delete for posterity sake-becomes someones whole perception of who you are.

- It's not uncommon for people to think they have you figured out based on your writing. This can be frustrating as you hear/read them parroting things you've written almost verbatim in an attempt to manipulate you. This one is a real edge case and rare in my experience but it's worth being aware of cluster B personality types using your writing as a weapon later.

How to manage:

- Be conscious of what you're writing, how it can be interpreted/misinterpreted.

- Slow down. Don't "think aloud" out of frustration or anger. I've found it helps to write stuff in a silo like a text doc first and then copy/paste it once I've read it a few times (avoids really nasty flame wars).

- Don't think you have to write everything down. If you build a habit around thinking in public, you can get into a trap where you feel burdened to explain everything you think/do.

- Depend on your goals: ask others for feedback. I've had mixed results with this, but YMMV.

Re: Ask HN: Pros and cons of thinking in public vs. in private?

#53

Post by jpe90 »

Blogging has positive in that it’s been very motivating for me to complete and share a couple projects that I otherwise wouldn't have bothered with.

But it’s also humbling, because if you’re not exceptional or writing about topics that most people find interesting, you’re not going to get much of a reception.

I nuked the reddit account I used for sharing posts and I'm planning to archive my blog after I write up a couple topics but it was a worthwhile experience overall.

Re: Ask HN: Pros and cons of thinking in public vs. in private?

#54

Post by taeric »

Swizec wrote: post #51
taeric wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, my choice of calling it well rehearsed was on purpose. I wish all things didn't have to be rehearsed. See any of my poor blogs. :) Note, edited and redone is fine. Rehearsed is also fine. I just don't think all things should have to be. Which is why I say I wish it were more allowed.

I think it is allowed. See all my examples :) It’s just super unlikely that any of us will get to see the early versions. When something is repeated hundreds of times, being there for the first one is pretty rare. Especially when you consider that the versions that didn’t work get killed quickly whereas the things that worked get repeated lots.

The Internet is making an odd allowance on the idea, though. Criticism and such often devolve into ridicule and attacks. In ways that I've been seeing spill over to many work interactions.

And then there are plays and such. I ridiculed power rangers back in my adolescence, but I have grown to appreciate the unpolished nature. And I think I miss it.

Re: Ask HN: Pros and cons of thinking in public vs. in private?

#55

Post by kuhewa »

Cons of private thinking — I've spent multiple days on mocking up and deciding on the best version of one element of a project. Only to spend 45 seconds describing the issue out loud, dialectically in a tea room conversation, to realise there is a very obvious and simple decision and I had been overlooking the proverbial forest for the trees. It wasn't pointed out to me by my collocutor, just the act of organising the description of the problem and arguments for either version cogently enough to share revealed the solution.

Re: Ask HN: Pros and cons of thinking in public vs. in private?

#56

Post by [deleted] »

hgsgm wrote: post #9
tlb wrote: post #2

There are quite a few things that are probably true, but you can't say publicly without attracting a lot of unwanted angry attention. If your line of thinking approaches any of these topics, it makes it difficult to think through the issue in public.

Public can be anonymous (or anonymous enough if your thoughts are mild enough to not inspire a doxxing and get a harmful reaction if you are doxxed).

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Pros and cons of thinking in public vs. in private?

#57

Post by ngcc_hk »

There is no private language. Hence you can only think in the public. You may say degree of interaction is less say on social media. But that is degree. Ultimately your action and some interaction tell your story. But the key is not your story. As said the electricity is the message. The public is your thinking. You might contribute to it. That is all.

There is no escape to private sphere.

All the above is bull s.

Re: Ask HN: Pros and cons of thinking in public vs. in private?

#58

Post by mschoeffler »

The benefits of thinking out loud are massive. So are the costs.

The only way to sharpen your ideas is to find other humans to talk about them with. The subject barely matters - you may be dead wrong or 100% correct, but you can only know once you test it with intelligent people. Plus, you build deep friendships when you're open. I can't tell you how well this has worked for me - better friends, clearer thinking.

The problem is obvious. We live in a judgmental time when it's easy to rub people wrong and lose friends - or even your job. So how do you stay safe?

Protect people (even friends) behind aliases on controversial topics - until you build up mutual respect and trust.

I want to show you what I'm talking about. I'm running a private beta for https://hiweave.com/. If you sign up for an invite, mention Hacker News (I'll put you guys in a group together).

Re: Ask HN: Pros and cons of thinking in public vs. in private?

#59

Post by virissimo »

fleddr wrote: post #37

I'll specifically go into the pros of private thinking, as that's where you seem to be getting the least feedback. 1. Intent is preserved. When you write something publicly, your output are words that you constructed from your ideas and your intent. As others read it, they will have wildly different interpretations of the text, even if you write well. Thus, your original intent does not translate perfectly. You don't…

> No self-censorship.

This is a very common belief, but I don't think it's strictly true. Sometimes people inadvertently speak what they're thinking, so an even surer way to prevent being punished for your ideas is to prevent yourself from even thinking them in the first place. It's a kind of defense-in-depth against wrongthink punishment and one I think most people understand intuitively.

Re: Ask HN: Pros and cons of thinking in public vs. in private?

#60

Post by klabb3 »

I’m comfortable thinking in public but less comfortable in personal branding oriented contexts. Remember, there are other avenues than Twitter, with different formats, social contexts and ground rules. Twitter is like the debate club or student council, with the loudest voices, and a narrow Overton window. Combining Twitter’s focus on people and their public achievements with social instincts resulted in basically becoming a social posturing platform. Same with eg LinkedIn. It is possible to operate with different values in any context, but it’s good to be aware of skews, biases and gravitational pull of the medium itself.

In short, don’t be afraid of public thinking, but pick a platform that aligns with your values and goals.

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