How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Structure All Writing as a List
DYNOMIGHT
We like lists because they are an objectively good way to organize information. They allow readers to quickly and easily get what they want.
7 Oct 2022
Lists promise value quickly
A normal essay promises a payoff only when you finish it. But lists promise at least some value almost immediately.
Lists promise different types of value
A normal essay may be about just one thing. A list is clearly about many different things. Surely, we reason, at least one of them will be valuable. This reduces perceived risk.
Lists promise many entrance points
In a normal essay, there’s only one way to read it that’s guaranteed to work: Start at the beginning and read to the end. You can try jumping around, but if you get confused, caveat emptor, friend.
Lists are different. The format promises that you can jump to any of the sections and read forward without needing any extra context. This makes it much easier to focus on the parts that interest you.