I've been doing a lot of business writing and editing over the last few months. It's been interesting because the key to business communication is to be succinct, and get to the point while still building the relationship.

I was thinking about how that applies to all writing. Succinct is good. Getting to the point directly, powerfully is what separates great prose from turgid pap.

Most writing and mass communication nowadays is purposely aimed at a grade seven level. You are coached to communicate at that level. That is the level at which people will spend some of their precious attention to see if they like what you are saying. If they like it, then they will read further to see if there's value for them in your words.

Ideally – it's said – you must entertain. People are conditioned to be entertained. It's a TV society. People are conditioned to soundbites. The 30 second commercial. They scan and grab relevant information off of the webpage or article.

Where's the line between succinct and bland? Between detailed and dry? Between original - deep and a simplified rehash of the same old, same old?

Keeping things at a simple level works as far as drinking from the firehose of info we are all faced with every day - that bombardment of data that our world has become.

The world's knowledge is increasing at an incredible pace… is it something lke we double the data every couple years now? Where is this going though?

Anything new and breakthru is based on complex and detailed information. To become excellent, we need to drink deep from the lake, not sip from the firehose. Yet offer things of substance and you'll starve. No one has time to dig deep. When they see something complicated and valuable, they run!

Something like 40% of all digital products sold actually get listened to or watched. Marketing has become the consumption of the useless…  
 
If we are always communicating at a level lower than our intellect, simplifying complex ideas down to pablum, are we participating in the dumbing down of society?