7 Comments
User's avatar
Shadow Rebbe's avatar

why don't you like semicolons?

Stephen Long's avatar

It’s an important question. I could do a bit more of a deep dive on this but mostly it’s just because they’re so ugly they make me sick.

Shadow Rebbe's avatar

I like semicolons, I think they help writing be more like speech in some ways, helpful in creating a visual architecture for ideas. But I care much more about their function than their appearance.

Stephen Long's avatar

Absolutely! It is, of course, an immensely personal affair. Many wonderful writers use them, as well they should.

basil's avatar

To add on to 44, I wonder if there is an optimal duration between thought and action, that sweet spot between procrastination/self-doubt and being rash

Stephen Long's avatar

Interesting! I suspect there's nuance here. If the thought relates to a bad habit or a distraction, we're better off delaying the action for as long as possible (and the thought generally passes). If the thought relates to something constructive, we're better off translating it to action as soon as we can.