Writes and Write-Nots

Paul Graham · 1 Oct 2024

Others here said this too

Intelligence is becoming a choice rather than a byproduct of daily work: there will still be smart people, but only those who choose to be.

Their wordsThere will still be smart people, but only those who choose to be.

Also said by Scott H. Young

Read the piece on paulgraham.com ↗

5 korrents from this piece ↓

Paul Graham did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

Our reading
Within a couple of decades there will not be many people who can write, because AI has removed the pressure to learn.

Their wordsI'm usually reluctant to make predictions about technology, but I feel fairly confident about this one: in a couple decades there won't be many people who can write.
Our reading
Most people find writing hard because writing well requires thinking clearly, and thinking clearly is hard.

Their wordsThe reason so many people have trouble writing is that it's fundamentally difficult. To write well you have to think clearly, and thinking clearly is hard.
Our reading
The middle ground in writing disappears: what is left is good writers and people who cannot write, with no ok writers in between.

Their wordsInstead of good writers, ok writers, and people who can't write, there will just be good writers and people who can't write.
Our reading
Because writing is thinking, a world divided into writers and non-writers becomes a world divided into thinkers and non-thinkers.

Their wordsSo a world divided into writes and write-nots is more dangerous than it sounds. It will be a world of thinks and think-nots.
Our reading
Intelligence is becoming a choice rather than a byproduct of daily work: there will still be smart people, but only those who choose to be.

Their wordsThere will still be smart people, but only those who choose to be.

Keep reading

The other pieces are the ones whose claims are worded most like this one's. That measures language, not agreement: they may argue the opposite.