A trick for writing a strong argument

✍️ Today’s tip: To make your writing more persuasive, make it easier to read.

Whenever you have to argue something in writing — whether you’re pitching a project at work or trying to win a debate on Facebook — follow this guiding principle from the Nobel laureate economist and psychologist Daniel Kahneman: “The easier your message is to read, understand, and remember, the more convincing it will be,” he writes in his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, one of Forge’s 21 essential self-help reads of the 21st century.

This can include using a font that’s visually easy to scan, writing with familiar vocabulary and punchy phrases, even sneaking in the occasional rhyme when appropriate— anything to reduce your reader’s mental load. The greater their “cognitive ease,” as Kahneman puts it, the greater their trust will be in what you have to tell them.

📚 More from Forge on writing with impact:

When the World Is on Fire, Write
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