Franz Kafka in his letter to Felice Bauer, August 20, 1913
“Talking is altogether against my nature. Whatever I may say is wrong, in my sense. For me, speech robs everything I say of its seriousness and importance. To me it seems impossible that it should be otherwise, since speech is continuously influenced by a thousand external factors and a thousand external constraints. Hence, I am silent not only from necessity, but likewise from conviction. Writing is the only appropriate form of expression for me, and will continue to be so even when we are together.”
How many of you are better at writing than speaking?
I’m most definitely more comfortable and more proficient when I communicate through the written word. Whenever I have something important to say to someone, I write a letter (or email), even if we live in the same house.
I know most of my introverted writerly friends are the same. That’s why when I read this passage last night in Kafka’s Letters to Felice, I had to share it. He wrote this to warn his future wife what it would be like to live with a writer!
How do you prefer to communicate?
Do you live with a person who will write to you instead of sitting down and having a talk?
What about those who are both talkers and writers?
I’m much happier with the written word, though I do alright with formal lectures and talks. Extemporaneous speaking is where I flounder and flail.
That scares me the most!
It looks like everyone here prefers writing. I prefer speaking. Speaking lets me gauge audience reaction, so I love speaking to an audience. Whenever I write, I feel scared that no one might like it.
Ah! Finally a speaker. It must be nice to see their reaction right away, as long as it’s not a negative one!
Better at writing than speaking! Definitely! Good post
Thank you! There’s more Kafka to come <3
Absolutely better at writing. I speak quietly and often stammer over words (not really noticeable, or so I’ve been told, but I hear it). With writing, I’m much more self-confident and relaxed. My writing voice has a bravery that my speaking voice has never found. And that’s okay. I think it gives me a stronger voice. 🙂
I’m with ya there.
I’m so much braver when writing. I hope one day I can speak with the same conviction I write with. I think I just have a low self-esteem issue and more or less a fear of other human beings 🙂 But like you, I’ve embraced this strength/weakness, and now I write even more.
So it does have its advantages. 🙂
I definitely prefer to write. Sometimes when I want to say something important to my partner I sit down and write him a long email or a note. It feels more powerful. When I speak, I fear I’m going to be inarticulate and my message will be misconstrued. However, some things need to be said while looking in a person’s eyes.
I’m the same way. I get flustered when I’m talking and I lose my train of thought. I’m such a pushover, I’ll rarely make my case before I’m shut down. But it is true that there are certain things that must be shared face to face.
Thanks for your insight, Daryl.