Once, I was accused of a horrible crime: thinking in complete sentences. Perhaps it’s not, in fact, a crime. But, it’s apparently quite an unusual trait to possess. 

I admit that I do have a rather peculiar way of processing information. But, does that mean that most people think in sentence fragments instead? That would mean you’d also have those who think in run-on sentences without proper punctuation; honestly, that’s probably more how I think. 

So, this was a rather strange thing to be told, that I think in complete sentences. Perhaps, that’s a compliment? I believe the real problem is we’ve become so used to texting through our phones and instant messaging. We’ve all tended towards becoming progressively more fragmented in our communication. 

Don’t get me wrong: I love my smartphone! We’re all closer together in the world than ever thanks to technology. Yet, we’re all further apart because of the fact that “connections” are often made through little more than words on a screen. Our true interpersonal skills have suffered as a result, because there is no reason for most of us to improve upon them.

Yes, you can make some great friends and relationships online. But, more often than not, the internet can be quite impersonal. You really don’t know who’s on the other side of that screen. Even as people become less anonymous with time, you can still get away with presenting an entirely fictional persona quite easily. 

I’ve found that even I for some reason will at times forget proper English when communicating with my fellow denizens of the “Interwebz.” Video chats have certainly helped in this regard, giving us at least a face to communicate with. But, they are still imperfect compared to true personal interactions.

It’s funny because I’m really much more at home writing on the internet. That’s because in writing I speak far more properly than I do when I’m talking. In fact, I know I’ve come off as high-brow and even snooty to some folks, and I certainly don’t intend that. Some will look down on me for my well-spoken mannerisms. Not that it’s hard to, as I stand only five-foot-two. (That’s 157 1/2 cm for you lovely metric-using folks!) But, when I’m met in person, folks are baffled at how incoherent and messy my communication can be in speech.

Still, I’d say that “thinking in complete sentences” is perhaps what makes me the writer that I am. I have the wits about me to whip up complete essays in the space of a half an hour, especially if it’s a topic that interests me. Even if it’s not, I’m usually able to come up with something readable in an hour or so.  It’s because I can usually visualize the essay in my mind before it’s actually written.

The more I think about it, “thinking in complete sentences” may simply mean being able to visualize ideas well. I do believe that many people think of things visually, much as I do. I simply have pictures with subtitles in my head. This sounds kooky, but I know I’m not alone in this. It’s a nice little feature of my brain, I suppose. Honestly, it’s something you can train your brain to do with practice. 

But, it’s not like this “thinking in complete sentences” is an absolute necessary talent to have or anything. Do whatever works for you. Our brains are all wired differently, and it’s for good reason. If we all start thinking the same, then what’s the point of thinking at all?

Thank you for putting up with my weirdness!

~ Amelia Desertsong

P.S. I stole that last bit from Katy Perry 😛