My Personal Philosophy on Writing, Editing and Teaching

Writing — regardless of the medium — is a vital tool used to impart knowledge, conduct business, transmit stories, and share feelings. Writing in its many forms has been used for thousands of years, and it will continue to be used until humanity evolves or perishes. While alternatives exist, such as transmitting information by word of mouth or by exchanging items with symbolic significance, writing will endure as an important part of our lives. Without the ability to write, our society would be more primitive and disorganized.
 
Editing has been around as long as writing has, and the two processes are nearly inseparable. Editing is defined by Merriam-Webster as a process that we use "to alter, adapt, or refine especially to bring about conformity to a standard or to suit a particular purpose". Further, editing is essential to ensure that the author's intended message is clear, that the information is accurate, and that the style conforms to a particular standard. Without the ability to edit, our messages would be muddled, our information would be wrong or misrepresented, and our documents would be non-standardized and confusing.
 
Teaching is a multifaceted process of information transfer that can be static or active and includes many pedagogy for guiding, imparting and instructing. Teaching can be done one-on-one or in groups; in homes or in schools; with one teacher or with multiple teachers. The information transferred can be practical, scientific or procedural knowledge or skills. The process can be formal or informal, and being taught something can be mandatory or elective. However, in the end, teaching is done so others may learn. Without the ability to teach, society would remain highly uneducated, ignorantly biased and culturally unaware.
 
These three things — writing, editing and teaching — are intimately linked together. Without one, the others stumble and fall. United, these processes positively guide and shape each of our lives. We write what we learn. We edit what we write. We teach what we edit. The process is a continuous cycle that feeds itself and feeds each of our minds. Write, edit, teach: without this cycle, our modern society would quickly fade into obscurity; with it, our future shines brightly.