10 things I feel about articles that start with "10 things..."
On virality, catching the eye and listicles
1. They don’t have any real substance
I think it was Buzzfeed where I first saw a listicle.
10 things you should know if…
5 things to tell your partner to….
10 must places to see…
I remember sitting with my laptop, 10’s of tabs open with various listicles on topics ranging from romantic tips to physical health. I would read through all points excitedly and in that moment, I would feel that I had acquired immense knowledge about so many topics. Years later and a bit wiser, I now know that I hardly learnt or remember anything from those listicles. Perhaps, just an illusion of having learnt something. Listicles don’t have any real substance or value in them. Just bland keywords to catch the eye.
2. They make us dumb
Listicles are a great marketing tool. They catch the eye even today when we all collectively know that they hardly contain any rich substance. I have personally always had a hate hate relationship with listicles. Yes, I know hate is a strong word and for someone who loves when people write and read, I know it can come out as a bit ironical. So what if there are listicles? Atleast, people ARE reading SOMETHING.I get that and I see why it makes sense to people (jk, I don’t) However, rather than inspiring us or giving us something of value, they make us dumb by lowering our expectation from a particular text.
3. They’re the reels of the written word
Listicles are the reels of written word. When we read through a listicle and we feel that we have acquired some knowledge, we’re reducing our own expectation with ourself. We’re training our mind to feel satisfied with having just enough knowledge about something rather than actually tapping into the ocean of knowledge out there. Similar to how people these days watch a reel and make their entire world view of that topic just from those 30 seconds.
4. Listicles forcefully box nuanced perspectives into boxes
Like this article, where I had to forcefully box my nuanced 20 mins reading time perspectives into blocks to make a satirical point, listicles too forcefully box opinions, knowledge, perspectives and richness into points with a flashy headline and just enough words for fodder. (exactly what I did here) It steals from us the opportunity to really understand and deeply understand a topic.
5. They’re a shortcut to actual hard work
Writing 10 key words/key sentences and expanding on them is not how writing is done or pursued or savoured.
6. They’re written for SEO and not the reader
Writing is a very noble and empowering pursuit and to bastardise it to gain eyeballs for ads on your website is just another way to fulfill corporate greed. If you have to sell me ads through your written words, atleast enlighten my with some good insights!
7. They reduce our attention span
Reading listicles gradually trains our mind to get the feeling of having learnt something without actually giving it enough attention or rigour. We suddenly find books too heavy or boring. We feel the urge to get book summaries and quick fixes without putting in enough effort to learn something. There are enough apps on App store that promise summaries of books. The point of reading is not always to just get to the point but to also enjoy the journey.
8. Listicles are stupid
Yeah, they’re just really stupid and all the above points.
9. They’re repetitive and stupid
Just to fill in the 10 points, they often rewrite multiple points in different ways. Listicles are repetitive and stupid. Listicles are repetitive and stupid.
10. They don’t have a conclusion
Listicles shy away from making an actual conclusion and nor do they have any firm openings. A person feels satiated with having read through all 10 points and the writers save themselves from having to write an actual thought through conclusion.
Ok bye. Thanks for reading.
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I invite you to reflect and write on the following prompt:
If you could write a 10 point listicle on something, what would it be? Write it and then write a proper elaborative piece about the same topic. Note the difference!
As a feature of all my newsletters, I share a blackout poem, a quote, a song, a book,
plant-based meal, film/video that inspired me, and some photographs.
Blackout Poem: Tutorial to make your blackout poem
Quote: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” - Ernest Hemingway
Song: Heard this legendary song after ages!
Book/Newsletter/Article: I finished listening to Gunaho ka Devta on Audible. I will write a detailed review about it soon. Few words aren’t enough to describe a book so deep and evocative. I also listened to
’s latest - We need your art on Audible. Beautiful, Engaging and talks about the exact topics that I wanted to learn about. I am now reading White Nights and listening to Before the coffee gets cold.Meal: Went foraging for Lingdu with a very kind friend.
Film/Video: I love this guy!
. Highly recommend his substack.Photograph(s): The colours of monsoon in the mountains.
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Thank you for reading my work
Rishabh
Point 9! 😂 Loved reading this. And will try out the exercise you mentioned below to feel the difference.
Satya vachan!!!