"The written word endures, the spoken word disappears; that is why writing is closer to the truth than speaking." —Neal Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

Written text gets reviewed before being shared. Important pieces go through editors. Claims can be checked, compared against other sources, and referenced. The great texts of history get revisited again and again, the bad ones fade.

Speech has its own strengths: immediacy, emotion, meaning in articulation that is lost in text. But spoken words usually aren't scrutinized for accuracy, and they leave behind only what the listener remembers. If you've ever recalled old events with someone else, you know how differently we can interpret the same experience. Without a record, there's no way to settle whose truth is capital "T" True.

To pursue truth, read and write. They help you with:

• Deliberation. Writing slows you down, forcing you to think through what you mean. Speech moves too fast for careful thought. Reading lets you pause, return, and analyze. Listening requires keeping pace or losing content forever.

• Precision. Writing demands exact words; vague language becomes apparent when reviewed. Speech allows imprecision to hide behind delivery.

• Completeness. A written argument is like a physical puzzle. You can see which pieces are missing. A spoken argument is like describing it verbally.