One of the best ways to revive tired words is to identify the tension they are meant to hold. Best explained through an example, we can use the space between legibility and abstractness. At the edges, it is clear how fundamentally different these ideas are. What is clear is not abstract; what is abstract is hard to understand and pass around easily. Counter-intuitively, tensions are best experienced in the neutral middle point, where a step in each direction makes more difference than closer to the edges. When we can visualize tensions, a micro moment’s movement (toward abstractness or legibility) becomes a valuable signal and a call for better, more energized communication.
This week, I invite you to identify (and spend time with) one such duality.