Writing is similar, except that an author has to get everything correct before publication. When I begin to write an article, I have a general sense but no set outline of what I hope to write. I explore the concept on my keyboard, and the article gradually begins to emerge. As in conversation, the focus may shift from the original idea. At one point, though, everything becomes clearer, and then considerable rewriting sharpens the text. This often also occurs in a conversation or meeting, when a consensus suddenly occurs, and the issue is then quickly resolved.

What’s odd is that when things are most confusing, I’ll often suddenly wake up from sleep with the mental clarity that had eluded me while writing during the day. I have no explanation for this, except that my thoughts about current tasks seem to continue at a subconscious level, whether awake or asleep. We’ve all experienced this when we can’t recall a familiar name. We go on with other thoughts, and then hours later the name suddenly pops up in our mind.

This suggests that while thought and language are perhaps two sides of a single coin, thought can occur without language—and alas, a lot of language occurs without thought.

Pinker’s 439 page book is a lot of good writing about a lot of good thinking.