Lately, I have been thinking about the moral component of writing.  Don’t get me wrong, now; I realize I am at risk for being mocked as high-minded and highfalutin’ here.

The other day while tutoring some seventh-graders, I reminded them of the old saw, “Don’t forget your reader.”As further explanation, I urged them to pretend the reader is a space alien and, therefore, must have things explained concisely and clearly. Another variation is “Always consider your reader as a friend who wants to understand.”  Their glazed eyes led me to ask, “What is the opposite of self?”  A  boy with a severe case of bedhead lifted his chin, sat up straight, and replied, “You?”

Right then and there, I realized that the concept of recognizing the Other as separate from Self might be a new one for my students. When they can access a virtual universe, post selfies on Instagram, ensconce themselves in all matter of video-game chaos, it is no small wonder. (Now, I sound like a Luddite.) But, to press my point, isn’t it good to break out of oneself by considering another? Isn’t there simple goodness in moving away from selfishness to selflessness by caring and seeking to understand someone besides ourselves? This is what I mean by the inherent morality of writing.

viagra kopen