One way to deal with Listsicles
Treating listicle points as propositions rather than absolutes makes them palatable.
I have a bi-polar relationship with listicles. I wouldn’t go as far to say a love-hate relationship but my feelings about them are mixed. It seems I share this feeling with most. Like it or not, listicles have become a staple of the internet. Even on Medium, which propositions itself as a venue for thoughtful content and high-quality writing, listicles are ubiquitous. No matter how well you curate your follow list, you will usually find at least one listicle at the bottom of a Medium essay, even after reading “Ten reasons listicles are the spawn of Satan and are destroying civilization”. Checking whether you mentally attach the word “article” or “popsicle” to the term might reveal how you feel about listicles. A quick search, even here on Medium, reveals how divided opinion is.
There are many reasons to dislike listicles. Many work by underscoring how flawed you are. Whether helping you with your breakfast habits or giving you advice on achieving world peace, most boil down to “n ways to be a better person”. Which is a nice way of saying “n ways you are messing up”. Most follow that with how you can achieve salvation by following the author. Many contain rehashed ideas. Overhyped or sensational titles render many clickbait. Many are unabashed advertising and over inflated self-promotion. The style maven in me always cringes when I see a listicle title leading with the numerals 1 through 9.
Listicles do have benefits. What many find objectionable about listicles are benefits to others. They are efficient in that they contain many ideas and are quick consumption. From the writer’s perspective they are easy and quick to write. Haven’t we all had days where we would agree with Carina Sitkus, “Right now, I’d rather write a shitsticle than write nothing at all”? Listicles are also easy reading. After a day of deep engagement at the office, isn’t some lighter fare welcome? Sometimes, and I’ll admit this is rare, a writer has a certain way of explaining an idea that finally makes it resonate in your consciousness. Their idea isn’t new but the way they explain it is. And you take it onboard.
In the end, listicles are much like all other writing. It all comes down to the quality of the ideas and the quality of the writing.
So, how to deal with listicles? I have a listicle of one.
Treat listicles as propositions not absolutes.
One of the things I find most annoying about listicles is that they are mostly written as absolutes. Ten things that WILL do this. Four things you MUST do to achieve that. Six things that will Change. Your. Life. I suppose the main reason for this is that most lists are written by people who’s livelihood is based on readers accepting the ideas as fact.
I find if I treat each point of a listicle as a suggestion I am more likely to take the point at face value. I have a bad habit of automatically fighting anything I am told to do. This does not put me into a good position to assess an idea fairly and openly.
I treat each listicle point as I would any idea: something I pick up and play with to consider its worth. I test the proposition against my experience, the evidence and my values. Then I discard or keep as I see fit. The ones I keep join everything else I hold true and are there for testing and review again and again.
Due to their lightweight nature, I rarely find anything new in a listicle. Most of the time I use them as a means to reinforce or weaken things I currently believe. I find most listicles have only a few points worth mulling over. Which makes finding something new and thoughtful in a listicle a welcome treat.
I have found one advantage to reading listicles that I didn’t expect. Many have observed reading makes one a better writer. I find reading listicles, both good and bad, improves my ability to summarize. Something I have to rely on in my work.
In the end, listicles are an easy way to graze on ideas. Like most things we graze on, the nutritional value of the meal depends on the ingredients and the preparation. You could say listicles are the writing equivalent of fast food.
And who doesn’t like fast food — once in a while.
About
James Britton writes reflections on his experiences in an attempt to become a better writer, a deeper thinker and to make sense of life. He is lucky enough to have a very satisfying day job, so there is no newsletter to sign up for. That said, he welcomes thoughtful comment, engaging private notes or a sign that what he writes may be interesting to someone (heart click…the odd follow???).
