By Karen / Girl Karen
Often people ask: how can you complete a deep, personally-perspectived article in a short time, or how can you expand information and text from a single paragraph to make it longer and more knowledge-driven?
Actually, for this type of question, I believe the key is whether your "database" is sufficiently comprehensive. I divide it into two dimensions: first, an "information database," and second, a "text database." This article focuses on discussing "social systems." A social system is, by definition, a patterned network of relationships that constitutes a coherent whole between individuals, groups, and institutions. It is the formal structure of roles and statuses that can form a stable group. One person may belong to multiple social systems at once; examples include the nuclear family unit, communities, cities, nations, university campuses, companies, and industries.
I believe that on a personal level, recognizing the political connections within the industry you work in, and following social systems and social context, allows you to see things from a deeper and more comprehensive perspective.
For example, one day while leading the ＸChange growth program, I asked a member working in the digital banking industry: "Do you know who oversees the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC)?" Everyone fell silent to think, then answered, "It should be an independent agency?"
I then asked them to think further: does an independent agency also have a supervising authority? That's when everyone began to realize that the FSC falls under the jurisdiction of the Executive Yuan. We then traced further up: what ministries are under the Executive Yuan? Through this process, we clarified what the social system actually entails. (Supplementary material: Executive Yuan Organization Act)
Did you notice anything from this discussion process?
Perhaps people didn't immediately respond in the moment, but it's not that they didn't know. However, it also reflects a reality: many people work in their own fields without clearly understanding the relationship between their industry and the social system. If you can comprehensively understand the top-to-bottom connections and the hierarchical layers, you'll find it easier to detect unusual clues in every detail when encountering "new material." These details can all become your materials and information, and because you think and observe consciously, you can integrate and collect this information, then develop it into content based on your own perspective.
Writing Formula: Style × Perspective = Discourse Authority
This is how we define style and perspective. Once these two accumulate over time, they eventually develop into "discourse authority." Once readers become accustomed to your interpretation and argumentation, they naturally become your loyal followers. This has nothing to do with how frequently you publish, nor with the length of your content. It depends on your depth, your thoughts, and your thinking process—these three are irreplaceable.
When we understand social systems well enough, we can also view a single event from another angle!
For example, one day I received a photo of a dual-stamp mask while working in news. At the time this article was written, the dual-stamp mask had officially been released, but I received the material four days before its market launch. This is when things became strange.
The strange part: why could people purchase it before it was officially allowed for sale?
Another odd point: why did the central government specify that dual-stamp masks could only be purchased at pharmacies and health centers under the mask real-name system, yet people were buying them on e-commerce platforms?
The third point: the dual stamps on the mask in the photo I received were different from the specifications released by government units.
These three points immediately struck me as highly unusual. However, I was able to sense these informational anomalies precisely because I clearly understood the timeline, regulations, and purchasing locations and methods of the entire social policy. I could understand these methods because I consistently collect my own "information database," organize it into a massive personal repository of information, and when encountering any event, I can retrieve and immediately apply this information from my mind. This is the practical process of judging information usability.
Starting from understanding social context, to collecting materials when encountering events, organizing them, then judging information usability, and finally combining our observations and perspective to publish content—all of this culminates in personal perspective and discourse authority. This news story later became an exclusive report. Although you readers may not be journalists, this complete process and methodology can absolutely help you establish your thinking patterns, intellectual height, and depth during this entire journey. As long as you practice consistently, you can elevate yourself to different levels through writing.
【Karen's Writing Course: High-Efficiency Writing Skills – Write 1,000 Words in 15 Minutes – Coming to Pressplay on 11/4!】
【Articles on High-Efficiency Writing】
From Short to Long Text! How to Write Articles with Warmth – Narrative Descriptive Writing
