--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I almost always urge people to write in…" description: "\"I almost always urge people to write in the first person. ... Writing is an act of ego and you might as well admit it.\" — William Zinsser" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/william-zinsser-2796_ego_i-almost-always-urge-people-to-write-in_255128.png" --- # I almost always urge people to write in the first person… ![“I almost always urge people to write in the first person. ... Writing is an act of ego and you might as well admit it.” quote by William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/william-zinsser-2796_ego_i-almost-always-urge-people-to-write-in_255128.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/william-zinsser-2796_ego_i-almost-always-urge-people-to-write-in_255128.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/william-zinsser-2796_ego_i-almost-always-urge-people-to-write-in_255128.png) > “I almost always urge people to write in the first person. ... Writing is an act of ego and you might as well admit it.” [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing in first person makes the writer own the narrative, exposing ego and fostering honesty. **In simple terms:** First‑person writing reveals ego and honesty. Key Takeaway Embrace your voice openly. Themes authorship honesty self‑awareness Mood reflective introspective Type advice instructional When to use this quote - journaling - creative writing - memoir - blogging - public speaking Key Concepts narrative voice ego personal truth Questions to Reflect On - How does first‑person affect reader trust? - When is anonymity more effective? A Different Perspective May alienate readers who prefer objective tone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [First person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-person/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [A writer is obviously at his most natural and relaxed when he writes in the first person. Writing is a personal transaction between two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/a-writer-is-obviously-at-his-most-natural-and-relaxed-when-he-writes/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [I think that it's worthwhile to explore the ways in which you write the person that's writing your plays as opposed to simply assuming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kushner/i-think-that-it-s-worthwhile-to-explore-the-ways-in-which-you-write/) [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) > [“Writing is an act of ego, and you might as well admit it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/writing-is-an-act-of-ego-and-you-might-as-well-admit-it/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Believe in your own identity and your own opinions. Proceed with confidence, generating it, if necessary, by pure willpower. Writing is an act of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/believe-in-your-own-identity-and-your-own-opinions-proceed-with/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [I've got a big ego, I admit it; I'm ego-driven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/i-ve-got-a-big-ego-i-admit-it-i-m-ego-driven/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [I like to write first-person because I like to become the character I'm writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/i-like-to-write-first-person-because-i-like-to-become-the-character-i/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [I always find something in common with my protagonist, particularly when I write in the first person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-always-find-something-in-common-with-my-protagonist-particularly/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I try to write in the first person - the first person not of a journalist but of a carnivore, an eater, a gardener,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/i-try-to-write-in-the-first-person-the-first-person-not-of-a/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [I write in the first person because I have always wanted to make my life more interesting than it was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-wakoski/i-write-in-the-first-person-because-i-have-always-wanted-to-make-my/) [Diane Wakoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-wakoski/) > [I find it hard to write in the first person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michiko-kakutani/i-find-it-hard-to-write-in-the-first-person/) [Michiko Kakutani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michiko-kakutani/) > [Never say anything in writing that you wouldn't comfortably say in conversation. Be yourself when you write. If you're not a person who says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/never-say-anything-in-writing-that-you-wouldn-t-comfortably-say-in/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [...We leave our homeland, our property and our friends. We give up the familiar ground that supports our ego, admit the helplessness of ego…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-leave-our-homeland-our-property-and-our-friends-we-give-up-the/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [You don't want to see things as they are because your ego would have to admit that things outside yourself are necessary for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-siegel/you-don-t-want-to-see-things-as-they-are-because-your-ego-would-have/) [Eli Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-siegel/) > [Perhaps I write for no one. Perhaps for the same person children are writing for when they scrawl their names in the snow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/perhaps-i-write-for-no-one-perhaps-for-the-same-person-children-are/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [For me, anything I do is totally up for conversation and it's not my right to be able to stop a person from writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/for-me-anything-i-do-is-totally-up-for-conversation-and-it-s-not-my/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) ## More by William Zinsser > [“But the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components. Every words that serves no function, every long word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/but-the-secret-of-good-writing-is-to-strip-every-sentence-to-its/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [No one has something original or important to say will willing we run the risk of being misunderstood; people who write obscurely are either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/no-one-has-something-original-or-important-to-say-will-willing-we-run/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Avoid the ecstatic adjectives that occupy such disproportionate space in every critic's quiver - words like "enthralling" and "luminous."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/avoid-the-ecstatic-adjectives-that-occupy-such-disproportionate-space/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Scholarship hath no fury like that of a language purist faced with sludge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/scholarship-hath-no-fury-like-that-of-a-language-purist-faced-with/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Clutter is the official language used by corporations to hide their mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/clutter-is-the-official-language-used-by-corporations-to-hide-their/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Keep your paragraphs short. Writing is visual - it catches the eye before it has a chance to catch the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/keep-your-paragraphs-short-writing-is-visual-it-catches-the-eye/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Never hesitate to imitate another writer - every person learning a craft or an art needs models. Eventually you'll find your own voice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/never-hesitate-to-imitate-another-writer-every-person-learning-a/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Clutter is the disease of American writing,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/clutter-is-the-disease-of-american-writing/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill rode to glory on the back of the strong declarative sentence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/abraham-lincoln-and-winston-churchill-rode-to-glory-on-the-back-of/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Writing organizes and clarifies our thoughts. Writing is how we think our way into a subject and make it our own. Writing enables us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/writing-organizes-and-clarifies-our-thoughts-writing-is-how-we-think/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Rewriting is the essence of writing well - where the game is won or lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/rewriting-is-the-essence-of-writing-well-where-the-game-is-won-or-lost/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can't exist without the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/clear-thinking-becomes-clear-writing-one-can-t-exist-without-the-other/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Don't be kind of bold. Be bold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/don-t-be-kind-of-bold-be-bold/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Journalism is writing that first appears in any periodic journal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/journalism-is-writing-that-first-appears-in-any-periodic-journal/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Writing is not a special language that belongs to a few sensitive souls who have a 'gift for words'. Writing is the logical arrangement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/writing-is-not-a-special-language-that-belongs-to-a-few-sensitive/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) [Explore all 150 William Zinsser quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) ## More Ego quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [I love playing ego and insecurity combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/i-love-playing-ego-and-insecurity-combined/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [“sometimes when everything seems at its worst when all conspires and gnaws and the hours, days, weeks years seem wasted – stretched there upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/sometimes-when-everything-seems-at-its-worst-when-all-conspires-and/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I'm a straight shooter, and most of the time my ego doesn't interrupt my relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-macht/i-m-a-straight-shooter-and-most-of-the-time-my-ego-doesn-t-interrupt/) [Gabriel Macht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-macht/) > [Thinking, or more precisely identification with thinking, gives rise to and maintains the ego, which, in our Western society in particular, is out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/thinking-or-more-precisely-identification-with-thinking-gives-rise-to/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/beware-of-self-indulgence-the-romance-surrounding-the-writing/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [“There are two kinds of people: goal-oriented and ego-oriented. Goal-oriented people work together and get things gone. Ego-oriented people don’t work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charbel-tadros/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-goal-oriented-and-ego-oriented-goal/) [Charbel Tadros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charbel-tadros/) > [Heart surgeons do not have the world's smallest egos: when you ask them to name the world's three leading practitioners, they never can remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paretsky/heart-surgeons-do-not-have-the-world-s-smallest-egos-when-you-ask/) [Sara Paretsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paretsky/) > [I hate acting when I see it. I don't want to feel it, I don't want to see it, I want to be taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-hauer/i-hate-acting-when-i-see-it-i-don-t-want-to-feel-it-i-don-t-want-to/) [Rutger Hauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-hauer/) > [It's a constant man-ego-check going on in the streets, in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/it-s-a-constant-man-ego-check-going-on-in-the-streets-in-this-world/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [“... a man doesn't like to have his ego popped, especially when he prides himself on his sagacity, and then to be proved wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/a-man-doesn-t-like-to-have-his-ego-popped-especially-when-he-prides/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [Our real nature is not our imaginary, limited ego. Our true nature is vast, all-comprehensive, and intangible as empty space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anagarika-govinda/our-real-nature-is-not-our-imaginary-limited-ego-our-true-nature-is/) [Anagarika Govinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anagarika-govinda/) > [The man of wisdom is devoid of ego even though he may appear to use it. His vacant or fasting mind is neither doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-s-balsekar/the-man-of-wisdom-is-devoid-of-ego-even-though-he-may-appear-to-use/) [Ramesh S Balsekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-s-balsekar/) > [Show me success without ego!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivana-trump/show-me-success-without-ego/) [Ivana Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivana-trump/) [Browse all 3,462 Ego quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I almost always urge people to write in the first person. ... 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