The Best Essay

Paul Graham’s essay The Best Essay reframes the question “what is the best essay?” to “how do you write essays well?”

Starting Point: The Question

An essay begins with what Graham calls a “question”—not necessarily grammatical, but something that spurs a response. You need an “edge,” similar to how traders require convincing reasons to trade.

Merely questioning what others take for granted can be sufficient.

The Writing Process

Writing converts vague ideas into concrete (if imperfect) form. “Writing converts your ideas from vague to bad. But that’s a step forward.”

Rereading critically reveals gaps, which often lead to new discoveries. Being rigorous means recognizing false assumptions that need discarding.

Navigating Branches

Essays are linear despite exploring tree-shaped idea spaces. Graham follows branches offering “the greatest combination of generality and novelty,” cutting freely when paths prove unfruitful.

Question Selection

While initial questions matter as constraints, you shouldn’t overthink choice—write frequently on diverse topics. Good ideas “pop into your head” through breadth (reading, conversation, travel) and depth (doing substantive work).

Timelessness Paradox

Great essays often become obsolete once their insights enter shared culture. Truly timeless essays must address topics people perpetually relearn.