In communication theory, there are two modes of thought development which are typically described as linear and circular.1
Linear thought involves focusing on moving in a straight line from thought A to thought B by means of each subsequent cause and effect.
Most non-fiction books and many documentaries proceed this way. A problem is established at the outset and the progression of thought moves steadily through each next step until a conclusion is reached. For that matter, long-form narrative usually works in the same way.
Circular (or concentric) thought involves focusing on the interconnectedness of ideas. A thesis or topic is established at the outset and the thought proceeds by repeating the thesis in connection to a variety of other topics ad infinitum.
Modern media has made this mode much more popular in recent decades as it is the method underlying most podcasting, YouTube channels, newsletters (including this one), etc. The topic (and often even the prescribed solution) for these channels never changes, but the way it is brought to bear on new specific situations adds nuance and expands the understanding of it a little more each time.
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Of course, neither of these modes is inherently better than the other, and they can even commingle to an extent.
But in general, linear thought is great for thoroughly solving fixed problems,
while circular thought is useful for developing a deep and expansive understanding of something.
So, when deciding on the form of your media, ask yourself, which would be the most valuable to your customers?
- I don’t know the exact origin of this idea, but I first came across it in Marshall McLuhan’s 1964 book Understanding Media and all the descriptions I’ve found online seem in accord with his explanation, which you can read, in part, here. ↩︎
