Writing. That’s the cure. Yes, taking a cold shower helps. Walking or exercising also helps. But sitting down and writing is the best way to procure clarity.

Writing has three problems: Firstly, it is dangerous. Some of our thoughts are safest in the darkness of our minds. However, like a bad tooth, thoughts also rot and fester into stinking biases. Therefore, dangerous as it might be, writing puts thoughts on the operating table, bare and ready for examination.

Secondly, writing is a skill. Like eating with chopsticks for the first time, grasping our thoughts in the beginning is tricky. But with time, it gets easier. In fact, struggling to bring thoughts to life is the act of thinking. Therefore, we ought to lean into the struggle.

Finally, writing only begins when a draft is complete. Editing is writing; it is that slow and careful consideration of every word and phrase. To paraphrase Charles Bukowski, writing is never complete until that one true sentence is found.

One of my favourite statesmen is Alexander Stubb, the Prime Minister of Finland. Long before I learned about his extensive writing, his clarity and manner of speaking gave it away. Winston Churchill’s pen also proved mightier than the bombs that harassed Britain. Closer to home, Oliver Tambo, Steve Biko, Robert Sobukwe, and many other leaders waged the liberation struggle with the pen more than any other instrument.

So you see? Writing is not only the cure for brain fog, but likely the best instrument for shaping the future.