How do I know what I think until I see what I say?

“How do I know what I think until I see what I say?”
-E.M. Forster

I read this quote a long while ago and it stuck with me forever. I always related it to writing as a way of developing the inner voice of conviction. Conversation and discourse may allow you to articulate ideas and arrive at certain convictions, but much of it is in passing and the unreliability of memory provides little material for later reflection. Writing allows you to create a clear, objective portrait of the inner thoughts composing your convictions and principles.

Writing allows you to reinforce your being and gain a sense of self in a way no other medium can.