Life Without Writing

Writing serves as the foundational technology for modern human civilization, enabling the complex bureaucracy, legal systems, and medical records that sustain society at scale. Removing the ability to record information forces a return to localized, oral traditions where authority and knowledge are passed down through direct experience and storytelling. While this shift could revitalize hands-on education and foster diverse, localized art scenes, it simultaneously threatens the incremental progress necessary for solving global challenges. Advanced mathematics and scientific research rely heavily on written documentation, making their loss catastrophic for institutional memory. Ultimately, the transition to a visual or oral-based society risks creating a fragmented world where power is concentrated among those who can best command attention, highlighting the critical role writing plays in preserving reality and enabling collective human advancement.