observation

The French political thinker Tocqueville visited the U.S. in 1831 and published, in two volumes, his observations about how democracy was shaping institutions and daily life.

He’s wary of turning to anecdotal data, like his own personal observations or even the Fed’s Beige Book that compiles feedback from local businesses and others.

When you start linking your observations to character traits or patterns, as opposed to focusing on the singular issue, it can feel like an attack.

My kind of writing, “snapshots” of observations and feelings, didn’t qualify in my own estimation as a “real” writer.

I wrote down my observations and reported them to the Young Egyptian Party.