Delete the backspace
I recently came across an article in The Atlantic that talked about how Wite-Out, the white liquid often used to cover up unwanted pen marks and typos, has actually seen a rise in popularity recently. According to the article, sales of Wite-Out climbed nearly 10% in 2017. It’s a really interesting piece and I highly suggest you read it. (You can do so here) This article got me thinking, though. How can an item that was crucial to such a specific place in time, one that has far less practical use now, be so relevant?
Here’s the excerpt from the article I found most compelling:
“Wite-Out is a strange place for ‘serial-killing milennials’ to offer clemency. In part, the attraction to the material is the same as any other handmade or small-batch product: The physical act of covering up a mistake is imperfect but more satisfying than simply hitting backspace. There’s also a poignancy to a screwed generation gravitating toward Wite-Out.”
Wow. What a statement. And far better written than I could have done. (Again, you can read the article here). I have to say though . . . I kind of agree. As a non-practicing, self-ridiculing millennial myself, I can see the writing on the wall. Pun unintended. Nearly everything exists online. Our history, how we communicate, how we consume information; the near and far-distant future all exist in the digital sphere. And in that digital sphere, there seems to be a push to present things in their most perfect form. Think of every photo you’ve ever posted, every comment you’ve ever written, the restaurant reviews you research, the shirts and shoes you shop for, all fueled by this pursuit of the ideal version of that thing. Perfect. Filtered. Brand new. 5-stars.
Something gets lost in this sterile world we are building for ourselves.
The humble Wite-Out served a noble purpose back in the day, one I believe needs to wedge its way back into our culture: the beauty of a mistake.
It’s a humbling experience when you make a mistake, misspell something, mispronounce something or flat out get something wrong. An unexpected connection is formed between the person making the mistake and the one correcting them. There’s the acknowledgement that people are not perfect and we as a species are constantly evolving and learning more and more each day.
We’re getting less comfortable with that idea. We don’t want to see the mistakes people make. We don’t want to watch people try. What we want is for all the spelling to be checked, the run-on sentences deleted and grammar mistakes cleaned up. We want perfectly packaged pieces of life, polished and neatly arranged, double-spaced, and proof-read.
But human beings are not made like that. We are, by nature, flawed creatures. Most of us are spending our days trying to correct those flaws or living our lives in spite of them. Or perhaps, using them to our advantage and personal gain. Flaws are what make us human. And when you start to wash those flaws away, what you’re left with is a watered down version of reality.
I overwhelmingly feel this in almost every aspect of the current world we live in. Now more than ever, we need Wite-Out to make an epic comeback. We need to be allowed to see mistakes, not just the end result after an effort was made to correct it. We need the full story, not carefully curated and edited versions of those stories. We need to be comfortable with being wrong. Otherwise, we will be less inclined to forgive those mistakes when they happen. And that’s not healthy for any society.
To be clear, I’m not advocating for wearing mistakes as a badge of honor. It’s an important thing, yes, but it’s not the only thing. I am, however, advocating for more transparency. Hey, that’s kind of ironic isn’t it? The clarity that comes with making a mistake.
If you know me, you know I always advocate for writing by hand. Perhaps now more than ever, we need a more human touch to things.