From now on this newsletter will be in English.
This is quite an uncomfortable move for me that I have probably have postponed for too long! It’s not hard to see why. I love the Netherlands; I love speaking Dutch; I love to write in Dutch, in fact, I maintain a huuuge list of old fashioned, weird Dutch words that I’m trying to revive. I’m a big believer in the future of the Dutch language - it’s the rug that ties our nation together.
BUT.
Writing in English has several obvious advantages: it opens up my writing to many more people, I’ll get higher quality feedback on what I’m writing and I’ll get to interview and interact with more interesting people.
There are more subtle, psychological consequences. It encourages me to become a more ambitious writer. I’ll have to come up with ideas that add value to the vast amount of writing that is already out there. I need to improve my English. (I probably should increase my exposure to native English speakers.)
There is more, though. By choosing English, I’ll get a broader, less parochial outlook. What I’m writing should make sense to someone living in Maastricht as well as Athens and Rome, New York and Mumbai.
Europe, Inc.
The switch to English is also in line with other things I value: 1) a more united Europe and 2) actionable steps in the right direction.
Love it or hate it, but English is the common language of the new generations of Europeans. English removes friction between Europeans, it allows for European debate and it gives young people from all over Europe access to more opportunities.
Here is Andreas Klinger (the guy behind EU Inc.) on the subject:
I don’t care if you think English should be Europe’s default language or not. Growing up generations in this age without being able to properly speak English limits their job opportunities. It’s a disgrace to those generations and limits them, isolates them.
You don’t lose your culture by creating options for your future generations.
And more importantly you enable proper EU-wide media and networks. When you launch in the US your market pull can come from any part of the US. In Europe we are a mess of patchy networks and no significant media reaches across it.
Writing this newsletter—about progress, optimism, and other underrated ideas—in English is a small, concrete step toward a future I believe in.
Lofty proclamations alone will not get us anything; small but concrete steps in the right direction every day do compound over time. I hope this is one of those steps.
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