Order

We like what is comfortable. We like to sit in the same seat in each of our classes. If someone else sits in our seat, we feel awkward. We like to go to new places with friends. Really, we like to go anywhere with friends because it is comfortable. When we go to unfamiliar places, we are forced outside of our comfort zone, but having familiar people around makes the situation more comfortable. And if we found a dictionary that was not organized in alphabetical order, we would probably freak out. We like order, and when order is compromised, we do not know what to do. We lose our sense of focus and control, and we are not comfortable with feeling out of control. We gravitate to order, so if we found that unorganized dictionary, we would probably look for some sort of pattern with how it was arranged.

I do not know if we like order because humans are predisposed to like order or if we were taught to like order by our environment. I think it could be both. I think that humans were made to try to make sense of the world. We are here to find meaning, and our interpretation of meaning arises in a logical thought process which can be interpreted as order. Then, successive generations are taught to think in these certain patterns, so order was born. So, I do know that we recognize order because we have been taught order in one way or another, and it is almost inherent. We recognize order as logical thought processes that can guide a reader to a plausible conclusion. This can even occur in a dictionary. People who know the alphabet but have never seen a dictionary can logically conclude that the dictionary has a specific order because it guides the reader in a logical process.

Tutors can recognize order in a student’s the same way. If the writer can lead the audience through a logical thought process, the paper is obviously organized. But, the tutor can also recognize when a student does not have the best order. When one thought jumps from another, or when the conclusion is not conclusive, the tutor can show that the thought process does not clearly lead the reader to understanding what the writer’s intent is. Making sure that the writing can flow from one idea to another by including the transitions will help the writer. The writer needs to understand that not every reader will be able to make the implied transitions. The writer needs to think like the reader by including even the obvious thoughts the writer had. When a writer can include all of the details and nuances of their thoughts, the transitions and order will fall into place. Lastly, the writer needs to make sure the conclusion makes a good connection to a global thought. This means that the writer needs to make a purpose for the paper. It is not logical for someone to write a paper without giving it some kind of purpose. The writer needs to discover the purpose of the paper, and explicitly include that purpose in the conclusion, so that the reader can understand the order.