Politics and the English Language

In this piece by George Orwell, he talks about the decline of the English language. He explains that we find ourselves in a circle of bad behavior, and, "If one gets rid of these habits one can think more clearly." I realized that I am guilty of many of the behaviors that Orwell describes in this essay, and I am attempting to rail against them as I write this. (I feel that I am failing). Dodging constructive prose, not making an effort to choose active verbs, and padding sentences are a few of the things that Orwell expands upon as things that have caused the decline of the English language. I agreed with Orwell's opinions on "bad" structure. When I read, being able to visualize what I am supposed to makes the reading easier and more enjoyable. Sentences that have too many large words that have not been well thought out and sentences that are rife with insincerity lose their power to make people think. I find that when I come across these sentences, my eyes glaze over and my brain ceases to take in any knowledge of what the writer is attempting to tell me.
I found this piece helpful in the fact that it does not just apply to political writing, it applies to writing in general and especially to the arguments we will be forming. Orwell's rules will be written on post-it notes and stuck to anything that is near my writing area. I feel that this essay was immensely beneficial personally and I am hoping that it will help everyone else.