Why do we trust our own memory so little, and so much on a sheet of paper? The ancients already had the answer, in four words: verba volant, scripta manent. The words fly, the writing remains.
The translation, word for word
Verba are the words. Volant, fly. Scripta, written things. Manent, remain. Speech disperses into the air as soon as it is said. What was put on paper stands the test of time.
The origin, and the twist of meaning
It's an old proverb, with no known author. Originally, he praised the spoken word: what is said flies, reaches far, reaches many ears. Over time, the direction reversed. The same phrase went on to defend the opposite, the value of recording: only what is written remains. This is how we quote it today.
The words fly, the writing remains. Memory forgets. Not the paper.
Why does this change your relationship with ideas
The maxim is practical advice dressed as a proverb. Relying only on memory is letting the best ideas fly. Those who write down what they read keep what would otherwise be temporary, and transform it into a second brain. The expression became a method: the idea is to take the burden of keeping everything out of your head and entrust it to an external system, so that the mind is free to do what only it does, think and create. What you record today no longer depends on the mood of your memory tomorrow. It is from this collection, revisited calmly, that creativity is born. It is no coincidence that, from Leonardo da Vinci to Darwin, great creators kept notebooks. They knew that thinking well starts by not letting the best of your thinking get lost.
Complete class
Why journaling is the secret to creativity
The teacher Rodrigo Bitencourt links this maxim to the Muses and memory, in the channel of Nous on YouTube.
Watch the class on YouTubeFrequently asked questions
What does Verba volant, scripta manent mean?
It's a Latin maxim that means "words fly, writing remains". What is merely spoken is lost; what is recorded in writing endures.
What is the origin of the expression?
It is a Latin proverb of ancient tradition, with no single known author. It originally praised the power of the spoken word, but came to be used to defend the value of the written record.
How to apply this idea today?
Recording what you learn and think, rather than relying solely on memory. Writing down and reviewing transforms fleeting ideas into a durable collection, the basis of all creativity.
Continue: How to be more creative: the lesson of the Muses · Who was Mnemosyne? · Sic transit gloria mundi