Pushing for fewer “I”s or more in essays is an absurd practice. While I see where people from both sides are coming from—one wishes to prevent students from falling into the trap of being redundant or using “I” at the wrong time, while the other wants them to “take pride” in their writing—they are both missing the point. There is a time and place for when “I” is appropriate; some essays require more “I”s, while others don’t. Students need to be taught when “I” is applicable, not the minimum or maximum amount of “I”s they should use.
Let’s look at some arguments Kate M. Maddalena goes over in favor of using “I” more in her article “‘I Need You to Say “I”’: Why First Person Is Important in College Writing.” One of the first things she touches on is how researchers have started using first person more in scientific articles because they are the ones who conducted it and their very involvement could have affected the results of the research. In her words, “it’s more truthful, complete, and objective, then, to put researchers in the picture.”
The words she used—specifically “more truthful” or “(is it) honest (to act like ‘measurements are taken’ by some invisible hand?)”—almost feels like a spit in the face to the reader. When people read an essay or article, they already know there is an author behind it. As you read this very blog post, you know the stances and opinions in it belong to me without me explicitly stating so. Similarly, when someone says they are going to “go to the bathroom,” people know they aren’t just going to the bathroom; it’s not untruthful of them to not state exactly what form of relieving themselves they are going to do in the bathroom.
Another point Maddalena uses to argue for more “I”s in essays is that it shows “pride in your own intellectual work” and that’s important because it can make you more invested in learning while also pulling others’ attention towards your new ideas. I’d argue that is incorrect. Adding “I” in what I have written is not what makes me proud of what I’ve written—I’m confident most would agree. It is the passion I felt about what I wrote and the quality of how well I was able to articulate my thoughts that makes me proud. So, clearly an extra “I” or two will not make me more invested in what I am writing and subsequently help me learn the subject better. And as for “I” garnering the reader’s attention better, I find that hard to believe.
Don’t misunderstand, though. Maddalena brought up many strong points on the importance of using “I” that I agree with: that “I” gives perspective and sometimes authority on your stance, can help transition from another person’s stance to your own when things get convoluted, and is necessary in more personal works. It’s just that some of her arguments felt like they weren’t doing what—from my understanding—she was hoping they would achieve: teaching people that “I” is certainly necessary or useful in some instances and that it is important to know when that is. She has the right idea, but is phrasing it incorrectly. Instead of learning to “use ‘I’ more,” let’s get to “know when to use ‘I.’”
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