"Read more" buttons are a relic of an era when page views mattered more than reader experience. When you force someone to click to continue reading, you're asking them to make a commitment before they know if your content is worth their time. You're creating friction where there should be flow. Instead, present your complete thoughts. Trust your reader to engage with ideas that resonate and scroll past those that don't. Respect their ability to curate their own experience. The goal isn't to maximize clicks—it's to maximize impact. And impact comes from ideas that are fully formed, completely shared, and genuinely useful. ## The Psychology of Friction Every click is a decision point. Every decision point is an opportunity for the reader to leave. When you add unnecessary friction to the reading experience, you're essentially asking your audience to prove their interest at every step. This approach might have made sense when advertising revenue was tied directly to page views. But in today's landscape, where trust and engagement matter more than raw traffic numbers, this strategy backfires. ## Building Trust Through Transparency When you show your complete thoughts upfront, you're demonstrating confidence in your content. You're saying, "Here's what I have to offer. Take what's useful and leave the rest." This transparency builds trust. Readers know they're not being manipulated or led through a funnel designed to extract maximum engagement metrics. They're being treated as intelligent humans capable of making their own decisions about what deserves their attention. ## The Seth Godin Approach Seth Godin's blog is a masterclass in this philosophy. Every post is complete. Every idea is fully formed. There are no cliffhangers, no artificial barriers, no attempts to game the system for extra page views. The result? A loyal readership that trusts the content because they know they're getting the full story, every time.