What it is
The second hop is a pattern for writing and thinking in three steps: a scene, the general mechanism behind it, and then a new, specific case where the mechanism shows up again.
Most writing stops after the first hop, from scene to abstraction. That’s where it feels profound. The learning happens on the second hop, when the idea proves it can travel.
How it shows up for me
My essays used to stop at the first hop, a nice story and a big thought. Now I try to add one more: where else does this show up? If I can’t find a second case, maybe I don’t understand the idea yet.