Listesse

Listesse is a neologism used in speculative linguistics and cultural studies to denote a tendency to organize information, memory, or experience primarily through lists. The term blends the concept of listing with a suffix that marks a state or quality, and it is applied to individuals, practices, and media that foreground enumeration as a core structure. In linguistic analysis, listesse describes discourse that relies on enumerations, series, and hierarchies of items rather than extended narrative prose.

In cultural practice, listesse is observed in productivity culture, educational materials, and digital interfaces that favor checklists, bullet points, and ordinal rankings. Proponents argue that listing can aid clarity and recall, while critics suggest it can oversimplify complex phenomena and promote reductive thinking. The concept is often discussed in relation to listicles, to-do apps, and data visualizations that present items in ordered sequences.

Examples of listesse-oriented media include editorial formats that structure content as numbered steps or curated catalogues, as well as interfaces that use progressive disclosure via lists. The term is used primarily in theoretical or critical contexts rather than as a self-identification by practitioners.

See also: Listicle, information architecture, taxonomy, enumeration, productivity culture.