Is Blogging Narcissistic?

Blogging sites like WordPress offer a soapbox for us to stand on and express our thoughts, however trivial those thoughts might be. But there’s something about blogging that irks me. Whenever I take to writing something I always pause and ask myself, why am I expressing these thoughts to an anonymous audience and not to a friend? It has always felt like an exercise in narcissism, as if I’m asking the world to listen to my thoughts on Topic X, Y, or Z.

And truth be told, my thoughts, when they do somehow formulate in the mostly empty space inside my skull, are rarely insightful.

I group blogging together with the rest of social media — Facebook, Twitter, and the most self-serving of them all, Instagram. These online platforms provide convenient forums for us to express ourselves. And whereas in day-to-day life we need to find a willing listener, and interest in what we have to say can be gauged by verbal responses and facial cues, social media gives us free reign to post, tweet, and share with no regard to who’s listening.

There’s been a lot of discussion about the society-corrupting qualities of social media; the inherent isolation involved and the obsessive relationships we have with our phones. I’m not here to shit all over social media (full disclosure: I use Twitter daily and Facebook sparingly). I think there are a lot of positive ways social media can be used, even if it requires careful navigation to dodge the ubiquitous selfie landmines.

But what about blogging? Is a blog post the equivalent of Instagramming a duck-face selfie at the grocery store? While any sensible person would agree that those who take duck-faced selfies deserve to be shot, the same can’t be said of bloggers.

I’ve come to the realization that blogging is more about creative expression than anything. There’s no doubt that receiving likes, followers, and comments is a gratifying experience, but that’s because it validates bloggers creative efforts. People who share their every living moment online are likely looking to fill a void – they crave social interaction and want to know their lives have meaning (or whether they look hot in their new shirt…).

Bloggers want validation and attention, but not in the same way a shallow, insecure Instagrammer or Facebook-obsessive does. It’s about knowing we can articulate our thoughts in a way that is engaging or relatable, and not about being popular. It’s more highbrow and less desperate.

Now will you please like this post, comment on it, and follow my blog? Pretty please?

Reading to Write Better

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

– Stephen King

We communicators are not pioneers. We use an existing tool — the English language — and try to use it to the best of our ability. We deliver a message to a target audience using a string of words that we find appropriate.

Communicating is a simple concept but one that can be done in infinitely different ways. Ask one hundred people to write a paragraph about any one topic and you will have one hundred different paragraphs.

The words we choose are derived from our unique experience listening to speech and reading text. People speak and write in the language and dialect that they have been exposed to.  Everything you read is an experience that influences how you communicate, however subtly.

Sometimes we have a strong sense of what we want to say but can’t figure out how to say it convincingly. It’s a constant hurdle for the writer, one which I’ve tried to overcome multiple times as I write this very blog post.

That is why reading is invaluable. Ideas and feelings that are obscure can become lucid when articulated by somebody else.  Reading not only expands your vocabulary, it teaches you how to utilize the vocabulary you already have.

A writer never realizes their potential, because their potential is boundless. There is no finish-line. A writer is constantly evolving. Ask the same writer to write about the same topic five years apart and you will likely find two different products. New books and articles we read shape how we communicate. Not only that, they shape how we think.

“Think before you speak. Read before you think.”

– Fran Lebowitz, The Fran Lebowitz Reader

 Some writing is dull and some writing is clever. Some writing is succinct and some writing is bloated. To put it simply, there is good writing and there is bad writing. So how does one improve their writing? Writing workshops and grammar lessons will only take you so far. In my mind there are two ways to improve your writing: practice and reading.

We often neglect books or long articles and essays because we find ourselves overwhelmed with other responsibilities. We think we don’t have time for it. If you want to be an effective communicator there is no excuse. Reading and writing go hand-in-hand.

Instead of fooling around on your smartphone or tablet while commuting to work, read something. Instead of counting sheep in bed, read a book. Instead of turning on the TV while eating breakfast, read a magazine, article, or essay (http://www.aldaily.com has daily suggestions covering a wide array of topics).

Everybody knows that reading is beneficial. It educates, it elicits complex emotions, and it helps us see the world from new perspectives. People still neglect it. If you want to succeed as a writer, blogger, or PR practitioner there is no excuse. Make reading a habit and you will find the time spent is a small price to pay for the benefits you will receive.

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
– Charles William Eliot