Experts say we write for two main reasons:
1. First, and most obvious, we write to communicate with others.
2. We write for ourselves, to clarify and stimulate our thinking. Most of our writing, even if we are published authors, is for ourselves.
It is often difficult for us to hold more than one thought in mind at a time. Writing our ideas down makes the vague and abstract become clear and concrete. When our thoughts are on paper, we see relationships and are able to analyze ideas better. Writing, it seems, makes us smarter.
This is about WRITING in general. It does not specifically refer to blogging or digital writing but I really think that the concept is equally applicable to the blog-writing.
In the past, people were much more limited in their abilities to publish and share their ideas with a global audience. You had to have a typewriter and a had access to a publishing house. Someone had to fund the entire venture for your book, for instance, to be seen by people.
That has changed dramatically with the advent of the Internet. Anyone with access to a computer and the Internet has access to the world. It has become easier to communicate ideas. You see it in the net all the time. People today blog. Often, they don’t blog about nonsense. They talk about ideas that are real to them. They justify these thoughts with their own experiences.
Writing often requires “higher order” thoughts involving analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. It is inherently a CREATIVE act. This creative process therefore has inherent, creative and ideological value. Every blog writer creates something valuable.
Think about it. The more we blog, the more we reflect, the more me communicate and organize our thoughts, the smarter we become. At the very least, it forces us to be informed.
So keep blog writing. It is actually making you think. It is making you smarter.
Don’t you agree?
Originally posted on June 16, 2007 @ 6:27 am
