The private diary that wasn't.
Blogging has taken off in a fashion that is truly noteworthy. If blogging has any singular claim to fame, I would purport it to be that notion that the worlds collective imagination is finding its way out of hidden diaries and the collective psyche, into the online realm. As a creatively inclined person, this is an exciting phenomenon. As as extension of this phenomenon, the psychological benefits are what stand out to me at this time.
Many would agree that people love talking about themselves. Up until the age of two our 'ego boundaries' are universal, we cannot differentiate between what is 'me' and what is the rest of the world, for it's all one contiguous realm where 'me' and 'they' are irrelevant. The 'terrible twos' strike as many mothers can attest to, from then on we have developed ego boundaries that fall within our shoulder width and we are essentially all about 'me', for the world is an extension of 'me'! We like in others what relates back to ourselves, and we hope that others like us, even if we don't act like it on the surface. We crave acceptance, and we yearn to be understood by others.
How does this incorporate into blogging? Simple, we (bloggers who write reflectively about themselves) are taking the march online, into a public forum. For the exception of those who store what they blog in a personally read-only format, the rest of us write our words and then place them on display for all to see. On a fundamental level, we are extending our egos onto the internet in a deep way. Adding a comment to a youtube video is an act of ego, but it's nowhere as meaningful as what you're likely to commit to a blog. In writing a personal blog, to begin with, we are getting out there and exclaiming our personal presence, and (perhaps secretly) hope others will read it. Beyond that, we are hoping that others will contribute for varying purposes. We may want someone to agree with what we're saying, or fill a purposefully placed knowledge gap with a solution. We may even be testing a notion in hope that someone may disagree with us. Even a blog written about a holiday adventure is there to first publicise the event, and hopefully seek positive reinforcement from others: "What an amazing beach you're on, lucky you!". As humans, with ego's, we love that from other people, infact we need it. Blogging sets the platform where external input is available to any string of 'articles', and goes about connecting the collective ego-net more than ever!
Zak
Memories taken from the Dr M Scott Peck book called "The road less travelled"
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