Why write?

I started this blog because I have a bunch of ideas for essays and other things I wanted to write up and communicate. I think this has several advantages for personal growth. 

Writing about your ideas forces you to communicate them in a way which is logical and coherent. It exposes weaknesses in your arguments and gaps in your evidence. Assumptions that you may have made without deeply considering them are exposed to criticism. Peculiarities of your own experience and upbringing - which you may assume are universal - can be contrasted with the different experiences of your audience. In short, writing about your ideas can make them stronger.

Another thing: have you ever noticed how easy it is to act intelligent and 'above it all' if you never really have to defend your position? This is a trap I've fallen into in the past and I notice other people doing the same thing. Writing what you actually believe creates a target for criticism; and that can quickly bring you back down to earth. This can expose your ideas for what they are: are you as intelligent as you think you are? Are you sure? 

I have also decided to keep this blog pseudonymous, although I won't take great pains to hide my identity. This is partly to reduce the opportunity for social signalling - I'm interested in learning about other's perspectives and strengthening my ideas, not so much showing off personal qualities such as perceptiveness or whatever. It's also somewhat liberating as I can feel more free to write about subjects which might be too personal or insensitive or awkward in some way.

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