The Long Prolonged Blog

I know to some people, the idea of a blog is ridiculous. I've heard many people call it an "online diary". But secretly, I have always admired those persons who have the courage to put their thoughts at the mercy of others-- those confident enough to show their true selves and let their words fall where they may.

And now, I must have found that courage (perhaps from the examples of a few friends) but I am still nervous about writing my thoughts for others to see. It seems strange. I'm sure their will be those who mock it, and that fact alone was enough to prevent me for the longest time from starting a blog. But I know of no better way to communicate ideas than through the writing of them. There is something lost in speech-- in the way we talk to each other. Half the time people are just waiting for their turn to talk. The other half their attention is divided. From my training this semester in a crisis hotline, I learned some valuable skills of active listening, only to realize that among my friends and family, I may be the only one who is ever actually listening.

Well, I better not start a rant-- even though that seems to be what blogging is sometimes. But I just want an introduction first.

I will always try to fashion my blogs in such a way where it argues a point. I don't want this to be just another emotional outlet to vent; I want my words to have weight. My blog, I hope, will be used to explore ideas. I will mostly be writing about topics and issues I have long debated in the confines of my mind, which have gone mostly unchecked against the experience and opinions of others. More than anything I want discussion. Sure, I have my thoughts, my beliefs, my ideas-- but what are yours? I have always been more interested in how other people think and how they perceive their world. And because of that I've learned how I perceive mine. It's why I love psychology (I'm a psych major if you didn't know). After all, what are my thoughts but the accumulation of thoughts before me?

"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." -- Isaac Newton

So please, as I blog, if you have any comments, go ahead. I want your thoughts. That is  really why anyone creates an "online diary"-- they want it to be read; they want their thoughts validated. I want more. I would rather have mine invalidated; I would rather be corrected than confirmed. Maybe the content of our discussion will generate something that can enlighten the both of us.