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Sunday, September 14, 2008

Edit-ability

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"The relativism which is not willing to speak about truth but only about 'what is true for me' is an evasion of the serious business of living. It is the mark of a tragic loss of nerve in our contemporary culture. It is a preliminary symptom of death...When I say 'I believe,' I am not merely describing an inward feeling or experience: I am affirming what I believe to be true, and therefore what is true for everyone. The test of my commitment to this belief will be that I am ready to publish it, to share it with others, and to invite their judgment and - if necessary - correction. If I refrain from this exercise, if I try to keep my belief private matter, it is not belief in the truth." - Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society

Blogging is an odd thing. People use their online spaces to sell products, virtually whisper their secrets, and to publish their thoughts. It was written in a recent Wired Magazine article that “Like it or not, we are all public figures now — famous, as the new cliché goes, for 15 people.” I find that many people blog with this narcissistic fuel. Those who blog to brand themselves and advertise their individuality call it good marketing. I think there is a thin line between narcissism and self-marketing. One that every blogger walks.

That said, I hope this space (green and ugly as it is) is nothing more than a place for me to create and publish my thoughts. It is my hope that the things that are posted here give a glimpse into the mind and soul of Jarrod (I apologize if you don't want to look in there). While I do not assume that blogs create community, it is my hope that you feel the freedom to interact with my thoughts and push back in a way that challenges us both.

I publish thoughts so that they may be edited.

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Samuel said...

I agree with the fine line that is blogging for a sense of importance/grandiosity and/or a place to be/think/write/create. While not mentioned in your post, I think that Twitter (facebook being a bit further on down the line given it's more in-depth uses) is one of the most narcissistic uses of technology today. The idea that someone wants to know what you're doing fuels a desire to believe that we're important (not just to ourselves), and that we need to satiate those who 'follow' us. Agreeably, there is a fine line of twitter usage that can pump up our ego or just be used as a open bucket of random thoughts that need to be dumped somewhere.

I blog/twit/facebook as a means to remember, to story-tell, and occasionally add some octane to my ego. I often wonder if doing these things online is accomplishing anything, really. Afterall, there is an online Samuel and a real-life Samuel (I don't make it a point to call my 'friends' and tell them what I'm doing :)). Hopefully there isn't much difference between the two, if any at all.

In any case, keep blogging, I enjoy your musings (and pictures of good food).

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