A Mere Proposal
Seeing that an idea has arisen that may be worth pursuing, a recommendation may be in order regarding a suitable opening discourse. Here is my modest recommendation. Since there are no rules established yet for the communal blogging endeavor found here, I did not want to sully up our blank slate. So, I give my idea here first to measure general opinion.
It would be useful for me to discuss my desire for a new approach to blogging, and perhaps it will help everyone else to get a handle on their own hopes and expectations.
I believe that the blog is a microcosm of what we have become as victims of post-modernity. We have become private minds living life almost entirely within our own heads. We have lost faith in our ability to adequately explain anything, up to and including giving an explanation for our own thoughts. We are walking, talking mysteries to ourselves.
The blog's very structure illustrates this quite clearly. The main body of text is where I expound on my latest big idea, tell of my recent exploits, relate my present existential crises, etc. The comments, instead of providing actual discourse, are buried beneath a link and do not appear as "commentary" to my text. Instead, comments are tools provided for the passersby to provide a weak recognition that I am, in fact, thinking. Whether I am thinking rationally or not is of no real importance. The links I provide serve to point out the fact that I do know people who may be rational, but I am not addressing them in my text at all (or at least rarely).
In short, the blog functions as a long, dark well in which I may shout as often and as loud as I choose. But nothing useful will ever return from the bottom of the well. I will only hear my own voice, and it will be unintelligible even to me.
How can we ever become better friends? spouses? ministers? students? scholars? musicians? writers? siblings? parents? when our chief interaction partner is our own mind?
It would be useful for me to discuss my desire for a new approach to blogging, and perhaps it will help everyone else to get a handle on their own hopes and expectations.
I believe that the blog is a microcosm of what we have become as victims of post-modernity. We have become private minds living life almost entirely within our own heads. We have lost faith in our ability to adequately explain anything, up to and including giving an explanation for our own thoughts. We are walking, talking mysteries to ourselves.
The blog's very structure illustrates this quite clearly. The main body of text is where I expound on my latest big idea, tell of my recent exploits, relate my present existential crises, etc. The comments, instead of providing actual discourse, are buried beneath a link and do not appear as "commentary" to my text. Instead, comments are tools provided for the passersby to provide a weak recognition that I am, in fact, thinking. Whether I am thinking rationally or not is of no real importance. The links I provide serve to point out the fact that I do know people who may be rational, but I am not addressing them in my text at all (or at least rarely).
In short, the blog functions as a long, dark well in which I may shout as often and as loud as I choose. But nothing useful will ever return from the bottom of the well. I will only hear my own voice, and it will be unintelligible even to me.
How can we ever become better friends? spouses? ministers? students? scholars? musicians? writers? siblings? parents? when our chief interaction partner is our own mind?
posted by matt at 2:03 PM
2 Comments:
I think the first few months of this blog are going to prove just how unused to this kind of thinking we have become in our postmodern worldviews. It may take a few tries at different topics before we get the hang of dropping some of our independence.
I particularly like the part where you say the blog has become an empty well. I've often felt the desire to "be known" rather than to "know" when it comes to blogging. There is also a rather negative anxiety that comes with putting a part of "yourself" out there (note the quotes). A lot like falling down a well.
In any case, we need to start this carefully and soon. I think there's an awful lot of independent thought-energy which needs to be redirected toward real discussion.
I retract what I said about starting soon. I think we're already on our way, albeit in blogger limbo.
See you at the new SAAVAAGE blog (WHHAT!YEAYAH!)...
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