To say the truth, I generally do not blog. I only blog when I have an idea that I feel needs to be put out to the world. This particular blogging site I can truly say is by far my new favorite place to write, because people will actually read what I have to say and create discussion. I feel like with the internet there is less human communication. At least with this blog communication is encouraged, even among strangers.
Everyone deserves to have their ideas heard and thought about. Some people have better ideas than others of course, but sometimes it is easier to develop ideas when writing them down, and then getting feedback. I blog because I have ideas and I want people to see them and hopefully understand them. I am not one for arguing, and I am generally a quiet and shy person. With a blog I can take as long as I wish to put down words to express myself. There is no pressure to impress anyone, no pressure to speak quickly and find the perfect right off the bat. While blogging it's like writing in a diary. Nobody I know personally will probably ever read this, so I do not have to fear them developing new opinions about me. As for the people who do read my blogs, they get to know the part of me that nobody else knows!
Besides voicing my opinions, blogging helps me to understand other people's opinions. If my feelings are very narrow and one sided, somebody can tell me and I do not have to get offended. I can read their entries and learn what they think about other issues. How better to learn what society wants than to read their journals? By reading what other bloggers write, I can learn about new issues in today's society and develop my own opinions on them. I love to hear what other people think. I love to be heard. I love communication. That is why blogging is important to me.
Your post made me think. I guess I've always just imagined most bloggers to be very opinionated people who aren't afraid to voice their opinions. I never really realized the awesome benefits for people who are not so forward with what they believe. It's true that you can take time to fully form an opinion before sharing it, and there is no pressure to quickly think of a response just so the other person doesn't "win" the debate.
I definitely agree with what you said about opening up communication lines and learning about what other people think. It does create a way for people to see what is going on in the world and how other people feel about it.
Well said...