Blogging and Being True to Oneself

desiderata.english

Today I write about the phenomenon of a new communication medium using the Internet called Blogging. It is a channel requiring one to have Internet access, and starting with the Blogger (person owning the blog) setting up a Weblog – which is a compound word formed from Web and Log. The word Web refers, of course, to the worldwide web, or the Internet, and Log means a diary or journal a person keeps to record events, thoughts or views.

Most weblogs also offer a means to readers to communicate with the author, using what is called the Comments, or Conversations, platform. This means the Weblog channel becomes interactive, allowing not just communication between the author and the reader, but also among readers so that it becomes a sort of a forum, for participants to voice their views, or popularly promoted as, enabling “Thinking Aloud”, leading sometimes to extremely vocal, and long-winded, debates if not properly moderated by the Blog-owner.

This writer also started his own blog called desiderata2000.blogspot.com, using a service provider called blogger.com. I stated clearly from the start on this year's Ides of March three main objectives – to write on CivilSociety issues, to promote the English language, and a less-frequently-sought goal – a quest for the Truth. This column is a bonus fruit from that labour of love – hence the name desiderata.english.

When I write, I believe in one guiding principle as expounded by philosopher VOLTAIRE: “I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend, to the death, your right to say it.” That lays the foundation for free and rational exchange of views, or more romantically, “a clash of the minds – philosophy professors like to term such an exercise a democratic discourse. Once I've decided to engage anyone in conversation, I always follow the above dictum enunciated by French philosopher and author Francois-Marie Arouet VOLTAIRE (1694-1778).

I also believe that a writer must be true to himself in his writing. He must hold conviction and commitment on his standpoints; he must be passionate in his beliefs so that they shine through his medium of communication – prose or poetry – so that the reader is informed of his loves, and hates, or his interests, even his disinterests. Writers, including poets, wield potentially tremendous power through their works, hence they must exercise responsibility and proud ownership on what they write (or say).

But when you write, you must engage your reader in conversation to hold his attention. You must also be reasonable, hence you must adopt an open and rational mind, at all times, and not resort to adopting a didactic or patronising attitude. Respect another person’s viewpoints even if they differ from yours – for you can learn from the old, youthful, and the very young. But as in any human initiative or endeavour, this medium of blogging can be subject to abuse, in the wrong hands. This calls for some parental guidance in what or where their children blog, but to what extent and using what parameters, it is best left to the individual and his/her family to decide.

I learnt recently that Spiderman had said: “With great power comes great responsibility”. It appears so simple, yet the meaning and implication of its weight is deep and heavy.

I am extremely happy to report that a group of teenagers in SARAWAK had recently launched a cooperative initiative in the form of a Weblog named IgnorantCow.blogspot.com. Dear YoungOnes, have a peep into thy peers’ writings and thoughts when you’re free, alright? Better still, take part in the interactive forum. TODAY’s column aims at conveying a special message to TEENAGERS everywhere, especially in Malaysia, with the sharing of a perennial issue at a critical phase of growing up – that of PEER PRESSURE.

Here I am proud to reproduce an entry, which we call a Post, dated March 31, 2005, written by TIMOTHY SU, whose nick (short for nickname!) is IgnorantCow; but don’t under-estimate his intelligence!

The one about Popularity and Stereotypes

Why does everyone in this world strive to be popular? Why can't people just be themselves and .. be natural!? Because. Especially at this time of life, teenagerhood, we are driven to be "typical", and not be "abnormal". I guess this can be said as a form of peer pressure.

When I hear the word “peer pressure”, I immediately think of smoking, drugs and stuff like that. Well, those things are not really a problem in my life, and I guess, not in the life of many others as well. After all, we are not in gangs and such, gangs are rarely heard of in this sleepy Sibu town.


Problems I face frequently are, how people tend to "look" at you, as a result of some action that you just did. For example, I am frequently forced to act as someone not truly what I am, for the sake of being not looked down upon by others. I am forced to say things that are not "me", for the sake of "belonging". I guess this is required, if you do not do these things, you will become an “outcast”.


What I really want to write about tonight is the people who overdo it. They try sooo hard to be popular, and "cool", and end up failing. Badly. They copy everything that the so-called "cool and popular" people do, the way they walk, speak, their hairstyle, what they wear, … etc. Emulating someone, unless done really right, you will end up failing, badly. Very badly, and as a result of that, being hated by a lot of people.

My conclusion for today: Be yourself. Don't overshadow your own true self; but Be cool at the same time, but DON’T OVERDO IT, IT CAN BECOME PATHETIC!

Now another perspective, reprised here as a special message to the YoungOnes new to my site, from SABRINA TAN, a final year dentistry undergraduate in New Zealand, about:

BEING YOURSELF

Have you ever thought to yourself over and over again that what you are today is not actually your true self? I always have this question on my mind, and sometimes I am torn between my true self and who I am expected to be in society.

It saddens me sometimes when I think the people closest to me don’t even know who I am exactly. People have this image of me as being serious, intellectual and responsible, but few people know that there is also another side of me that is compassionate, fun, and caring.

This leads me to think that one can truly be happy if you are just BEING YOURSELF. Sometimes we might lose some of the essence of ourselves because of society’s expectations, familial pressure and also because of the personal experience that we have been through in life.

I have to admit that I have lost some of that as well and also because I had to conform to the expectations presented by everyone around me. I have learnt that we shouldn’t be ashamed of who we are, regardless what kind of personality we may possess. It’s easier said than done you can say, because at different circumstances we may project different facades of ourselves.

At work, we may appear to be serious; at home (depending on the family members) we may either be very comical and hilarious, or we can be the responsible and sensible one. With our friends, we just reveal the side of us that we feel that would be accepted by our peers.

It seems to me that sometimes we all have different personalities. Then what is exactly the true you? One’s true self is when one is totally most comfortable with oneself. You know that you won’t be judged by revealing the true character and nature of yourself by the people around at that time. I had that feeling before where I felt totally comfortable with myself with one of my best friends because I knew that no matter what I say or do, he won’t judge me for the things that I have done. Your friends should be the ones who are able to accept you for who you are. This, is also a form of happiness by just being YOU.

You are also being you where you are very comfortable with whatever decisions that you make regarding life. You know the pros and cons of your decision, but the most important thing is that you won’t regret what you have decided. Life is too short for regrets, so we should start seeing that we live our lives as how we want to live, not by the expectations of others.

PS: I ping-ed to PPS the above Post at about 12.15am, and when I checked the immediately earlier Post, it led to a Blog called insignificance (http://beaned.blogspot.com), also by coincidence from Sarawak. So across the South China Sea, YoungMalaysians are surfing the Net and, contrary to their modest claims, not that insignificant or ignorant. I reproduce from insignificance the quote that flags off his site:

"The person you consider ignorant and insignificant is the one who came from God, that he might learn bliss from grief and knowledge from gloom." *** Kahlil Gibran