6.02.2006

Captain's log, stardate 060106

I'm jealous of the blogs that other people have. I'm jealous of the fact that they can so openly discuss what they think without fear of reprisal-- or more interestingly, without fear of lack of praise. It's in my nature to want people to pat me on the back and tell me I'm a good person. I'd like to change that nature. Normally I pride myself on not missing a point of view and forming an opinion after all choice alternatives have been evaluated. So obviously, when someone disagrees with what I say because they have a different way of looking at a specific idea, I get a bit upset. I can't do that anymore. I, Jean-Luc Picard*, will henceforth not be upset if you disagree with me. Please, I welcome it.

* - Names have been changed.

4 comments:

Kermit~the~Frog said...

You're a good person. I sometimes disagree with the things you say. I also think there's value in tossing something out there, receiving the criticism, and taking it back to the drawing board of your mind. Letting people see the process is liberating.

Ben said...

It's not necessarily the case that there's no fear of reprisal or fear of dread silence -- it's just that you have to push it back down and write anyway. Blogging strips you bare and leaves you vulnerable out in a very big world, feeling very small. Sometimes you get knocked around a bit, and sometimes it stings a little, but the important thing is to keep at it. You get used to it. :) And when you do, you've found a new freedom. It's okay to be wrong sometimes -- that's what I've learned from blogging.

By the way, it'd be nice if you allowed anonymous comments -- I'd rather use my new blog URL instead of being tied back to my Blogger one. But of course it's your blog, and it's not like this is the end of the world or anything. :)

Shaun said...

I agree. Ideas need to be open to criticism and other people's opinions. It's nice to think of being able to do whatever without worrying about what other people think, but I feel that's only a partial truth. People who are unbending and unyielding in their viewpoints are the most difficult to work with and are almost always wrong anyways. Those who are willing to consider that they are wrong, even on issues that are very core to them, are very amazing people and I think those types effect more change in the world than those who will not.

Having said this, it needs to be taken in moderation. One can still stick to their guns without being an unbending stick-in-the-mud. It's only when they're not willing to consider other possibilities. In the end, I don't think it's the opinions that people have, but the dialogue we can have together that is the most important avenue for change and though.

Anonymous said...

It's not necessarily the case that there's no fear of reprisal or fear of dread silence -- it's just that you have to push it back down and write anyway. Blogging strips you bare and leaves you vulnerable out in a very big world, feeling very small. Sometimes you get knocked around a bit, and sometimes it stings a little, but the important thing is to keep at it. You get used to it. :) And when you do, you've found a new freedom. It's okay to be wrong sometimes -- that's what I've learned from blogging.