Can Blogging Make You a Better Person?

May 26, 2009
23 Comments

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Can blogging make you a better person?

Well, that depends: do you want to be a better person?

Think carefully about your answer. Most people would say “Yes” without a moment’s hesitation, but their actions in life would belie their words. Most people don’t want to be better, they want to stay the same. Most people hate change.

Blogging means you will deal with change every day. Change forces you to reevaluate, to choose. Blogging tends to be self-reflective, and self-reflection can lead to self-development and self-actualization (or total narcissism). Blogging can make you a “better” person in much the same way as journaling of any sort.

The person who wants to be a better person sees everything as part of the path to betterment, blogging included. In other words, it’s not necessarily that things happen for a reason, but that there are always lessons to be taken from everything that happens. And it’s up to us to decipher those lessons out of life’s events.

Everything is a test if you see it that way, but the only person who knows whether you’ve passed or failed is you.

I’m not sure I believe that blogging itself can make you a better person.

I believe that striving to have a successful blog can help you be a better person. That dedication to success makes part of, but not all of, the difference. If you are dedicated to blogging success, then:

  • Blogging helps you hone and refine your thinking through the effort to write clearly. Clear thinking is better thinking, from which comes many long-term rewards.
  • Blogging helps you achieve greater understanding through interacting with others’ points of view, which may differ greatly from your own. By putting yourself out there on the web, you’re exposing yourself to a multitude of ideas. Some of those ideas you can take for your own and they may even prove highly profitable to your long-term success.
  • Blogging helps you learn discipline, because no highly successful blogger is undisciplined. The rewards of discipline are many. Work and success come to those who can execute.
  • Blogging helps you learn to be consistent (consitency is discipline’s brother) because without it your readers will abandon you in favor of someone more reliable. Consistency builds trust.
  • Blogging helps you learn how to set and meet goals, because you must if you are to succeed at it.
  • Blogging teaches you to withstand attacks to your arguments and (unfortunately) to yourself as a person. You learn to measure your response carefully, or risk damaging your reputation.
  • Blogging helps you connect with other people, because they will find your content through search or links and you can make contact with them. Who knows what kind of wonderful opportunities or partnerships will arise? These connections with other people will enrich your life.
  • Blogging helps you express yourself creatively through writing or other media such as video. Creative expression brings with it a million latent benefits (I’m sure that’s the scientifically-proven official number).
  • Blogging to genuinely help people in a way that you feel is important and worthwhile helps you see the value of acting on your values and beliefs. You’re making a difference in the world, touching people’s lives. This is a very fulfilling experience which can lead to self-development (but also egotism, so be careful).

Can Blogging Make You a Worse Person?

Is it possible that blogging could be harming you? Could blogging be unhelpful to your self-development? Again, it really depends on why you’re blogging and how. To provide a little contrast, let’s examine some ways in which you could be holding back your own self-development through blogging.

  • Your blog topic is angry or negative, and the posts you write on it are usually rants, attacks, or “bitch festivals.” Writing in this way tends to make you feel more angry, more bitter, more oppressed, rather than empowered or like you “got it off your chest.”
  • You wallow in feelings of depression or inadequacy in your writing. Writing this way only intensifies these feelings, it usually doesn’t do anything to help you pinpoint their origin so you can take action against feeling bad. Also, it’s nearly impossible to succeed with such writing. Nobody wants to read writing that overflows with self-pity and melancholy.
  • You are blogging only to make money. You have no passion but you figure it will make some money. There is almost nothing worse than having to write on a topic you have no passion for.
  • Your views are stridently one-sided and there is no point in even entertaining any other views. “Preaching to the choir” does not make for successful blogs or better human beings. It doesn’t cultivate the inner qualities associated with self-actualization.

What Do You Think?

Are there any other ways in which blogging could make you a better (or worse) person? We all have our own thoughts on what makes a “better” or “worse” person. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

  • The thought of having to start a blog on my website sent shivers down my spine. I knew it had to be done to keep the content fresh but the idea of having to sit down and think of a new thing to write about every day just bored me to tears. Or so I thought it would.

    I have had a great time blogging so far, I thought I would struggle for ideas but once I got started new ideas for tomorrows and the next days entry's would just pop in. I've even started to find it relaxing!!
  • I used to hate blogging, but I am beginning to like it more everyday. I don't know if it will make you a better person, but it might cause you to look inwards a little. Every time you point a finger, 3 are pointing back at you
  • If sharing makes one a better person, then blogging can, too. If helping others understand how the natural world works makes one a better person, then blogging can do that. Blogging can even make people happier, both blogger and reader. I have received some emails that have moved me to tears, telling me about hospitalized and elderly readers who truly look forward to their daily hit of nature from my blog. This spurs me to try to create consistently good content, and to reach for greater heights, knowing that there are people out there who, for whatever reason, have come to depend on my "playing real good for free." It certainly can make one a better, clearer writer and photographer. And, if the comments section is properly managed, it can open the blogger's eyes to new perspectives and other people's realities. I like this post and the thought it engenders. Thank you.
  • I think it depends upon what type of person you are to begin with. If you are a negative 1/2 empty type person, it may only serve to enhance that mentality. If you are a positive 1/2 full type of personality, I think you will tend to Blog that way, and maybe benefit as you pointed out.
  • It was interesting reading your thoughts on blogging making you a worse person.
    I write a graphic design blog, and I found early on it was too easy to get stuck writing criticisms, generally about other peoples work. You might have read any of 1000 articles that criticism the 2012 Olympics logo, or Pepsi's new branding etc.

    It wasn't that anything i said was untrue or that I was just relentlessly bagging them out, but it spread a bit of a negative feel through my blog. Once i recognized this i rewrote a dozen articles more constructively/positively and felt it was a huge improvement to the quality of blog, despite the content being essentially the same.

    Constantly writing bitch articles are definitely something you don't want to get caught up in.
  • Andrew, I'm glad you shared that story with us. It really illustrates both sides of the power of what I'm talking about. Quality is improved when we build up, encourage, suggest, and educate. Why? Because doing these in our blog posts takes more work. Bitching is lazy and easy. Too easy.
  • I agree with that fact, that if you are doing it just for the money, its not worth it. I know if you don't like what your doing and your a force to do it to make money I promise it won't go well.
  • I have to agree that it does cause somebody to think about what they are writing, and therefore adding to the skill they have for communication.
    I love this post Michael, Thanks.
  • blogging can make somebody be creative. They can write everything to share any knowledge that they know...thanks for share
  • Blogging CAN make you a more interesting person....I never had the time to set up a legit blog, I just like posting notes on facebook. Obviously that gives you a much smaller reach but it's definitely more personal and that's why I prefer it.
  • I agree about blogging helps to improve my writing skill, refine my thoughts. learn to be consistent, learn discipline and helps me to achieve greater understanding. I like to write blog to help others who faced the same problem as me. By writing more and doing research on the topic, I learn together with the readers.
    That is the drive that keeps me writing. I do admit that consistency is a challenge for me and I hope that I will continue the practice of blogging for a long time! :P

    As for the negative part, I do agree writing negatively on rants and attack would make me feel more worse. I did once wrote a post on rants and it really drove my energy down to the negative path. But I manage to convert the blog with a positive mindset towards the end and Ifelt better and willing to accept my misfortune at that moment.

    I think it would help to write with an open mind and from the reader's perspective on what they would like to read. Whether you want to share openly with the readers on your point of views or just write for the sake of writing would determine how successful you blog would be. I am working towards that goal.
  • I agree with your statements about becoming a better person - your writing is informative AND clear. I want to emphasize the importance of seeing what happens, or doesn't happen, in your life as times of learning and growing. When something goes wrong, maybe a client seemed less than ecstatic about my service (which hardly happens, I'm happy to report,) I ask myself what I could have done differently, and make sure I apply my "discovery" with future appointments. Yes, everything is a test, a chance for real positive change. And that is called EXCITEMENT about being alive! .... Fern
  • Lol “bitch festivals.” I like that term, I know what you mean.
    The single most annoying thing I find is that there is so much blog content out there that has nothing to offer the reader other than trying to sell them something, and putting down other products in the same niche. I think someone is far more likely to buy your product if you offer them something interesting to read rather than ranting on about your product for 500 words.
  • I think blogging is quite beneficial for developing writing skills and research skills. If you are going to blog about a subject of interest, usually a little bit of research is involved to create a quality post. I also agree that it can lead to developing networking skills and communication skills. With that said, I think the negative aspects of blogging can be getting stuck on complaining or getting carried away with words sometimes while we are angry. One has to remember a blog is pretty much like writing in stone, a bunch of people are going to read what you write so write with that notion in mind.
  • Yossarian
    Hi!

    Thanks for an interesting post, but i'd like to counterpoint it by directing people's attention toward this one: http://lifeasabellyacher.blogspot.com/2009/05/i...

    It's a nice argument. What do you think? (For the record, i didn't write it. i just thought you might like a different perspective on 'betterment'!)
  • blogging help you to change your view on a lot of things. Since we need to update our blog recently, we also need to read a lot to collect information. The information gathered will form a new perception and beleif. Sometimes, it helps you to find out where your weakness are and how to improve it. Also sometimes, blogging might lead you to a worse person when you hate what you read and you review it in the harsh way.
  • this is very interesting article about blogging, i am totally new in this but i love to write blogs i love to express my thinking in words. it gives me a self confidence that i can do better than what i am doing and i can be a better writer a better person and my personality will boom. in this way i can present my self the way i really am. in my opinion this is like a mirror which shows us the real picture of ours and how we can make our self more n more wonderful.
  • I love this post!

    I started blogging seven months ago, and I'm still discovering new benefits every day.

    Blogging has taught me: accountability, clarity in thought and word, confidence, discipline, bigger-picture thinking/linking, saying no to good reads and blog ideas (at least for now) for the sake of time (and sanity), restraint (with rants - to be kept private), how to read and write faster, how to stay on topic, how to break big ideas into small ones for blog posts, how to write for others, how to bridge, how to be patient, how to listen to readers, how to pace for the future, how to be mindful of my web persona and level of personal disclosure, and how to transform any painful experience, remove the "I" as much as possible, and make it about the reader.

    Whew, and I'm only getting started! So yeah, blogging has served me well. :D
  • To me, it makes sense to separate out the two main aspects of blogging:

    1. Writing and content creation, including research, honing skills, etc.
    2. Networking and meeting/encountering/communicating with other bloggers

    Will the former make you a better person? Perhaps, if you exercise your brain, learn new things and think differently.

    How about the latter? It could if you discover a good role model, find alternate points of view, share useful information with other people, etc.

    In both cases, though, I think a foundation and intent is necessary to make yourself a better person with this activity.
  • Blogging is like anything else we spend our time with - it will sharpen those qualities we already have. If we are positive, it will probably continue to coax our positivity in some way, even in the most soul crushing moments. If we are negative, cynical, greedy etc. than a year of blogging will likely do quite a bit to sharpen those traits as well.
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