What part of being human makes us want to share our thoughts with others? Is it searching for kinship? For attention? For validation? What part of us makes us want to cross the barrier that prevents something from being a diary, and turning it into a blog? Do some thoughts belong in a personal journal, and not online? Are most of them really worth sharing?
The answer is yes- most thoughts are worth sharing. Most of them will make someone feel seen, or help them find understanding. Some of them will help people learn, or give them something to think about. We love to feel less alone by sharing ourselves.
That brings me to the question the title poses: Should you really be reading this?
If I'm okay writing these thoughts, and then no one seeing them, then why don't I just keep a diary? Why is this a blog? If I get less than five views per week (and I do), then what's the difference between this, and just typing things into a notes app, or scribbling them into a journal? If I don't ever plan to try and earn revenue from this blog, or make a business out of my online presence, then what reason is there? If I don't care to share, and I also don't care for a secondary goal (earning), then why put it online? Do I really want this blog spread all over the internet, beyond my control?
Do I want the stress of someone misinterpreting my words? Do I want someone to apply their exclusive personal experience to every word I type, and critique me if what I write doesn't match up with their experiences? Do I want to feel the pressure to not be too personal on here, but be just personal enough to write things that are compelling?
Right now, this is a journal. It's also a place where I drop thoughts, musing, and anything else that pops into my head. It's whatever I want it to be. Will I lose all that freedom if I get more than five views per week? Maybe.
I don't think I need to worry about that, though. I don't actively share this blog anywhere, and I don't think this particular platform has a robust enough sharing system for anything here to get picked up and go viral without a lot of effort on my part.
I just always have to wonder- what difference does posting things online make? Is it the ease of sharing my thoughts with the few people who I want to link these things to? Is it the possibility that someone who shares my exact interests might find affirmation or kinship in my posts? Those are my best guesses, but I'll never be sure. I have a rich offline life, but I can't deny the siren song of unlimited communication with other like-minded people across the globe.