I don’t publish most comments. Mostly, I’m working on my own writing, not publishing someone else’s, as should you if this blog is a fit for you.
I also avoid argument, where possible. It consumes too much time. If I think a comment may lead to argument, I don’t publish it.
This blog is my personal haven for self-encouragement. If I don’t find something helps me, I usually ignore it, and most things that help me come from my own experience and a handful of books.
Keep in mind, this blog may be in public view, the same way a house is, but it’s not really a public place like a park, nor is it community owned. So I feel free to not even have a reason that anyone finds understandable or acceptable for just doing things my way.
Related Discussion:
Why Won’t You Discuss Your Beliefs? There isn’t any way for me to discuss my beliefs, because I don’t have any beliefs. All we could do is discuss your beliefs, which is something I don’t have a reason to think is useful for me.
You could give your reasons for not adopting others’ beliefs. I can already tell you the reason I don’t adopt others’ beliefs is that they are beliefs, and I don’t want to begin having any beliefs.
Aren’t the rules you list in your blog your beliefs? No, they’re only summaries of my experience that are useful to me, and aren’t intended for others to adopt or follow.
I think they’re beliefs. OK
Don’t you think if you write something in public, you’re accountable and should have to discuss it? No, I don’t believe that, either. I don’t have a belief that I should have to do anything at all, or answer to anyone in any way.
Isn’t that too a belief? No, it’s an absence of one.
You could explain the absence of one. I don’t know how to explain nothing, and wouldn’t be interested in doing so.
Why do you write a blog, if you aren’t trying to get people to adopt certain beliefs? I write to track things I find useful in my writing.
But you do it in public. Yes, I see no reason not to, and this way I can easily glance at it any time I want.
I don’t believe you. I think you want people to see your ideas, and respond to them. OK
Don’t you think you’re making things too hard? For whom?
For yourself. I don’t experience what I’m doing as hard. Other people can make my life hard, but the things I do to write, I experience as making it easier. That’s why I do them.
When you write, don’t you write so you’re readers will understand? Why, do they not understand?
You seem to have an answer for everything. I find it easy to answer things when they require mainly the same answer all the time. All my answers so far have been merely a refusal, just restated in different ways – a “No thanks.”
Couldn’t you humor other people a little, in case they feel the need to discuss their own beliefs? I do humor them: I don’t interfere with anyone discussing anything. I merely don’t participate, unless it’s useful to me personally.
Isn’t that selfish? I don’t know. I know I need to avoid doing that in order to focus on my writing.
That’s a belief. Maybe for you; for me, it’s just an experience of what it takes to do what I do, and may not be applicable to other people.
So beliefs are things that are applicable to other people? Well, you’re here offering yours to another person, and have asked me to offer mine to another person. I’m merely responding to your belief about beliefs – that they need involve more than one person in some way.
Maybe I want to understand you better, in case you have something useful for me. I can understand that desire, but I’m unable or unwilling to actively fulfill it. I’ve already said I don’t have time or inclination to offer you anything useful. I’m too busy writing.
Some writers do help others. I’m not a writer. I write, certainly, as an action, but I never assented to a belief system or agenda associated with “being” something.
I think a writer is someone who writes. Yes, I’ve heard that.
Don’t you believe it? I’ve already told you – I don’t have beliefs.
Why don’t you belief it? Like I said, I’m also not looking to adopt any beliefs.
What if you found a belief useful? I’d consider turning it into a rule for myself, but I wouldn’t adopt it as a belief, because then I’d have to focus on it’s applicability to other people.
Don’t you care about other people? Which other people?
Anyone. Yes.
Who? I’m sorry, I prefer not to drag other people into my writing, or to get overly personal.
Why not? It interferes with my writing.
You plan for other people to read your writing, though. Not until I’ve written it. And, until then, involving other people would not only slow me down.
So you might change your belief later? If you mean will I acquire some beliefs later, I hope not, because I want to continue writing.
So everything you do is based on your writing? I think I mentioned that. I didn’t mention that I do anything else, beyond basic survival, which is meant to serve the writing.
It must be nice to be so focused. I consider it something I do, rather than something I am, because I’m capable of not doing it. But yeah, as I said, I write, except when I don’t. And that’s a terrible time, where I’m busy focused on all kinds of things other than writing, like the beliefs other people are having.
I think you have to have a balance and focus on several things. I don’t mind if you think that I have to do that, as long as I don’t actually have to do that. And, as far as I can tell, I don’t.
It seems like you like to argue. I’m under the impression that I dislike it, actually, and that I’m refusing to argue by refusing to discuss beliefs. I’m actually answering your questions about what I don’t do, not something I do believe. Arguing would require me to have something to argue – some belief to convince you of. But I don’t wish to convince you of any beliefs, or adopt any of my own.
You could stop. I will stop in a moment. The reason I haven’t simply ignored you is to ensure that I have a page I can just point people to, if they want to argue, or ask these questions again. It’s to save time in the future.
What if they have more questions? I’ll probably say I’m too busy to answer them. After all, if they don’t find their answer in 40 questions and answers, I probably won’t have one for them. And if they do, then they know I don’t want to discuss whatever it may be anyway.
So you used me to write a page. That seems manipulative. If I recall, you came to me, and if I remember right, I specifically refused to do the things you asked. So, all the initiative is coming from you, and I’m merely responding.
I can stop. Thank you. I have to get back to my writing, now. Best wishes.
