Monday, February 28, 2011

On Blogging and Pretension...

I resisted creating a blog for awhile.  I actually think that blogging in general is a fairly pretentious thing to do.  Let's be honest. Pretty much anything I'm going to write here has already been said.  Usually it's been said by someone more qualified, or more eloquent, and probably both.   But here I am anyway, blogging away.  There will be more on what kicked this all off in a later post, but for now let me say that yes, this blog makes me pretentious.
At the very least, the blog itself is pretentious.


pre·ten·tious

[pri-ten-shuhs]
–adjective
1. full of pretense  or pretension.
2. characterized by assumption of dignity or importance.
3. making an exaggerated outward show; ostentatious.

This blog is all of the above.  At some point, though, I came to the conclusion that just because something is pretentious doesn't mean it can't also be useful.   


Yes, it's all been said before. Many, many times over in fact.  However, just because somebody said it, it doesn't follow that the message has necessarily been heard.  So, at the risk of repeating myself, let alone the many others who have walked this path before me, I decided it was time to get some of the thoughts that have been buzzing around my head  out into the world.  Who knows?  Maybe somebody out there will hear the message.  Maybe they'll even agree with it.  There's nothing noble about this blog.  It won't go on to be my legacy. (God, at least I hope not!)  It is, however, a way for me look my own ego in the face and see if I'm actually "getting it."  So, I won't pretend this blog is really for you.  It's for me.  Call it cheap therapy. If you do happen to get anything out of it, though, I'll be content in that I can continue to call myself a teacher.


And yes, all of your blogs are pretentious, too.  That doesn't mean I don't think they're awesome.


Kick. Punch. Easy Stuff.


1 comment:

  1. I would argue that having a blog is not a sign of pretension. It's more about the desire to express yourself. If you temper the vanity of the project with humility, that should cancel out any possibility of pretension, shouldn't it? It's all about context. Performing a hyung is not any more pretentious that writing a blog about it, as long as both acts of self-expression are tempered with humility.

    Now this comment... this is pretentious.

    ReplyDelete