Do you blog to be yourself or to be the you you want to be?

Posted by danleone on June 25th, 2007 filed in blogging

I was thinking lately about blogging and the Dan that blogs. I had been assuming that I blog because I need this chance to express my “true” Dan-ness. Then I thought about the fact that nearly all of the people that I know at work, home and friends have no idea that I blog and would be shocked to hear about some of the things I had to say. I don’t mean shocked like I had anything profound to say, but shocked that I could complete a coherent thought. At home, I am the short-tempered, sarcastic dad that spends more time screeching at the top of my lungs than imparting words of wisdom to my baby goats. At work, I am the rather sarcastic and boring, geek wannabe that thinks too long before speaking to the annoyance of everyone I work with. To my friends, I am the guy that uses sarcasm to get laughs despite that the laughs are of the uncomfortable variety. But on my blog, I want to present an air of sarcastic sophistication with a hint of nice guy thrown in. Am I (E) all of the above or is there a real me that has escaped detection for 42 years?

Where do the public you and the private you meet and where do they diverge?

5 Responses to “Do you blog to be yourself or to be the you you want to be?”

Terri Says:
June 25th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
I find the subject of your post (the fact that most don’t know you blog and whether or not you’re being “real”) kind of ironic. If you check my latest post, you’ll see a similar theme!
danleone Says:
June 25th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
Hello Terri:

Isn’t there a saying about great minds thinking alike?

Dan
sophie Says:
June 25th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
The things on my blog are things that those closest to me know about and the content is unlikely to surprise anyone. I do refrain from blogging terribly personal things. My language on the blog is tame compared to the *me who I am around close friends.* I drop the f-word far more often in real life than on the blog. This is simply due to some searches that made my stomach turn. That said, very few warm-blooded people are aware of my blog. It’s nice to have a place where I don’t have to be politically correct.
paisley Says:
June 26th, 2007 at 6:17 am
i think writing, unlike verbal communication allows us the time we need to form coherent thoughts… and in this medium, we can look and act like we know what we are talking about,,,because we can proof read and edit… while life and verbal conversations are more suitable to “one liners”….

they are both the real you,, you just have the time to polish this one up before he speaks…..
Laurie Anne Says:
June 27th, 2007 at 5:57 am
I just found you; I really like what I’m reading so far. Thought I’d let you know…
This is a great thought-provoking post. I struggle with this all the time…