7 Virtues of Blogging

BLOG v. a Thai plumber, called in to fix our toilet, mispronouncing the English word
THAD adj. Hokkien for "blog"

This is a good year for blogging. Blogger.com made it so easy for us to post our daily thoughts online. I strongly recommend that you start one, if you haven't already done so. It's the best way to leave behind a legacy, an electronic sort of legacy.

You can treat it as your "thoughts" archives. You'll be amazed when you look back at your past writings; how you evolve and grow as a person, and how many friends you make along that journey. I can say this from experience, you would also realise how fickle we are as opinionated people. How we constantly change our thinking to fit in (or to distant ourselves) with the world and people around us. One thing for sure... it is seriously more amusing, and more entertaining than reading someone else's autobiography.

Blogging is also one of the most honest forms of modern day communication. We are our own editors. We write and blog without the need to impress. We don't seek job promotion from it. It's just us and our thoughts alone. And remember, there aren't that many things in life that could provide us with such pleasurable autonomy.

you don't need pills, you need a blog

Blogging in not a one way street. It invites discussion from anyone, everyone, from all walks of life. Occasionally you'd get nasty criticisms. They are usually pretty harmless. Best to ignore them, unless of course you are Mr Perfect. Then you shouldn't be writing a blog.

life's complicated enough without enemies

Non-blogging people often think bloggers are ego-centric people. Definitely some truth in this. We post pictures of ourselves, we bitch about things like we are always right. But we are also the most charitable, non-selfish people around: we simply love sharing our thoughts and experience with the outside world... (even if nobody is reading it!).

Maybe we are just chinna-eng people who spend too much time on computers... for me, it keeps me busy, and helps me stay away from many modern day, (almost always) money-wasting vices. This is another reason to start blogging. A well-kept blog definitely instils the 7 traditional virtues:

(1) CHASTITY: A little sacrifice and self-discipline to keep on improving. Always self-educate to "stay popular". A blog is meant to be read by many.

(2) LIBERALITY: Strength of will, knowing your own mind and sticking to your opinion, erm... until a better one comes along.

(3) ABSTINENCE: Restraint and self-control, knowing when to "stop" is essential to keep your reputation (and blog) alive. There is no need to start petty arguments with spammers. So what if they call you a STAR newspaper reader...

(4) DILIGENCE: Keep on writing, and ensuring your blog is interesting. Keep it regularly updated. Blog readers generally have poor attention span, and they get bored pretty easily.

(5) PATIENCE: You need this in abundance. Try keeping a blog running for months with only two readers: you and your pet nyiaw.

(6) KINDNESS: Be good to your readers. You need good networking if you want your entries read. Link like mad. And don't follow my footsteps.

(7) HUMILITY: Be respectful. Not everyone shares the same opinion (or humour); you don't need to make enemies just because people disagree with your ideas. For eg. we don't have to call them kwai-lan just because the Island government don't want a crooked bridge... And you must never, never patronise your readers. Treat them as equal "intelligent human beings", if not more. Oh, and by the way, eg. is short for egg-jumpel, serious.

End of sermon.

Now start blogging and tell us your story...