Salam Alaykom,
I know it has been
some time since I last blogged and I have been plagued with the need to write
for the past few days. However, I have been staring at my screen for a while
and can’t seem to find anything remotely inspiring to blog about. And it struck
me… why do people take to writing to express themselves? What is it about this
particular medium that compels people to spill out their inner most thoughts,
feelings, desires and dreams- among other things.
To begin with,
psychologists suggest (and yes, I am making use of what little time I have left
of my JSTOR subscription for this) that writing is a “medium by which people
come to alter their self-perception… by talking or writing about emotional and
personal issues, they achieve a greater understanding of themselves.” [Patterns
of Natural Language Use: Disclosure, Personality and Social Integration. James
W. Pennebaker and Anna Graybeal.] The study goes on to suggest that using
writing as a medium by which one can express themselves helps to improve
general wellbeing, both physically and mentally. To further this point, another
study suggests that “not talking about important psychological phenomena is a
form of inhibition, [and in turn] inhibition increases stress.” [Examining the
Theory and Clinical Utility of Writing about Emotional Experiences. Richard R.
Bootzin.] With this, it may be fair to say that writing is a release and for
some it is the only way by which they can express themselves. This may be due
to people finding it hard to talk to people and at times, the paper (or screen)
may be the only way in which they can let out what they feel without being
judged or criticised.
Though the spoken word
is equally powerful in the sense that it may transmit the thoughts of any given
person, they tend to lack the immortality of writing. I personally feel that writing
things down is like etching something in to stone; it is only with time that it
becomes erased, and it may even be said that it is never erased. In comparison
to this, the spoken word, if it is not noted down at some point, is like
writing something into sand; it is quicker to be erased and forgotten. There’s
a simple phrase that I saw on the back of a volume of Arabic poetry once that
really stayed in my mind and I feel has spurred me in some way or another to
keep writing; it talked of poets who have been immortalised by their words
(Shu3ara2 khaladahom al zamaan bikelimatihim.) The human desire to leave behind
some sort of legacy is not a new concept and many a people attempt to leave
their trace on the world to say, “Hi, I existed and I left a legacy.” Some
choose to write, others preach, others entertain, and so forth; each person
does this in their own way and history is full of excellent examples of people
who have left some sort of legacy, be it a good or infamous one.
A friend of mine once
said something to me that made me reconsider my approach to writing. They saw
it as the only means by which I can express myself and let out all my thoughts
and feelings without feeling uncomfortable and to use this tool to the best of
my ability. And with this, I thank them for being the reason behind me writing
this quick post and considering what writing means to me. It is my sword, my
pen, my thoughts, my feelings, my escape, my sense and sensibility (if I may
borrow the title from Jane Austen.)
I look forward to
hopefully updating my blog a little more and making use of the skills I
supposedly gained through my three years at university.
Till next time,
Ws.
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