Blog Rock

I used to have such interesting debates on the internet. Sure, they often became contentious and descended into personal attacks. But they were interesting.

Then I grew up. 

Now I'm so stinkin' afraid of offending anyone I can't tell anyone what I believe or think without great anxiety.

No, it's worse than that. Not only can't I tell anyone what I believe or think, now even merely considering issues which are highly charged brings to my mind the faces and words of countless relatives, friends, and acquaintances who would think ill of me for misapprehending or dismissing a point about which they feel strongly.

Yet I have this blog, and every now and then I work up the gumption to write something on it. But who wants to read a blog where the person never says anything that could be disagreed with or thought ignorant? I don't, at least. 

Talking with my wife this morning, I compared my predicament to reading a blog written by a rock. Nobody's ever offended by rocks. If you've ever heard a rock give a controversial opinion or state an unpopular idea, you're out of your mind. Rocks don't talk. But rocks don't blog either, and even if they did nobody would read their blogs.

Rock: Day #1 - still sitting here. 

Rock: Day #2 - still sitting here.

Rock: Day #3 - still... sitting... right here.

Rock: Day #4 - someone stepped on me! I wobbled a bit, now I'm just sitting here again.

And so it would go. And no one would read that blog.

But what about family and friends and acquaintances? What about current and potential future employers who can Google your name? What about a possible future dictatorial, totalitarian, repressive regime? There are endless ways what you say on the internet could come back to haunt you.

Are any of those good reasons to not form, hold to, or communicate opinions, though?

The younger me would be disgusted at the thought, and often was when he encountered it. That Garrett railed against cowards and flatterers and wishy-washy people who he felt were spineless equivocators. Whatever happened to that guy?

Like I say - growing up happened. Or did it? 

Read a guy like Matt Walsh. That guy has guts. He ponders, he forms opinions. He has convictions and opinions and (gasp) he communicates them! 

That could be me. I used to be like Matt Walsh. And when I was, there was an indescribable confidence and self-respect in my possession which enabled me to tell you where I stood on issues and questions. There was a boldness and a firmness of resolve. My thoughts and beliefs mattered to me. My evaluations of things were quick and measured. And my faith informed all my contemplation and communication. But it wasn't enough for me to develop my own views on things. I wanted to influence you. I wanted to draw you into a consideration of deep and meaningful questions, to provoke you to live on purpose, understanding the matters at hand. 

So again, what happened?

Well, for starters, a lot of my bold conversation ticked people off. Who did I think I was to have all these views on things? Only someone with delusions of grandeur would dare to grapple with big issues and do so with authority or confidence.

But that's just it. How would the great men of history have done anything worthwhile if they had resigned themselves to quiet, mindless, vacillating? Nothing great or significant would ever have happened in the history of mankind if all men were content with mediocrity and blandness of ideas.

So who cares if someone disagrees with or is offended by what you say? Fear of being ostracized isn't a good enough reason to swear off having, or stating, your views. And, quite honestly, people need to not be so easily offended.