Why I like blogging so much.

I'm on a roll. One long post deserves another, eh?

I want to jabber about why I like blogging so much. Why it feels so cathartic.
And I will.

And that's precisely why I like it so much.
Blogging allows my selfish side to escape, gorge itself with self-indulgence, and return to its repressed corner of my brain, fully satisfied.

I can write whatever I like, and I do, and that makes me happy!

Treating people with respect has, as one of its key tenets, having respect for other people's opinions and viewpoints.
I believe in treating people with respect. So that means that sometimes in conversation, you have to defer to someone else's opinion. And you have to stop talking about whatever it was that you were so excited to talk about, and listen to what they have to say. That's great; it's not really conversation if one person does all the talking. A conversation won't go anywhere without that principle - that both people are listening and reacting to each other's comments.

Well, sometimes I want to get on my soapbox and just ramble to anyone who will listen.
I have strong opinions, because I think about things a lot. This much is probably obvious.
But, often, on subjects where I have strong opinions, it would be disrespectful to voice them.
This is an important thing to live with. You might have a strong opinion, but don't offend people with it.

I was at a gathering this weekend, where a comment was made on the theme of religion, which was both patronising and insulting. I felt a near incandescent rage as a result. It would have been inappropriate for me to strike the person who made the comment, but far less inappropriate than actually making the comment was.
People should consider that their beliefs and opinions are just that: theirs. Evangelising is disgraceful.
I do appreciate that people have a right to express themselves. But treating people with respect can involve waiving that right.

But here, if I felt the desire to, I could make comments perhaps almost as inappropriate as the one I received which deeply offended both myself and a close family friend.

I like to think that I'm mature enough to realise when I'm saying something which is either a lie or based on a very naive foundation, and I hope that I'd stop myself. At least I can postedit text when the realisation hits.
But here, I control the topic.
Here, I can render my position in as much detail as I wish, focussing on whatever aspects take my fancy.

Here, I can say whatever I like.

And that feels great.