- Published on
Writing as an Act of Vulnerability
- Authors
- Name
- Jorge Fuentes
- @jorgefu_
For months now I have been trying to write some articles. I have ideas, I have sources, and I have drafts, but it hasn't happened. Sure it is complex ideas and there are many threads to explore, but after so long there must be an emotional block. I enjoy saying I will write, but I don't seem to want to publish anything. So why? What do I fear?
I think publishing your most thoughtful deepest thoughts and musings is an act of vulnerability. There is a fear of judgement, but more importantly theres a fear of being importantly and obviously wrong.
My current musings are probably my weakest, most sensitive, and changing areas. I am trying to write about the most important topics to me like relationships and meaning in life. And an article will solidify my current errors and I know I will view it wrong in hindsight. I have seen how arguments I was professing actually came from a place of immaturity and weakness. I have seen people profess ideas that are much more a reflection of their own tormented mental state than the intellectual arguments they are hiding behind. I am scared someone older and wiser will read my intellectual seeming article and see the author's weakness and folly.
And by solidifying my current errors, I will also have to confront that perhaps I am not smart or original. In conversations, I enjoy lecturing about my most recent musing and hope I am helping, but conversations are much easier to gloss over fundamental errors. Writing arguments makes me realize how weak some parts are and how much I don't know. And perhaps other judgement that the writing is bad and ideas weak will be correct. And a pillar I deeply value about myself will collapse.