My older son has been urging me to write a blog for years. At first I resisted because frankly, I didn’t like the word blog. It sounds like something that happens just before vomiting. But then I googled it (which sounds like what happens when someone tickles you too hard…oops, I googled!) and discovered blog is simply short for web log. Now a log is an official record, typically associated with a voyage or travel. So the next decision was what to web log about. “Anything,” he told me.  “Just write about whatever’s on your mind.” And that got me thinking.

There seems to be an epidemic of people saying and writing what’s on their minds. And that is fine, so long as it is clear to them and their audience that that is all it is – what’s on their mind. That doesn’t make it true, right, or factual. It is what’s on their mind, which is the same thing as their opinion. 

Unfortunately, we become very attached to our opinions. So much so that we seek verification of our opinions by listening only to those who share our opinions and ignoring those who do not; only attending to information that supports our position and interpreting new information in a way that supports our existing beliefs or theories. This is called confirmation bias. Honestly, that’s a thing. You can google it.

So here’s what’s on my mind – my opinion. Words are powerful. They can be constructive or destructive. In order to avoid the latter, they should be selected carefully and thoughtfully. That is why we have a brain – so we can think before we speak. A good test for deciding whether we should or should not say what’s on our mind is to consider how we would feel if someone said it to us. I believe there would be much less talking and blogging if this test were practiced more often. I’ve decided that the only place it is completely safe to say what’s on my mind is in the shower. Lately, I find myself taking them more often.