Some people like to keep a journal. Some people think it’s a bad idea.
People who keep a journal often see it as part of the process of self-understanding and personal growth. They don’t want insights and events to slip through their minds. They think with their fingers and have to write to process experiences and become aware of their feelings.
People who oppose journal-keeping fear it contributes to self-absorption and narcissism. C.S. Lewis, who kept a journal at times, feared that it just aggravated sadness and reinforced neurosis. Gen. George Marshall did not keep a diary during World War II because he thought it would lead to “self-deception or hesitation in reaching decisions.”
The question is: How do you succeed in being introspective without being self-absorbed?There are a couple great examples of how to distinguish the two in his full Op-Ed.
Thanks, +Zuhair Khan
