1. Is what I have to say important?
2. Is it worth the time it will take for me to type it out?
3. Do its contents reflect an actual desire to impart knowledge on my part or is it just an obvious cry for attention?
4. Will what I share bring anything new to the conversation or am I just saying the same things everyone else has said before, but I am convinced they are more important because they are coming from me?
5. In a world which is already drowning in words that have no more meaning than a desire for acknowledgment on the part of the people who put them out there, will the torrent of verbiage I am about to inflict just add to the toxic landfill of the Internet?
6. Am I sure my opinion is so worthwhile that other people want to sit through a continuous short-burst monologue of it?
7. Twenty minutes after I post it and the likes and replies start trailing off will I feel empty at first and then increasingly embarrassed by the sheer narcissism it took to offer up my vapid and poorly-processed attempts at instruction? Will my cheeks burn with shame?
8. Who do I think I am? Why do I feel so alone? Am I about to cry?
by Alex Balk, The Awl | Read more:
Image: Zooey
