Of Passion in writing

Yesterday, at the fag end of a drinking session, a dear friend lamented that postings on my blog were sans ‘passion’. They were too “balanced” or “politically correct”. I tried to reason with him but his refrain was that “the person writing [the blog] is more interesting than the writings” (I felt flattered!). I don’t know whether to take his counsel seriously and splash my blog with inanities that pass as interesting conversation or to stick to my ponderous style in writing short essays on my blog.

Most of us are good conversationalists. We can discuss a plethora of topics with ease. We have opinion about everything and we seldom hesitate to thrust it on others. We may lack consistency in our arguments; we may lack due insight on a subject; we may be throwing logic to winds while arguing our point, but it doesn’t prevent us from believing that ours is the most cogent and perspicacious view-point. We try to mask the shallowness of our knowledge by putting forth our point passionately. The lack of logical appeal in our arguments is more than compensated by our vociferous assertions. Thus we carry on with our prattle, all the while nurturing the delusion that we are rational and thinking persons.

Now, I am ok with all this sham when participating in small talk. But when expressing myself in writing, especially when it is in public domain, I’m a bit conscious. I deliberately purge my postings of missionary zeal. When writing my main objective is not to impress or incite but to present an objective analysis/argument in the best possible manner I am capable of. At the same time, I am aware of my limitations as a writer, and know I’ll never be able to match Hemingway’s lucidity. Mine is an humble attempt to share my thinking framework, howsoever naïve and flawed it may be, with others.

Hence, my dear friend, my blog will continue to lack passionate appeal but it will never be blinkered and myopic---at least this much you can be assured of.