I agree with him but only in part.

I agree that a post has to have something missing so the public can fill in the blanks and create discussion, however, I’d say that is more in the tone of voice than in the content itself.

Still on famous quotations, one that resonates with me is from Salvador Dali: “Never fear perfection, because you won’t reach it”.

Nobody will ever make a post complete, so there should be no fear there isn’t anything to be added. Instead, the tone of the post should allow and encourage commentators to do it so.

It is fairly easy for someone who knows a subject fairly well fall in the trap of giving a post a tone of perfection that creates an unbreakable bubble around it. People who are not as confident will feel intimidated, while people who can contribute might think is not worthy.

Everybody who understood a post is likely to have something interesting to add in a way or another, but they should feel they have.

But I do think that a blogger who doesn’t put thoughts and feelings on his blog is missing a huge chance to learn.

Just one thing, though, sharing thoughts and feelings is not the same that sharing private life.

Narrative and teaching, two powerful ways of learning

I’ve always been a guy inclined toward science and rational discussion, dissertative prose and speech had been a major interest since always. So, I am a natural candidate to run a blog like this.

Yet, I always loved reading narrative. I started with Jules Verne at an early age and never stopped, but I hardly ever wrote any.

Lately, I’ve started to give more value to narrative. I still don’t write, and I don’t have a great sense on how to do it, nor a real interest in doing it so. But I am coming to the conclusion that a great narrative requires talents that are not required for dissertation.

While in dissertation you need the ability to make a point and provide rational evidence about it, in narrative you have the oportunity to make a point without stating it. Sometimes without even know exactly what this point is.

To be able to construct a narrative like this, you have to trust your reader. You don’t send everything ready, just like in dissertative text. You need the reader to participate and build the pieces you left behind.

I really wonder where could dissertation have gone without the huge production of narrative the humanty always had. Narrative is not just story telling, an author, as well as a reader, can really learn a lot from it.

I found out that narrative text and teaching people are actually two of my most important sources of knowledge.

To really learn something you must give it a deep thought, and that is why I ended up discovering that a good part of my knowledge was only really acquired when I taught someone else, and this is one of the main reasons why I am a blogger.

5 blogs that make me think, I’ve been tagged

I can’t but feel honored that Anna tagged me to the “5 blogs that make me think” blog meme.

And now I am supposed to tag 5 other people to follow me on this.

My first option would be, of course, Anna herself, not only she is a great writer that has much more chances of succeed in really good narrative writing that I could ever dream to, but also, as my wife, she makes me think on a daily basis. But I don’t think there is a purpose on tagging her back, once she already participated.

I also agree with Anna’s choices, but I’ll tag someone else.

It would be hard to chose 5 blogs that make me think, because most blogs on my blogroll (the “What I Read” section on the sidebar) are such kind of blogs.

I guess I have to start with Chris Garret. When I heard of the famous problogger talking about problogging I thought “How good can this be?”. But I gave it a try, and is one of the most interesting reads I’m having lately.

Then, I guess it would be Robert Nyman. He runs a blog that is mostly about web development, but subjects arise alongside that make it always much more friendly than strict work.

Those two have already huge amounts of readers and doesn’t need much help to succeed. Now, some fellows run more humble blogs that could improve with good support, so I’ll tag three bloggers that make me think and deserve this incentive: Andre, Chris and Dani.

I apologize with my public for this, but the last three are written in portuguese.