Why start a blog in 2024?
It's 2024. Why a blog now?
When I think about communication and mastering the skill effectively, there is much to discuss. So many factors impact the quality of how we communicate: value, technique, style, medium, language, and emotions are just some of the key areas. Ultimately, why is this so important, and why now?
We all lived through the pandemic and the relative isolation forced or amplified in our lives. Now it is imperative we consider the implications of the pre-pandemic trend only exacerbated by COVID. The trend of reducing our face-to-face interactions started generations ago with the telephone. Now, thanks to the rapid expansion of technology, there are those who may be able to insulate themselves from nearly any meaningful human interaction. To be sure, technology as a means of societal growth and expansion has a massive impact. I don’t wish to diminish that, nor return to an era where daily functions lack these advances.
But I do wonder, if we can avoid people in real interactions, how do we grow as humans? Human interaction, touch, and mutual energies build core basic needs like trust, compassion, inspiration, self-confidence, self-awareness, and love in all its forms. The converse manifests in the forms of fear, distrust, and pain. Humans cannot effectively grow as individuals unless we learn from those around us and meter them against our experiences developed over our lifetimes. A universal understanding: when we are born, we need the support of other humans to grow and mature. Growth challenges us with struggles that call for resilience and perseverance. Overcoming those obstacles is the mettle that defines us, as well as our ability to achieve a meaningful life.
As technology grows at what seems a break-neck pace, we look at the future presented by AI. It can be daunting to consider the coming changes and adaptations. As a global society, we already have less face-to-face interaction. We can now immunize ourselves from being in a crowd, dealing with others’ idiosyncrasies, hygiene concerns, or even disagreements. The cost of avoiding these inconveniences means we are not engaging in any potentially adverse conditions, and although that may be comforting in some respects, it ultimately reduces our communicative abilities.
Building a safe network of people that we can rely on and grow with is a life process. It does not end with childhood. By cutting ourselves off from humanity and putting technology between us, we only do a disservice to ourselves and the communities we are a part of, intentionally and unintentionally. We are not only depriving ourselves of the benefit of learning from others, but denying others the opportunity to grow by virtue of exposure to us. Each interaction, good or bad, holds value and potential for meaningful connection. We learn all through our lives from those we interact with. Some people flow quickly through our experiences and some stay around for extended periods. To continue to grow, humans require other humans. If we stop our mental and emotional growth, we can define this only in one term: death.
In business terms, there is no status quo. There is growth or death. Either you are growing your impact (often measured as revenue) or your business is dead/dying. Growth does not come from doing the same thing over and over. It emanates from iteration and innovation. A human life cycle functions similarly to business. We must continue to grow and challenge our fears (iterate and innovate).
So, why do this? A blog serves two purposes. Selfishly, it clarifies my ideas and knowledge by forcing them onto a page. It also shares them with others who might find these lessons illuminating, or even inspirational in tackling new opportunities. A blog is communication. And although it’s a monologue, perhaps it can inspire a dialogue. Hopefully, as I explore multiple areas of communication, the mediums I use can offer a brief interlude, educational moment, inspiration, and the occasional entertainment.
Let’s get started.
Ari