Comment by stinkytaco | Hacker News Reader

Comment by stinkytaco | Hacker News Reader

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This could also be an investment in future happiness. Part of the point of journaling and documenting is to later revisit and unlocking memories one might have not accessed in some time. This is part of the reason Spotify Wrapped and similar "recaps" are enjoyable. People enjoy seeing what they were like. In many ways we are the product of things we do (whether that be consuming or creating) and exploring those things at a future date is to be in conversation with ourselves.

Things like this are also a way of expressing and sharing gratitude, which is a cathartic exercise to engage in periodically. Putting into words "these are things I enjoyed" is worthwhile, in my experience, and sharing it is a small extra step. Additionally, sharing it can be a gift to the future. I can't tell you how much I appreciate effort my parents took to document parts of my childhood (vacations, accomplishments, daily life, etc.) and I know other children feel the same. It's the kind of window to the past that is only open through efforts like this.

> Part of the point of journaling and documenting is to later revisit and unlocking memories one might have not accessed in some time. This is part of the reason Spotify Wrapped and similar "recaps" are enjoyable.

Wow. I hate that. I was doing diary when I was like 10 years old and when I was actually reading that after few weeks it was terrible. Pure cringe and whinings. With music it is not that visible but there are still few bands I cannot stand anymore, and I was litnening to them extensively few years back, like Neurosis.

But as a pure informational referrence... Sure!

I switch from journaling to writing poetry at night maybe 9 years ago. I'll go through phases where I write no poems and phases where I'll write 10-15 poems at night, I rarely revise and I rarely revisit. I've written probably 10k poems and they're all just in a log somewhere.

I personally think poetry is at its best as a medium for writing and feeling and not consuming or sharing. I think everyone should write poetry and only a small number should probably share it, I certainly don't like being surprised by a poetry reading.

Journaling and poetry is what our future selves stand on and not really for your future self to look back on, it's a meditation where you let your internal self flow out instead of getting stuck in loops or living an unexamined life, it helps give shape to the internal nebulous.

I personally prefer poetry over journaling, it's simultaneously terrible poetry and my best, highest utility writing.

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