I recently read a few Essays by Michel de Montaigne, and while reading, I came to the conclusion that Montaigne was a Renaissance blogger!
Seriously.
As I read, I marveled at how different Montaigne’s writings were from his contemporaries, but how similar they are to the mommy-bloggers (and other bloggers, of course) of today. Many of the writers of the medieval period wrote emphatically and definitively. They didn’t leave anything open to argument. They didn’t allow for ‘comments.’ But that is what Montaigne’s writing was all about. In fact, he says from the get-go that his writing is meant to be his opinion, and is open to criticism. But that isn’t the only thing that makes his writing a medieval blog. In fact, I found a whole slew of reasons:
1. Montaigne isn’t writing as a know-it-all. Many bloggers today use blogs as a form of expression, a ways to present some ideas and join a conversation. Montaigne writes as if he has just entered an ongoing discussion on a topic or issue, listened to what others said, gave his thoughts, received feedback, then left before the conversation concluded.
2. Unlike writers of his time, but very much like bloggers of ours, Montaigne brings himself into his writing. Instead of only writing his conclusion, Montaigne brings his readers into his mind. He writes like he thinks. In fact, he will even tell his writers if he was about to tell them something but then suddenly forgot.
3. Montaigne didn’t just write about philosophy or religion, he wrote about what was happening around him. Most blogs I read are written by people who want to share what is going on around them and what is happening in their world and sphere of experience (I apologize for the passive sentence, but this is blogging, I can do what I want). Each of Montaigne’s essays is basically a blog post about something he has witnessed or heard about and wanted to add his thoughts and opinions on the subject.
4. Montaigne used more than just his random thoughts or personal beliefs when sharing his opinion on a subject. He used research. Most bloggers today who share thoughtful opinion and discuss current trends and issues need to do some research in order to be a real part of the conversation.
5. Montaigne understood the importance of writing about things he cared about. He didn’t just think of something people would want to hear and then write them. He wrote about the things of his heart, the things he was interested in learning more about and having a conversation about. Any blogger today will tell you it is difficult to write about things you don’t care about. If the writer doesn’t care about what he or she is writing on, it is hard for the readers to care as well.
6. But while Montaigne was writing about what he cared about, he was also being sure to provide people with something useful and educated. This is why research and writing on what he cared about were both so important. By doing both of these things, he was able to provide an intelligent opinion on a subject and allow his readers to then accept or reject it.
7. One of the most important things Montaigne did, and which most bloggers do (I mentioned this in an earlier paragraph, but it is really important as a blogger), was make his tone and words conversational. He was adding to a conversation. He wasn’t just providing his opinion as definitive truth, but as a part of a continuing conversation about an issue or topic. This is Blogging 101.
8. Montaigne was willing to change his opinion, and he often did, even in the middle of a thought. That is something that makes blogging so successful. It is new and fresh. It isn’t the same old writing. People read blogs because they get to be a part of the conversation and they see into the life of the blogger. When we read Montaigne, we see who he was. We get to know Montaigne because he tells us who he is, he didn’t just wasn’t us to figure it out on our own.
So you see, we can learn something useful for out time from people who lived about 500 years ago. We also learn that blogging really isn’t ‘new media.’ It’s as old as the Renaissance. But that’s okay. Because it is something that we want and love. Blogging has been alive since the 1500s, and will continue well into the future. For that I am grateful. As a blogger and as a reader. So let me know what you think. Do you agree with this assessment of Montaigne? Why or why not? Do you have another opinion to offer that may change what I think? Let me hear it. Like Montaigne, I want to be part of a conversation. So let’s talk.
Until next time,
Parrot Tongue
