I've probably said this before, but...

[edg]

...it's striking how many things I don't post here simply because I don't feel like getting grief for saying them.

("Post anyway, it's your journal" doesn't help. It's hard to feel entitled to post what you want when your readers feel entitled to lay into you for it.)

Comments

[unlovablehands.livejournal.com]

Have you thought about filtering your entries to certain people, or making them private rather than friends-only?

[edg.livejournal.com]

I have, actually, and I do have filters set up - although not for this sort of thing. The problem is that who's going to take umbrage is unpredictable; the only thing I can really predict at this point is whether the post is, for lack of a better word, umbrage-able.

As for private entries, I find that they work better for me as note-to-self tools, or a way to remove a questionable entry from the public eye without deleting it entirely. For whatever reason, venting into a private entry doesn't do me much more good then just bitching about it in my head.

[pyrephox.livejournal.com]

Same here, actually. My LJ is the first 'diary' I've ever managed to keep, because I can't /write/ about stuff without having a percieved audience. I've tried private entries, and there's just the the thought, "I already know what the hell I'm thinking, why write it down?" going over and over again.

Also, about the having not to post some things because of how people you know read the LJ will react. Or knowing that they'll react negatively. It's not really the "I disagree and you're stupid" that bothers me, but other emotional reactions.

So, basically, just...my sympathies. What I know some people do is create another LJ and not give the name out to their current friendslist, and use it for the venting that needs to be done. Might that help? Still an audience, just less likely to be the ones who'll take offense.

[edg.livejournal.com]

*nods* Exactly. As far as my posting habits are concerned, Private is for keeping track of posts that I don't want anybody but me to see anymore.

And, you know, I actually have done that, too. But I never update it these days, because nobody reads it! So. >_>

[pyrephox.livejournal.com]

Hee. *scritches* Understandable.

[phosphodae.livejournal.com]

"For whatever reason, venting into a private entry doesn't do me much more good then just bitching about it in my head."

For me it helps to organize and process that head-bitching into something tangible and manageable. It's sometimes difficult for me to make emotional progress if I forget the random insights and epiphanies I have-- so I record them, and when I reread them it's a reminder and a focus to give me direction.

[edg.livejournal.com]

That's a really good point, actually. I'll keep that in mind.