A Realization (Temporary End of How to Paint Your Panda)

Nick has pointed something out to me.

It's not doubt that I've spent a significant amount of time on my blog for the purposes of debating, arguing, and inciting those things. I write frequently on controversial subjects which are sure to invoke a lot of disagreement and debate. It's almost what I live for -- to be antagonizing. But as Nick pointed out to me, this is really juvenile.

He pointed to my dad's work: "Debate? Why?" Specifically, this segment:

"So when someone says the word 'debate,' I think to myself, 'why bother? There's no point to debating.'

'But what if I'm right?'

'Do you know that you are?'

If anybody answers 'yes' to that question, then I think they need to work some things out with themselves."

That last line really hit me, and I can't believe that I forgot about it. In almost all of these debatable situations, even if we're operating within the confines of an assumed reality, I can't know for sure that I'm right. I can make myself informed of the current information and take a position based on that, but what reason do I have to publicize it on my blog? Arguing with people on the internet isn't going to inform me of anything that I can't find on my own.

And you know what? It's a lot easier to take a position when you aren't publicizing that position. That helps with integrity.

There are certain things we know to be true, but the things I talk about aren't, and honestly, doing this isn't the way that I'm going to find the knowledge. This is just where I relay it. It is a very rare occasion, relative to the entirety of my time on the internet, that someone brings information to me that forces me to change my position. Most of the time, it doesn't do anything. Most of the time, the changes I make are based on things I learn on my own.

That's why I've decided that, in order to stay true to my dad's word, and in order to maintain my integrity (see the About Me page), I'm not going to keep up with this blog for a while, if at all.

Thank you to all of my followers who have been keeping up with my posts. I'll keep everything here so people can look at it in the future, but I may or may not come back to it.

For those of you who have been paying attention, well, I hope your pandas are looking beautiful now.