The things we cannot say

You know why therapists will always be in business? Because we will always need people to listen to us talk about ourselves without interruption and without (apparent) judgment, even if we have to pay them to do it. And no one, no matter how saintly, can put up with listening to a perfect stranger blabber on about the same problem incessantly without compensation.

Sure, ease of access to the Internet and the relative anonymity it provides can give you a soapbox to shout from, but there's no guarantee anyone is listening and even less of a chance that anyone cares. It's funny how so many bloggers take their comments so seriously, as if their own thoughts can only be validated if someone else agrees. I've been there, too, so it's not that I'm trying to sit up on my high horse and laugh at those spineless twits. I have been one of those spineless twits and I'm not entirely convinced that I've left that behind me.

So in the battle of Shrink vs. Blog, the therapist usually wins. Even if they are sitting there silently judging you and counting down the minutes until your session is over, they'll at least pretend that the daily vicissitudes of your life are fascinating and complex, if only by asking you questions that you will have to find the answers to yourself. Plus, if you are being a dumbass, your therapist is more likely to try and help you realize that in a constructive way as opposed to the anonymous commenter who has no responsibility or liability in haphazardly typing how stupid you are and how much you suck. But those unwilling or unable to part with hundreds of dollars an hour to talk to a professional, well, at least there's this.

Shrink or blog, however, can both serve the same purpose. They both allow us to vent, think through, and work out complicated ideas, thoughts, or issues... the things we cannot say, for one reason or a million.