A blog is a place for someone to
write about anything under the sun. Whether it be life events, rants or raves,
or helpful hints on where to invest stock or how to be successful in college
you can find a blog for nearly any subject mainstream or obscure. Because of
the subjective nature of a blog there are an infinite number of styles to write
a blog; however most often blogs will be written in the plain style. This is
because the majority of the authors and readers of blogs are intrinsically
motivated to seek information on various topics. Such an example of this plain
style is a post on the blog website MysticMadness.com entitled “10 Ways to Live
Life to the Fullest.” This post is one of hundreds that are on the website
which contains blog posts about everything from body and soul to business
management and everything in-between.
“10
Ways to Live Life to the Fullest” is written in the plain style which allows
readers from various backgrounds and walks of life to participate in a specific
activity system that the blog offers. This engagement in the activity system manifests
via a comments section following the post in which readers are encouraged to
express their thoughts, opinions, and own perspectives about what it means to
live life to its fullest. Active participation creates a collaborative effort
that addresses society’s need for a medium to allow for propagation of ideas
and theories. More specifically, this collaborative effort is facilitated
through metabasis and exemplum which are rhetoric devices that seem to prompt discussion
within blogs as well as connect various activity systems to each other.
The
organization of this blog post in arranged in such a way that there are three
introductory paragraphs followed by 10 bullet points. The three introductory
paragraphs function to introduce the reader to what the post is about and what
will follow; this can be defined as the rhetoric device known as metabasis.
Metabasis is a technique that creates a fluid clarity between the author and
the reader as to what is to be expected. The text explicitly states:
“Let’s start with 10
ways and I would love to hear your views apart from your own little hacks. Let
the discussion be more natural and talk about things that really make a
difference.”
Metabasis
is often a way for the author to outline what their main focus is in a way that
can reach a wide audience and several activity systems. In doing so, the author
creates a level playing field for the basis of what is going to be discussed.
The previous excerpt portrays the author’s effort to distinctly identify what
the reader can expect to happen next. That is, the reader can expect to find
ten ways to live life to its fullest as well as partake in a discussion about
how others may interpret what it means to do so. The hacks that are associated
with the ten tips are in and of themselves another rhetoric device that the
author uses known as exemplum.
Exemplum is a technique that is used to
provide clarity through the use of specific examples. Hacks, which portray
something through experience, are found in coordination with every bullet
point. After stating a way to live life to its fullest and briefly explaining
the point further, the author provides a specific example about how they
themselves live by the point. For example:
“1) Be
Happy- This may sound like an old cliché but it is packed with a
powerful meaning. Start the day with a joyous mood. Develop a habit of it by
reminding yourself over and over again. A conscious effort, even when you have
a bad mood, can play the trick for you. Talk to yourself, ask why you are sad.
Force yourself to be happy by pumping up your spirit. Your Happiness is in you
on hands, don’t ruin your very existence. Fill yourself with happiness and
always reason for it.
Hack- Start your day with some good music with great lyrics.
Distribute happiness around because it reflects back.”
As
you can see, the main idea of the bullet point is bolded and underlined
followed by an explanation that is approximately a paragraph long. Furthermore,
a hack is provided following the brief description that portrays a real world
example of how to achieve the main idea of the bullet point. Hacks provide the
reader with an additional layer of information to further propagate understanding
and interpretation of the point that the author is conveying. Subsequently this
allows for specific talking points for readers to base their discussion off of
and ultimately lead to collaborative efforts of an exploration of knowledge and
thought
Both
metabasis and exemplum are tactics that, when implemented together, ensure the
point the author is conveying is expressed with clarity and charm. By explaining
what is to be expected, organizing the post into bullet points, and providing
concrete examples the author is presenting their ideas in such a way that bridges
a wide array of activity systems therefore enabling readers from various
aspects of life and activity systems to engage with one another. In addition,
the author is creating a new activity system, through which many other activity
systems are connected, to allow for their own ideas and opinions to be
criticized and explored. More clearly, this is achieved through the proposition
of a subject that is frequently sought after by individuals from varying life
paths; how do you live life to its fullest. Asked by many and answered by few,
this age old question provides people with the chance to analyze their lives
and what it means for them to live to the fullest. Once the bridge is built and
the connections are made, discussions can take place which ultimately allow for
the cultivation of ideas through collaborative efforts. Since there are many
activity systems and backgrounds being brought together in one place there will
be various viewpoints on what it means to live life to its fullest therefore
allowing the reader to take the information provided and do with it as they
may. Whether it be taking it heart, making a change, disregarding, or outright
discredit the information, the process allows the reader insight as to what it
means for them to live life to the fullest.
Blogs
are meant to be a sound board for people who want to explore their own thoughts
as well as others, and because of this they are often written in the plain
style to connect readers and propose items of discussion. Collaborative efforts
and the manifesting results which blogs offer do prompt some interesting
thoughts or implications. More specifically why are we fascinated with how
other people live their lives and what prompts us to use the internet to
understand varying viewpoints? Furthermore,
are blogs an effective facet to allow us to explore who we are and what it
means to live life to its fullest?
James G.
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