Do You Keep A Journal/Manifesto/Whatever? - Industrial Society And Its Future 2: Kiwi Farms Edition

[Ughubughughughughughghlug]

I keep extremely detailed, pointless records, including a complete record of every dollar I spend (and usage of ingredients in cooking), what I read, what exercise I do and my weight, constructive hobbies like playing musical instruments, social engagements, etc., along with my actual journal.

Its actually been pretty helpful for motivating me to structure my day and do productive things instead of just browse the Internet in a 24/7 brain fog. Like, I’ve got to fulfill my “quota.” But sometimes I let it lead me around and maybe don’t live as spontaneously as I should.

 

[Ughubughughughughughghlug]

Kept a general, day to day diary since early 2013, and a dream diary since late 2014/early 2015 or so (for my writing, having stolen the idea from a Mishima novel.)

If you're prone to anxiety or overthinking, I couldn't recommend a general daily diary more. No emo faggotry, just a general recording of your day, what you did, what you're going go do, how things went, etc. It's an incredibly effective exercise in order to 'write off' the day.

It's such a concrete pattern for me these days that I can't imagine just stopping it completely. It also has the added bonus of keeping my cursive fresh.

N. B. - make it handwritten, not typed. You lose a certain something once you're just cracking keys on a computer. The visceral aspect of putting pen to paper is much of the efficacy.

I know that I (and probably most people) feel much more inclined to write up negative thoughts, and with more intensity, than positive ones. So it’s a bit upsetting when you open an old page (actually a Doc file) and, outside of the moment it was written it, it reads like hysterical raging whining.

There’s also the problem where when you’re actually really busy and there’s lots to talk about, you neglect the journal - because you’re busy - but you overwrite on slow days.

 

[albert chan]

I used to own a journal or two to jot my thoughts down, but I realized back then that most of thoughts were just amateurish and just downright silly.

Now, I own a new journal that contains computer science material, mathematical problems and physics equations

 

[MerriedxReldnahc]

I used to keep a dream diary back in high school after a period of super weird dreams. I don't know what happened to it, it's probably stuck behind a bunch of crap on a bookshelf.
Other than that I've never been able to keep up with a journal in the sense of daily writing. I have a lot of notebooks for story and comic ideas and my sketchbook is a lot like a diary in a sense. I also take notes in my workout planner about how runs went or when changed routine with weightlifting.

 

[nigger of the north]

I know that I (and probably most people) feel much more inclined to write up negative thoughts, and with more intensity, than positive ones. So it’s a bit upsetting when you open an old page (actually a Doc file) and, outside of the moment it was written it, it reads like hysterical raging whining.

There’s also the problem where when you’re actually really busy and there’s lots to talk about, you neglect the journal - because you’re busy - but you overwrite on slow days.

Earlier attempts at diarising as a teenager ended the same way. You just simply have to not do that, as it's ultimately just neghead masturbation. Being conscious of the issue means you're halfway to beating that kind of thinking anyway, I'd say.

Diary entries for me rarely go over three pages, which is five minutes writing at most. Keep to the broad strokes, summarising and abridging.

I do make detailed travel logs (books, basically) when I go abroad. In those cases, even five days in a European city will result in 60+ pages of writing. But that's a deliberate effort to chronicle events in detail, with the view to creating a readable, publication level work.

 

[Aunt Carol]

There’s also the problem where when you’re actually really busy and there’s lots to talk about, you neglect the journal - because you’re busy - but you overwrite on slow days.

Familiar with this problem. What I found helpful was a one-line-a-day five-year diary. Enough space to either list everything I did, or explain one profound thought.

This brand held up the whole five years; I'm on year 2 of my second. You can usually find them discounted; the various themes are just a color/typeface swap. It's hard to find interior photos--this isn't my copy:

I have a regular supplemental diary for if I really need to write a lot, in which case I make my one-line entry and put an asterisk beside it. I have found that when I write a whole lot, it's usually not something I want to come back to, either self-pity or working out some feelings. Putting it somewhere else is helpful.

I like that I can look back in the daily diary and see what I was doing every May 30th. The five-year diary has been helpful in a lot of "wait, when did that happen?" cases.

 

[Peanut Butter in Peril]

I find that a journal helps with your thoughts. Seeing them manifested as actual words, at least for me, gives that feeling of actually emptying the mind and giving your brain meat some rest. What you write in it obviously depends on its purpose.

On an autistically personal note, I'd recommend writing it out on paper over typing it. It feels more... organic(?). Also, in my opinion, writing on paper is much easier to dispose of than anything electronic.

 

[soft breathing]

I keep two diaries - one for my dreams and one for day-to-day sperging & sketches I just need to write/scribble down somewhere to get them out of my head. I don't write them with the intention of anyone ever reading them - but if someone ever does? I genuinely wouldn't care.

 

[Blamo]

I always wanted to have a few journals. Strictly on paper.
In general being able to see the overall trends in your life will help you see where are you going.
People should self reflect more, the world would be a better place.

Also I think it is really a good idea to write down the mundane. Imagine if you could look back to how was your city, average day etc 5 years ago.
Of course don't just hoard data/info, but give it time to just sort though them and give them time.

 

[Caramelo]

When I was wasting my time in art school (didn't have to pay for that shit, at least, but if you consider time=money...) I used to keep a sketchbook/journal where it was mostly sketches but with some random thoughts here and there and notes about watercolor combinations.

Now I just keep a day planner for finances and school/work assignments. But I feel like a really should restart my sketchbook/journal again. Thanks for indirectly reminding me, OP. xD

Anyway, personally I rather keep a journal to process feelings or thoughts than simply recording day events (unless the event was emotionally charged). I often have a problem where my intuition catches something but I can't really translate it into rational though until it's too late. And also overthinking. Writing things down, even if it's not really following a proper sintax, in a "free writing" sort of thing, really helps the overthinking thing.

I'm curious to know about the opinion of people that prefer to keep a recording of day events.

 

[Lemmingwise]

Journalling is the best cure for being an npc.

 

[ScamL Likely]

No but I have several graph paper notebooks full of novels I've written which look schizophrenic enough already.

 

[The Curmudgeon]

I keep a journal for personal events and thoughts. I don't always faithfully update it though.

 

[ArnoldPalmer]

I don't even write unless it's to fill out legal paperwork.

 

[Haim Arlosoroff]

I actually wrote out a manifesto, but it was only to organize my thoughts into a more internally consistent form. It looked as bad as I thought, I patched it up slightly. It went OK.

 

[Bum Driller]

Building off this, to those who do so, why are you writing a journal? To present a curated and idealised version of the past to some imaginary audience/the feds, to record your life and keep things in order, or any other reasons?

To observe my own thoughts in a more stable and permanent fashion than is possible in normal thought or meditation, and to process them further. Keeping a journal is perhaps not the most important habit anyone can have, but it certainly is very useful in refining your opinions and constructing complex objects of thought.