I was rooting through the "most popular" list and I began to wonder how SoulCast determines the rank. Is it the traffic they get? Views? Comments? Subscribers? Is there some ridiculous algorithm that incorporates them all? It also makes me wonder why I'm so worried about it. I'd like to think my blogging material is accessible to a lot of people, and if accessibility doesn't generate traffic, what will?

Now that the segue is in place, the issue I want to address tonight is that of self-consciousness. In an ethics class I took last fall, I once used self-consciousness as a way to illustrate Aristotle's Principle of the Mean. I basically made my point by saying too much self-consciousness can lead to social withdrawal whereas a lack of self-consciousness can lead to complete disregard of societal standards of conduct. Unfortunately, the professor didn't buy it.

The truth is that self-consciousness manifests itself in many concepts. In its functional applications one can find it in the forms of etiquette, morality and conduct. After all, we have our tastes in fashion but a universal standard is still in place. We express ourselves in our actions and everyday encounters with society, but within reason. Whether we agree to it or not, a certain degree of self-consciousness is necessary to recognize social boundaries and render proper conduct in public.

One of the casualties of individualism is the principle that one must take some stock in what others think of a person. I hear a lot of tripe about how "you shouldn't care what other people think," but that eliminates a lot of the standards instilled into us as children. it's like saying "I don't care about the consequences that result from my actions," because a person's judgment of your actions is often a signal of the consequences that may arise.

Self-consciousness, more or less, equals restraint. A lack of it will leave your actions uninhibited. Too much will keep you fettered, therefore your public actions will be too inhibited. The way I see this issue, it would be adviseable for a person to exhibit self-consciousness on common practices dealing with everyday social and interpersonal interactions. But one can hopefully tell when too much self-consciousness is dispersed when it begins to hinder or change these actions.

Now, to further address the dogma that one shouldn't care what one thinks of another. First of all, I approve of nothing in the social realm that I'm compelled to label dogma. It implies extreme thinking, and such is dangerous for reasons I shall explore within the domain of this topic. When people say not to care what others think, it at first refers to superficial factors such as fashion sense, music tastes, etc. Eventually, this principle becomes internalized and soon will be applied to a person's social behavior. In theory, all hell will break loose if one takes too much stock in it. Like it or not, it is important to take stock in what others think. Humans are one of the most adaptable creatures on Earth, so there's no harm in adjusting a person's behaviors so that one doesn't appear offensive or brash.

That's not to advise people to go in the complete opposite direction. Self-consciousness and self-confidence can have a reciprocal effect on each other. A boost in confidence can keep self-consciousness at a reasonable level, whereas high self-consciousness can undermine a person's confidence. I've seen both extremes in two friends of mine, and these two have become studies in my eyes. One guy I know has no discernable self-consciousness. He is often brash, tactless and is known to make a scene due to his extreme emotionality. Everybody is at fault but him. Criticism, no matter how constructive and objective, is seen as a personal affront. At the same time, a young woman I know is very worrisome about what people think about her. She is often shy, doesn't participate much in group conversation and is quite suggestible. I see this study of contrasts, this dichotomy, as a way to gauge my own level of self-consciousness. It's helped a lot.

As for my place in the list of popular members, my rank is actually relatively high considering there are tens of thousands of SoulCasters. All in all, I'm glad that there are a handful of people who read my blog, and if more should come along, I'll welcome them. But there's no need to lament and complain about the relatively light traffic on my site. Damn, I'm getting off-topic. It's time to go to sleep. Happy blogging!