Why Life Writing?
Life writing has become increasingly popular and, as a result, academic research into the subject has also increased. Life writers and historians state that life writing and life history are useful academically as they provide first hand stories and accounts of individuals and their relationship with society, history, public life as well as detailed personal insights. At the same time, the prevalence of confessional writing, reading and related audio/visual 'reality' shows has been argued to reflect the extreme individualism of late modern societies.
In 1975, psychologist Ira Progoff noted the positive affects that journal writing, or autobiographical writing could have. The findings of Progoff's research showed that not only could an Intensive Journal Method enhance personal growth and learning, but also that it could "draw each person's life towards wholeness at its own tempo"
Research into life writing has also found that it can facilitate the expression of feeling, a shift in personal thinking and the development of a feeling of self-control and confidence, especially in individuals with low self-esteem. It has also been claimed that autobiographical writing helps with these deep issues as it allows the problem to be dealt with in a new, different and unusual way.
Another benefit to life writing is the pleasure and positive experience in re-living old memories and events, while knowing that they are being recorded and therefore will be remembered in years to come by future generations. People want to be remembered and through family orientated activity such as life writing the process can be more rewarding.
Life writing also enables family information, as well as emotions and feeling about history to be remembered, for example life writing can give the opportunity to pass down family traditions, recipes and memorabilia.
With the increasing prevalence of Alzheimer's and other degenerative and dementia diseases, especially in the developed world, it is being seen as even more important to leave a record of yourself and your times. There is also some evidence to support the claim that increased intellectual activity and brain stimulation i.e. recording your memories can lower the individual risk of dementia and Alzheimer's.
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Famous quotes containing the word life:
“No person can be considered as possessing a good education without religion. A good education is that which prepares us for our future sphere of action and makes us contented with that situation in life in which God, in his infinite mercy, has seen fit to place us, to be perfectly resigned to our lot in life, whatever it may be.”
—Ann Plato (1820–?)