5 Essential Blogging Tips from the Father of Chinese Philosophy

Confucius, the father of Confucianism, died more than 2500 years ago, but his teachings are still relevant — not least when it comes to blogging.

Here are five classic Confucian quotes that are vital to remember if you want a successful blog.

1. The essence of knowledge is having it, to apply it

Information and knowledge sharing are the main driving forces behind the web. If you want people to read your blog and follow it loyally, you can’t be greedy with your knowledge.

You need to give your readers something that will make their lives better — every time they visit your blog. When you feel you’re giving too much away for free, you’re on the right track.

2. Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it

You can’t satisfy everyone with every single blog post. There’s no way of knowing beforehand what the reaction will be.

Some posts you really put effort into and truly believe in might go unnoticed, while other posts you didn’t spend much time on can be the ones that set off an explosion of comments, tweets and links.

3. When anger rises, think of the consequences

Negative comments are a natural part of blogging. Sooner or later some clown is going to fry you, and although your first reaction might be to let the person taste his own medicine, you’ll want to think twice.

You’re much better off giving a rational and careful response. That way you show that you‘re the “adult” and that you aren’t easily provoked.

Moreover, many of your visitors will read your comments, and a crossfire of verbal abuse doesn’t leave a good impression on potential followers.

4. Respect yourself and others will respect you

Your blog is a personal expression of you and your expertise. Your knowledge makes the blog relevant, and your authority “sells” the blog and gives it credibility.

You don’t want to be smug or arrogant, but it’s important to be confident and to show that you know what you’re talking about. Nobody wants to read a half-baked blog post.

5. What you do not want done to yourself, do not to others

The web is a social medium — and we all play an important part in the big picture. Its easy to complain but much more constructive to try and make a difference.

Remember the things that tick you off on other sites, and don’t repeat them. Write every single post like you’re talking to your best friend.

Okay — so those were the five essential blogging tips from Confucius, but I’m just going to give you one for the road, and this might even be the most important:

6. I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand

You can get tons of tips and advice along the way, but dedication and hard work are the key components of a successful blog.

Theory only becomes really useful once you get your hands dirty and gain your own experience about what does (and doesn’t) work for you personally.