Confessional Writing

The weight of the word "confession" can be heavier or light in so many different contexts.  Christians confess their sins to God, while children confess to their parents that they accidentally broke Grandma's vase.  Doctors even confess their mistakes or their deepest thoughts in writing, but they aren't always apologizing for their mistakes.  I think it is important to make that distinction between the two.  Someone could confess everything he has done wrong throughout his lifetime but not actually be sorry about it.  For example, a student could tell her friends or her parents that she cheated off of the person next to her in class.  She could have received an A on the exam and even view cheating as the best decision she has made.  In this scenario, although she confessed, she is not sorry. This does not make her confession an apology.  But, if this girl went to the person she cheated off of to tell him how terrible she feels, changes the whole situation.  This is a confession and an apology.  In some of the confessional articles we read, the doctors did not apologize for their actions, they simply confessed them.  In some cases this is okay, but in others an apology is necessary. (like if the doctor caused the sickness to worsen)

Confession is definitely a way to get emotions off of our chests.  I definitely think it is a great way to cope with what we're feeling and even to bring closure to certain events.  Writing about things that happened in your past is a better way to connect with your audience.  There is probably going to be more emotion and detail in your article or essay if you confess something in your writing.  And I think that confessing through writing definitely helps to deal with any guilt you may have from whatever it is you're confessing.  Most people probably confess because they feel some sort of guilt about whatever happened in their past.  But, it's still not an apology unless that person specifically says they are apologizing for his actions.