As an English teacher, I’m always concerned when someone holds himself back and refrains from saying anything, for fear that he has nothing worthy to contribute. This motivated me to write What and where to comment on Stacker News.

On hindsight, I realise that I put the cart before the horse, due to my action-oriented nature. What I focused on was the mechanics of posting, but if I don’t focus on the values behind posting, I wouldn’t be likely to bring about impact. So, let me try again from a values-based approach.

Some of you censor yourself as you believe that you are not a writer, so you don’t want to subject your readers to less-than-stellar work. I believe that there is a writer in every one of us, but that’s not the argument I will pursue here. What I want to put forth is the fact that just because you aren’t a writer doesn’t mean that you don’t have something of value to share.

It’s like cooking. Michelin-starred chefs use the best ingredients and tools and leverage their best techniques to accentuate the flavours and tantalise their guests’ tastebuds. Your mum’s or wife’s skill pales in comparison, but she is able to whip up several dishes to whet your appetite and fill your tummy. Also consider the fact that you may even find your mum’s or wife’s cooking more palatable than these highly acclaimed chefs’ dishes because the former has an elusive ingredient: emotional resonance. Homecooked food boasts love, a personalised ingredient that is hard to beat.

You are enough. Done is better than perfect.

Value is a broad concept. Let’s unpack it further. First, you could connect the ideas shared with something you already know. Your readers will definitely appreciate how you deepen their knowledge and broaden their perspectives.

Recent examples? Someone shared with me that people on Jeju island also tuck into raw horse meat when I wrote that basashi (horse sashimi) is a specialty dish in Kumamoto, Japan. Another reader stated that the Law of Attraction could be attributed to spontaneous synchronisation rather than the Universe or some metaphysical phenomenon. As long as you are advancing the conversation, you are providing value.

Okay, at this point, some of you may ask, what if the OP already knows what I want to share? In this case, I would say no harm done because even if the information is nothing new to him or her, you are displaying empathy by showing him or her that you know exactly what is being discussed. Remember emotional resonance? If you connect emotionally with people, you are providing value.

This is also why stories work. You may think that your stories are nothing out of the ordinary, but it’s precisely in the sharing of pedestrian anecdotes that you remind others that they are not alone. Through our ordinariness, we collectively create something unique by contributing to something greater than ourselves. Perks and pitfalls of being Bitcoin developers. Pride and humility of parenthood. The causes out there are manifold; pick the ones that you gravitate towards and connect with your tribe.

When we write, we automatically assume that our work must provide insights and impact into others’ lives. But we don’t need to be an expert or even be good in anything and everything. Embrace the beginner’s mind. Let’s say you have tons of raw data, flotsam and jetsam that you are trying to make sense of. Why not just write anyway to hopefully sort these disjointed pieces into some form of coherent narrative? Writing helps us to gain clarity in many instances. Even if it doesn’t, we can defer to the hive mentality. End your musing with a question. Invite your readers to chip in with their opinions. You’ll probably receive more than you give, and that’s okay. When you are humble and seek clarification, your ignorance is a form of value, believe it or not.

| Intrapersonal | Personal value | | Interpersonal | Informational value | | Interpersonal | Emotional value |

Have fun providing value. Let your inner voice be heard.