Written Discourse and the Recognition of Personality: Visual Self-Presentation, Manipulation, and the Epistemology of Slow Reading
Abstract
This article proposes to consider written discourse not as a form of self-expression, but as an epistemological instrument for the recognition of personality within digital culture. In contrast to visual forms of self-presentation (photography, video) and manipulative journalistic texts, writing fixes a prolonged trajectory of thought and minimizes the possibilities of simulation. Particular attention is given to the role of error, logical sequence, repetition, and return as diagnostic indicators of autonomous thinking. The analysis draws on classical observations concerning mass influence and slow reading, as well as on historical examples of diaries, correspondence, and non-addressed written traces as forms that enable the recognition of personality outside the regime of public presence.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Autobiographical and Biographical Writing
Digital Media and Philosophy
Narrative Theory and Analysis
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Publication date
- 5 February 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Preprint