Blogs aren’t generally designed to make you think — at least not in the “self-actualization” sense in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

No, they usually aim lower — peaking at “esteem,” “recognition” and “sense of belonging.”

Usually, they’re about people showing how smart they are, or sharing inside jokes with people who already think exactly like they do, or selling their wares on the Interwebs — which is a little different from actually trying to reach out intellectually to people who have different perspectives.

Very few people are good at that. And frankly, it doesn’t serve those lower needs as well as being a grandstanding blowhard like this person or that person or these people.

So when we got tagged by Copywriting Maven and ChaosScenario in the latest meme, we decided to take the opportunity to plug a few blogs that might actually help you self-actualize, in some form or fashion.

Then again, we might have just oversold them a little bit.

In any case, they are:

• Independent Sources
• Journerdism
• Joe Mathlete Explains Today’s Marmaduke
• Indexed
• Romenesko
• Pharyngula
• Accordion Guy

Check ‘em out.

(The image we defaced came from here.)