Nearly every blogger or writer has done it. Once your work reaches a certain reader or viewership level, the writing becomes less about what you have to say and more in the way you are saying it, in a attempt to emphasize their own importance to what is being written. They become less of a storyteller and more of an analyst and less of a smug lead character and more of a narrator. They’ve each turned into an asshole and are now blogging like one.

Watch out for these five traits.

1. Really smart topics that don’t really affect anyone
Topics like how important personal development or community are, including ways they did it. They separate themselves from real, day-to-day life and start philosophizing because their readers haven’t read quite enough to refute it. Not saying you’re Glenn Beck, but you have potential.

2. Angry, direct-sounding missives that come across like spineless sniveling
Insertcityhere lacks (class, design, culture, density) and they are nothing like (Portland, Chicago, NYC)! All this shit is is them thinking out loud and hoping they hit on something to sound smart and secondarily piss off someone enough for people to pay attention. Sort of like Keith Olbermann.

3. Doing for the kids
Many poor Americans have a fatal flaw of wanting to help people along the way, instead of becoming your best and hope that inspires people to do better, too. Maybe some friend has a charity or someone at work died because of it, but now the asshole blogger thinks they’re an activist, spouting for some cause. And yeah, we know you NEVER ask this, but…

4. Last grasp attempt to become authentic again or maybe for the first time
I’ve been lying to myself…I’ve been filtering my feed…I’ve been holding back, at least for a while…now I’m going to be the real me! Okay, great, but what if we don’t like the real you? What if your fakeness was entertaining in a sad way, like watching Jersey Shore and waiting for something to laugh at?

5. Pulled tweets from out-of-context discussions that shows things can work out because we’re all in this together
Oh, they both think it’s hot today and hate our bosses? They should be BFFs. Also hook the non-profit people up so they can commiserate together and making sure to say it all publicly so the blog like an asshole writer can prove he tried? Yeah, those are stupid. We can get along just fine without you pulling the strings, bub.

Do you know a blogger like this? If so, please have him tweet me immediately.