Why do people really blog ... and what do people get out of it?

I only recently decided myself to start blogging. But have been following some for quite a while. Amit Agarwal is a great blogger and if you haven't followed him, check him out. Now to the question at hand ... Why do people really blog. I'm sure if you ask any fellow blogger you will get an array of answers. Anything from; loving to write, sharing ideas/opinions/cares/worries, money, because that is what everyone else is doing, or maybe it is just for that simple act of being heard. There is a potentially infinite number of answers. But what do they get from it. A lot of people would say relief or maybe satisfaction, perhaps you were guilty about something you had recently done, and decided to blog about it. A simple majority of people would feel some sense of relief for doing so. But there comes a time when it is a double-edged sword. What many don't see is the flip side, the successful writers side. Lets face it, the majority of us are never going to be internet famous and have our blogs read by thousands a day. But what if you were on that side, what if you were that writer. Can you imagine the pressure to "deliver" to the audience. An audience with a voice, that can comment and berate someone they have never even met. I have seen it, and it is not pretty. When you have a following is when the real pressure comes when blogging. Just something to think about the next time you are reading or writing for that matter.