Life writing has been used as a generic outlet for individuals to explore and evaluate their emotions. In narrating one's life, an individual is placed in a position to purposefully choose certain words to describe how they are feeling, which has been demonstrated to provide increased self-clarity. Life writing in this manner assists in formally recognizing that an event has happened. For example, in being able to articulate the passing of her child through life writing, a mother was able to identify as well as use her writing as a resource to cope with her grief. Life writing, too, has been claimed to assist individuals banished from certain social communities to register and manage the circumstances of their exiles. While life writing allowed individuals to accept the occurrence of a situation, it also functioned as a place to investigate primitive desires and voice secret aspirations. In the 17th century, Thomas Whythone and Anne Clifford within their autobiographical writings navigated sexual tensions and the power dynamics existing between those engaging in the intimate act. Furthermore, individuals use forms of life writing such as the diary to convey personal opinions on political topics pertaining to their temporal period. Life writing in this way enables individuals to place history within their own perspective.
