Forbidden Knowledge

Recent REAL news items suggest we are prepared to confess even the most intensely personal experiences and traumas before the general public.

With the general trend away from organized religion in the western world (at least) and stricter measures being taken against perceived "sins" in other parts of the world, is SL fulfilling a need for us to "air our dirty laundry" - our hidden desires and pleasures - in a safer and more forgiving arena? Is SL a confession box of sorts?

Beside the obviously forbidden child sex issue (not what I am considering here) are there some behaviours we still consider "forbidden" enough NOT to roleplay, perform, exhibit or express here? In your opinion, is there a limit to what we can consider acceptable even in the adult communities?

Or are we pushing the envelope of the "forbidden" under the guise of "discovery"?

Odd way to put it. As understood, no.



Don't assume it's because something is *considered* forbidden. It could be simple repulsion on a personal level.

I don't notice that trend away from organized religion, here in the US. Seems to be going the other way. But I don't think that detracts from your question, which addresses mores rather than religion per se.

I don't think there's any question but that SL lets us try stuff that we wouldn't consider in RL. And, we have a number of very different reasons why we wouldn't.

I often get puzzled or surprised looks when I mention, in RL, that our fantasies aren't necessarily what we actually want. I know it's true for me, and I bet it's true for most people: we use fantasies explore possibilities, and we may enjoy that exploration even if we wouldn't enjoy the reality.

SL is often used for fantasy semi-realization. It has the decided advantage of being interactive, so our fantasies can take unexpected turns -- ah, if only we could all have the imaginations of good novelists! This, while also being imaginary enough to avoid setting off our RL caution alarms.

Sl is a lot of other things too -- not just fantasy realization. But that's a big part of it for many of us. I'm enjoying my mid-life crisis, without having to, hmm, how did someone put it, "kicking the first wife to the curb, like yesterday's garbage". Since growing old together and sharing a life is important to me, any joy I'd get from acting out a midlife crisis in RL would be cancelled out from the start.

But, back to your question. I don't know if I consider anything "forbidden", so much as "icky" or "meh". Plenty I'd do in SL but not RL. I can't think of anything that I'd want to do in SL but don't, due to propriety.

No doubt there are things my hangups keep me from doing, that I'd enjoy if only I'd let myself -- but that's another topic.

And yeah, let's sidestep sexual age play here, since it's been covered to death in other threads.

I doubt she is. I think she's just asking about the cases where we're interested but inhibited, due to standards (community or personal), as one of her questions.

Deliberately hurting people.

That's about the only thing on my "Avoid in SL and RL and everywhere" list.

Lots of things on my "Ewwww" list, though. Dolcett, for example. Sexual ageplay. Tacky builds.

I guess I've always had plenty of freedom to make a fool of myself... not much 'forbidden' to me in that sense... so, not really?

I am in So Cal... there's very little on the grid that isn't around in real. This is probably why BDSM and all that holds so little interest for me ~ I have known people heavily into that, and it just wasn't all that interesting to see them carry on about it. Plus some of them got really hurt emotionally from time to time and it was especially humiliating. Bleah.

Regarding more ordinary things like drum circles, pagan ceremonies and whatnot... meh, no big deal. Some would say the music I play in the car sometimes is "forbidden devil music" ... you know, the stuff that might lead to dancing!

As for truly gross forbidden things... I think "Eww, no thanks" pretty much sums it up for me.

I'm also medical~phobic, so if anything is likely to have doctors as a real, likely, consequence... forget it

Nothing should be forbidden in a virtual world, as long as it doesn't effect the real world in some way.

In other words, do whatever messed up fantasy crap you want, but don't steal money or content, grief, or interact with RL kids. And otherwise don't mess with people's heads, lives, property, general happiness or etc. wherever possible. Also don't shove your weird fantasy crap in other people's faces unwillingly.

I don't know about it being a confessional... it's not for me... some might argue that the forum is for you, Jig

According to the real world, when anyone is asked, there has never been anyone who masturbates either. Except the old lady in the trojan finger vibrator commercial.

Google this

Ditto for me, a few months back

I think bestiality is at least borderline - though not forbidden.

As for confession - well I have been asked to make kneeling animations.

As long as nobody is being hurt (that implies consent, too), what difference does it make, regardless of RL or SL?

I think the presumed anonymity can be cathartic. As I had stated in another thread, I once had someone discuss all their RL marital problems to me (a complete stranger) in my early days in SL. All that was required of me was to listen.

For myself -- heck, it took me a couple of years to show even my good side in SL let alone airing my dirty laundry. I created an alt to be a little edgier, but this did not work at all. He became interested becoming a Victorian gentlman.

So I created another alt who looks more thug-like with the intent to be edgier. Though a few more ladies flirted with him, he still didn't do anything very risque. He wound up being a (strangely under-employed) aircraft pilot.

I think I want only the option to be edgy, but not to really follow through. That's what's intriguing, the possibility that some wild adventure might happen. It's like neurology researchers now saying we could be more gratified by the anticipation of eating chocolate than we are by actually eating it.

Exactly.

I totally masturbate.

You wanker.
(And I thought Wanking was just another city in China.)

Understanding Linden business practices... it is very obvious that anytime someone gets close to understanding, they are killed. So I would say that in SL, that is the one true forbidden knowledge..

I used to totally masturbate, but due to a recent onset of indifference I have settled for partially masturbating.

File this under "TMI"???

I ask a really deep and sensitive queston and men bring it down to wanking and starting fires by rubbing two knobs together.

And you were expecting?

I mean, this is the gender that thinks that the "farting around the campfire" scene in Blazing Saddles is the FUNNIEST MOMENT in all movie history.

Fortunately, that stereotype is for human males. <.<

As for me, I think the funniest moment in movie history was the sequence with Sgt. Pinback and the beachball alien in "Dark Star". >.>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSgmYWaQbR8

It is longer than that, but that's the start.

Actually, the funniest moment in movie history is the laxative scene from Dumb and Dumber.

So would you like to offer us the wittiest moment in chickdom? Austen, Virginia Woolf or perhaps Edina Monsoon?

Pep (And what do you mean "thinks"?)

We Do Not talk about Low Prim Furniture.