What Is The Single Biggest Thing You Have Learned From Your Time In Second Life?

1. Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

2. The larger the group, the greater the stupidity. i.e., Intelligence is inversely proportional to group size.

3. Never let someone tell you something *can't* be done. They just haven't found the right exploit yet.

Oddly enough, I've learned the opposite. Read James Surowiecki's "The Wisdom of Crowds". One example he uses that sticks in my memory is that of a county fare that had a "guess the weight of the bullock" contest. The highest and lowest guesses were miles off - ludicriously so - but the average guess was very nearly spot-on. The more entrants were submitted to the contest as the day progressed, the closer the average got.

I've learned that libertarianism doesn't work.

The study of what people did and how they used this thing called Second Life - a blank canvas on which to draw - tells you more about human behavior than any masters course ever could.

Given a lack of rules and structure, a certain segment of the population will turn into a**holes on an epic scale and make everyone around them miserable. Market controls don't work on these people. Left to stew and simmer, "the people" will band together to form governments and safe harbors with rules and structure. In SL, we call those governments and safe harbors: Dreamland, Azure Islands, Caledon, etc...

There is now more "goverment" in SL than wild-west free-for-all. We, as human beings, cannot ever really be free because, unfortunately, some of us can't play well with others.

Actually, you've learned that anarchy doesn't work, and you have put your finger on exactly why.

learned in SL...
i've learned much of sensuality and love here.... amazing... to fall in love here... so sweet.. so sad...

but perhaps the biggest lesson: relish your loves, here and in RL....

And... oddly... above all... enjoy your life.... all your lives... don't let real life slip away by being here.... relish your life completely....

I learned that an SL relationship is in no way a suitable substitute for a RL relationship.

In both SL and RL, life truly is what you make of it. Opportunities for friendships and love are available. They can and have crossed boundaries for me and many others in SL. I know numerous SLers that went RL, who married and/or live together in RL and still play SL together. I also have wonderful friends I met online years ago who have been more consistent and dependable than many I've known in RL.

In some ways it's not that different (for those of us that remember) from having pen pals as a kid or writing letters to relatives. Now we simply communicate in digital words instead of the written word. It's not the mode of communication that is the issue so much as what you make of the means of communication available.

In RL people move much more frequently, from state-to-state or country-to-country, and lose friends along the way. In SL we lose friendships as well. Our circumstances and interests change, much as they do in RL, just at a much faster rate as we explore new experiences.

The opportunites that SL affords us both interpersonally and intrapersonally are bounded only by our personal choices.

angel

That everyone who said I was to soft hearted/nice to people/that I am the best friend they ever had and that I should get rid of toxic people in my life - and who all pointed the finger at OTHER people - probably should get together. I've learned to toughen up - much as it made me sad to do so.

Oh yes - and that there are a lot of people who need psychiatric help (and I am not here to provide it, sorry).

Otherwise, I love what Angel wrote!