SL: Fantasy vs Reality

Isn’t SL all about fantasy? Imagination? And what’s wrong with that?

Fantasy is where the world differs from the "real world." In SL we fly, we fall without being harmed, we change our shape and gender on a whim, Today you can have blue skin, tomorrow it can be pink. We adorn our bodies with body art that is instantaneous and painless, and reversible. We can teleport like Captain Kirk. We start businesses overnight and create tall buildings with ease. We dance in the air. We die and are reborn.

Isn’t this all fantasy? You bet.

Yet I hear some SL members deride other members who are “living in a fantasy world.” Wait one minute, aren’t all SL members doing just that?

Because one fantasy differs from that of another it doesn’t necessarily make it less reasonable. I may not choose to enact the fantasy of being a vampire but does my preference invalidate the experience of those who opt for that? No.

Admittedly, there are lines that are crossed that make me queasy, usually when the fantasy ventures into the sexual arena involving children, but other than that I don’t see where there are rules on what is an acceptable fantasy to enjoy living in SL.

So before any member holds another’s fantasy in disdain, look at your own reasons for being in SL. If you want reality and “can’t get into the fantasy,” then why be in SL at all? Maybe you should leave rather than criticize those immersed in their own particular fantasy flavor.

If you find yourself accusing another of living in a fantasy world because they find enjoyment in their SL experience, then you just don’t get it. Individuals can incorporate fantasy into their lives and be enriched by it, not diminished.

Fantasy supplements reality. Fantasy is part of reality, SL is about fantasy and imagination, and I love it.

Wonderful post Katy I agree 1000%

Briana Dawson

Me, too, with similar reservations about things like child porn.

My fantasy is to create reality that isn't real! lol So when people don't get why I or other people might get off on making very real houses, with toliet paper rolls and everything, then they just don't get my fantasy. Or real-looking places like Backstage. Or a realistic-looking avatar.

There is something very endearing about, for instance, the free outhouse I have, complete with its roll of toliet paper.

The more realer it is, whatever it is, the better I like it, and the more I'm charmed by its details. I guess I'm just playing dollhouse. But, you know, so what?

coco

More or less agree, but:

I object when other people decide they need to bring their fantasy to me.

I don't care if you hate guns and your utopian world wouldn't have guns. Mine would. Don't try to say guns should be banned because they dont fit your fantasy.

On the flipside, I don't care if you are a mafia kingpin, shoot me with a gun when I'm not 'playing with you' and I'll abuse report you.

I don't care if you are roleplaying a nazi. Call me a fag and I'll abuse report your ass faster than you can say "Ach, mein grosse maul" (Forgive, my german is terrible).

Etc.

Yesh.

Great post Katy!! Of course, I believe that the SL Fantasy world is tomorrow's reality world, but that is a whole other topic! hehe..

And I do agree with Reitsuki's post as well. But I don't think Reit's post contradicts yours really.

Again, nice post!

Dreams are the stuff reality are made off....

Creative expression is part of my reality Beyond that I completely agree with your sentiments. To each their own, as it should be.

I don't think anyone's ever said that guns should be banned, just that they should be kept in areas where everyone's "packin'". How much fun is it to be at a club, dancing, enjoying yourself, and find yourself in the middle of an ocean somewhere? Or to be quietly working on your land, adding trees, streams, et al, and suddenly you're whipping through the air to another part of the sim?

I'm not saying ban them, but I don't think they should be used in public, firing at someone on a whim or at the behest of someone else. Same reason I don't think children should be allowed AK-47's in real life. They don't have the "restraint" needed to keep from using it.

my two linden's anyhoo.

Have a sparkly.

Joseph

Oh, but people HAVE said this

then carry on, McDuff

I agree absolutely Katy. Everyone here brings some sort of fantasy element to the game. For some its being acompletely different being, where as for others it maybe as simple as living the life of a supermodel. SL alows us to do things we could not normally do, or lets us enjoy "mundane" things with online freinds.

For me, at least, part of teh wonder of SL is the exposure to the fantasy lives of others-seeing their creativity expressed. Ther eis no one "right" way of playing SL. I know for some people its a completely immersive role-play environment, and for others, like me, its simpley a advanced chatroom where I can be myself in alternate enviroment. The game has to accomodate many different styles. This requires a huge amount of tolerance to, because there my be conflicts between styles. Ultimately though, we must all respect others style, because ther is no "right" way to play SL.

I've visited mountain peaks where buildings floated in the air, connected by ethereal walkways and green, fairy-winged ladies waited to serve.

I've been to dungeon clubs where fangs and blood and implements of torture are openly displayed.

I've created a beautiful avatar who can party all the time, never gets sick, never sags, never gets pregnant, never has to go on a diet, never has cramps once a month, never has to pay taxes or get her car repaired. I created a model of the ideal "me" as I would have been if I'd been in the workshop when they put me together (although I like my real blonde hair, but the black hair in SL is for change of pace and to stand apart from the large numbers of female avies who go the Pam Anderson route with big hair).

Whyever would I want to be 'real' when I'm in SL? I'm in a world where my own imagination is my only limit. If that other character's imagination makes him want to dress up like a disgusting little troll with a tail and claws, that's HIS world. As long as he's not setting off fire bombs at an event I'm attending, he has nothing to do with how much I'm enjoying myself.

Cindy

Torley, I love that! It's so true!

Yes, totally. Some practitioners of llifestyles think that whether or not you've consented to their lifestyle, they can come over to your property, enact their shtick all over your event, try to use their lifestyle's methods on you, and just in general behave like asses. It's because they don't really believe that what they have is a "lifestyle" or a "fantasy within a lifestyle" it's that they think they are at the center of the universe and "right" and everyone else is "intolerant".

Exactly! We must respect one another's choices and not sit in judgment, declaring another to be lacking morally because we disagree. That is the intolerant view.

If you want to share my fantasy, then welcome; those who do enjoy it very much and usually want more. If you pass my fantasy up for one of your own choice, or because you cannot handle it, then do not deride my choices merely because they are not what you wanted.

Second Life is the personification of freedom of choice for imagination and fantasizing.

I say go with it, and enjoy the ride!

And on the reverse side of the coin of what Prok just said, I have a couple of friends who have one of those fantasy lifestyles (or maybe it's also their real lifestyle, I don't know), and while certainly not pushing it on me, are also willing to share it with me.

I get invited to events, just as a friend, even though I'm not one of the normal group, and it is clear that I'm not. I'm always honored to be invited to one of these things, as it shows how people can be tolerant of and welcoming to even "outsiders" who really don't share their lifestyle or fantasy.

coco

Nooo, fantasy is bad! We gotta be serious and dull even in SL ; gotta belong ; must not be or even look excentric to other normal people.



SL is a MUSH then ?

Yep, Outsiders are welcomed in a lot of places I've found. Hell, in SL, I'm a werewolf that hangs out with vampires. 'nuff sed

Except for me.... my fantasy is to be a Judge

All kidding aside, I totally agree. Everyone has their own reasons for being here, their own things they enjoy doing, and their own ways that they prefer to do them. So we should all try and give each other as much freedom as we can to enjoy this consensual hallucination.



Or a bad acid trip

I think being offended or annoyed by people who don't stop their roleplay the moment they cross your property line is intolerant. As long as it's not disruptive why would you care?

I think maybe it would be better to separate comments about disruptive behavior from comments about player's role playing.

Like Chip said, it seems intolerant to condemn someone's lifestyle or "shtick" if it's not hurting anybody. On the other hand ass-like behavior should not be condoned. It makes no difference if the disruptive behavior is part of a fantasy performance, or a good genuine display of the perp's actual personality.

Absolutly! If sl were just a mirror of rl I think I would prefer to scrub my rl floors rather than log on and scrub someone elses

Cat

speaking of floors, if i remember correctly you had a fantastic castle, didnt you? try to find those floors in RL