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Beau Perkins
Second Life Resident.
Join date: 25 Dec 2003
Posts: 1,061
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07-12-2005 13:15
Flipper is just angry because his new ball and chain doesnt allow him to watch sports.
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Angel Coral
Otherworldly
Join date: 12 Dec 2003
Posts: 224
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Misunderstanding lifestyles
07-12-2005 13:55
Lordfly,
I have to respectfully disagree with you on your statement that, "We wall off our feelings in grandiose displays of furrydom or BDSM powergames or building megatowers or engaging in monopolistic business practices or shooting random passerby with nuclear warheads."
I believe instead that these "displays" are an actual release of feelings. Those who engage in any of these situations are actually acting out their feelings. For some, these feelings may be inexpressable in RL or are only now coming to the fore. Other players are truly RL furry fans, RL submissives, RL Dominants, RL architects of mega buildings, RL wealthy businessmen and women, and RL roleplayers (think actors and even Renaissance Fairs as example ).
Even if they are not being exactly their RL selves, who is to say they are not acting like themselves or engaging a part of themselves they cannot in RL? And why not simply accept them for what they do in SL? Who is to say they are wrong for acting as they wish here? I know a number of people in SL who have actually been encouraged by their therapist to use SL to explore their feelings and experiment in a safe environment. And while I am not in favor of random violence on people in SL, it is certainly one way to deal with pent up anger. *chuckles*
This statement to me shows a complete lack of understanding of those people mentioned. As such, the view is rather narrow-minded and certainly not conducive to having an open environment; not just an environment of tolerance, but true acceptance of individuality. It is how we perceive these people, not how they enjoy SL that is the crux of the issue. We take our own prejudices and misunderstandings into the game with us. They are what needs to be changed.
As for myself, personally, I am me in SL. I don't roleplay. My close friends know even more of the real me. I put my RL photo in my first life and chat on the phone with my closest friends. Even those who are not my friends meet the real me. I don't divulge personal information at whim, but I act as I do in RL. I am an RL submissive and my RL Partner, Alexin Bismark (SL name), is here with me. We use SL as a means to be together when we must be apart and for the simple joy of being in SL. For those who wish to understand BDSM or D/s or M/s or any variation thereof, they'll find it is involves a release of emotion and being yourself in a very fundamental manner. This lifestyle does not conform to the 'normal' accepted way of RL life. I had hoped that it would be better understood or given a better chance to be understood in SL.
Regardless, there are those in SL who are themselves down to an avatar replication of themselves. These people are no more honest to me than those that wear an alien or furry avatar (which i also have for sheer fun/roleplay). It is a person's behavior that is the litmus test of a true, open-minded individual and our recognition of them as such.
angel
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Foulcault Mechanique
Father Cheesemonkey
Join date: 28 Mar 2005
Posts: 557
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07-12-2005 14:19
From: Ingrid Ingersoll I sometimes wish there was a way to identify role players. I have a tendency to start topics of conversation that revolve around real life after speaking with someone for the third or fourth time. Not everyone welcomes this, especially if you're a role player. I would hate to ruin someone's immersion.
The people I chose to hang out with are very open and honest about their real lives, as far as I know. I've seen pictures, I know the details, their coordinates etc... That kind of honesty to me, is a step towards a real friendship, although it might be irrelevant for others. Happily, I haven't encountered anyone trying to fool or trick me for any reason.
It would be hard for me to consider someone a real pal if I knew very little about their real lives. Perhaps this is a shortcoming of mine. Some RPers put that they RP in thier profile or when they talk about RL they (hates his freaking neighbors) or the like. In my old games we would use that or OOC (out of Character) or concider PM as nonRP.
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Foulcault "Keep telling yourself that and someday you just might believe it." "Every Technomage knows the 14 words that will make someone fall in love with you forever, but she only needed one. "Hello"" Galen from Babylon 5 Crusade From: Jeska Linden I'm moving this over to Off-Topic for further Pez ruminations.
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