I don't normally do "Lounge"
I don't normally do "Lounge"
Last edited by Empty_of_Clouds; March 14th, 2020 at 03:24 AM.
It entirely depends on the extent to which the poster intends to reveal about themselves.
Some people choose a persona to remain anonymous and go to great lengths to disguise themselves, obscuring their IP, nationality, gender, etc. Others are happy to share intimate details about themselves and their families.
I am wary of making judgements about the people behind the words that appear on a screen, prefering to take what they type--for better or worse--at face value and engage (or, not) with that.
I have met quite a few people personally after only knowing them via the Internet, and have almost always found that my expectations were confounded in at least some way in every case. Communicating clearly is extraordinarily hard, and doing so without the benefit of being able to see someone's face, hear their voice and observe their reactions and expressions makes interactions online especially fraught.
Vintage. Cursive italic. Iron gall.
Empty_of_Clouds (February 10th, 2020)
I've gotten quite good at sussing out the personality type of a person from what they present online, and am usually not very surprised when the opportunity to meet in person presents itself. Indeed, many people use the relative anonymity of the medium to obfuscate their true natures, but in my experience time will usually illuminate the persona as it is.
When I came into the pen world, I specifically used my name as my handle, which had not always been the case. It has been my intent to be precisely who I am, whether it is from behind a keyboard or face-to-face in RealLife. I am confident that those who meet me for the first time are not confused.
"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
~ Benjamin Franklin
Empty_of_Clouds (February 10th, 2020), Lady Onogaro (February 11th, 2020)
I don't agree with your assessment, but that is perfectly fine with me. There are far too many people that I have known virtually (first) and then in RealLife and the number who did not match my basic perception is very, very low. I don't doubt my observational acumen at this point. And, to not put too fine a point on it: sometimes it become abundantly clear that a person is purposely masking or hiding their true self. I don't have to worry about matching my observations because I essentially avoid that kind of evasive personality.
"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
~ Benjamin Franklin
Empty_of_Clouds (February 10th, 2020)
"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
~ Benjamin Franklin
Empty_of_Clouds (February 10th, 2020), sgphoto (February 29th, 2020), sharmon202 (February 18th, 2020)
No one is in typed words only
What they are in wholeness in person.
We see through the internet glass
But darkly.
Sent from my Moto E (4) using Tapatalk
I have met a few writers through work and their personalities were just what I had expected from their written work because really I dont think you can easily hide what you really are. Same thing with people on here, some you would hug, some you would shake their hand and others you would cross the street to avoid.
Only been fooled once and it has been on my mind for months. A extremely warm and friendly man, the most polite, warm and civil person you could ever want to meet, best friend to everyone. Turned out to be a liar and a fantasist. Fooled me completely and I normally think myself as a good judge of character although often naive it has to be said.
Last edited by Fermata; February 11th, 2020 at 04:26 AM.
It seems many are thrown off by the bow tie when worn on the internet.
Chemyst (February 11th, 2020), Jon Szanto (February 11th, 2020)
My other pen is a Montblanc.
And my other blog is a tumblr!
And my latest ebook, for spooky wintery reading:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CM2NGSSD
Chemyst (February 11th, 2020), Chrissy (February 11th, 2020), Jon Szanto (February 11th, 2020), VertOlive (February 11th, 2020)
My sister-in-law is loud and shrill and boisterous in real life. She's never met a stranger. Online she is loud and shrill and boisterous and overshares EVERYTHING. She's exactly the same in person as she is online.
My wife is loud yet circumspect and shares little to nothing in person except for with me. Online, she is pretty silent yet more sarcastic and suffers no fools.
I tend to try to live, both online and in real life, by the maxim 'better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open my mouth and remove all doubt.'
I use a fountain pen and a paper planner - paperinkplan.wordpress.com
Cookedj (February 12th, 2020)
No, you just lack perspective and a sense of humour. Not to worry, you're "on trend".
Dear me. Don't you like being told you lack a sense of humour? What a knee jerk reaction. Don't tell me you're touchy about being called out on lacking something? Would you like to be the focus of the next experiment? It might be harsh, but apparently that's what they are.
My understanding of "actual person" is so much larger and more complex than the limited words in a few boxes on an internet site.
No one here knows me at all, in any real or deep way. No one here has walked a mile in my shoes. No one here has held my hand while I was hospitalized or heard me speak at church or work or at a funeral. No one had seen my art or heard me song or make music. No one's seen my work with my students or cried with their parents in concern and love. No one has heard my pillow talk or seen a bit of my dreams. Words on the internet are just that: words.
Sent from my Moto E (4) using Tapatalk
countrydirt (February 11th, 2020), Empty_of_Clouds (February 11th, 2020)
No one has proffered that descriptive text and dialogue is a substitute for the actual experiencing of a person, over time, in the non-virtual world, but only whether said text gives insights and suggestions as to what that person would be like. One can't look into the soul of another human through a text-based interface, but neither is it an opaque, non-communicative medium if the other party is open in their writing. In this manner, it is no different from literature.
"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
~ Benjamin Franklin
Empty_of_Clouds (February 11th, 2020)
I disagree. Words are, indeed, opaque. It's my profession to work with them, almost exclusively. We reach truth only once we move past language. Words are the veil, not the vehicle. Some "communication" occurs, but let's not mistake that for knowledge of the "actual person." We often don't even "know" ourselves that well.
Sent from my Moto E (4) using Tapatalk
Empty_of_Clouds (February 11th, 2020)
And all of the great libraries of the world have been a waste. And all of the spoken communication, from as small a group as two individuals to important missives meant for a kindred group to widespread calls to action... useless words.
No, I don't think so. Maybe we are coming at this from very differing directions, but written language is one of the hallmarks of civilization. the repository of knowledge and understanding. I don't propose that by merely corresponding in a medium such as the one we are on now is a direct line to the soul and essence of every participant, and I've said as much. I'm not suggesting to know the "actual person" (as you put it) but that the insights I gain from a forthright and honest dialogue has virtually always painted a true portrait of the person I would eventually meet. On the rare occasion where a person has actively chosen to obfuscate their own true nature, by obscuring deeds or intentions or offering absolute falsehoods, it becomes it's own storyline: this is a person who lives in deceit. I am not infallible, but I have seldom been fooled by this in continuum from correspondence to meetup and acquaintanceship.
"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
~ Benjamin Franklin
Chrissy (February 12th, 2020), countrydirt (February 11th, 2020), VertOlive (February 11th, 2020)
When posting here I do “prepare a face to meet the faces that I meet”, and yet I don’t consider this to be dishonest. Large swathes of my beady black self don’t often appear here, mainly because it’s all usually polite discourse on the amiable pastime we all come here to share.
"Nolo esse salus sine vobis ...” —St. Augustine
catbert (February 11th, 2020), Deb (February 12th, 2020), Empty_of_Clouds (February 11th, 2020), Jon Szanto (February 11th, 2020), Sailor Kenshin (February 12th, 2020), TSherbs (February 11th, 2020)
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