That's the thing. For some people I just hit the right notes and they come to me but it's few and far inbetween.
Does your IRL personality fit your online persona?
- Thread starter MonaWare
- Start date
If there's ever been one prime rule to live by on the internet, it's "if you would not say it in person, don't say it online." No shield of anonymity can change the simple fact that you are interacting and talking to another human being. It's absurd, the amount of people who don't seem to grasp that, but online interaction is not "different" and should not be treated as such from typical conversation.
On the contrary, myself, I make a very strong effort to hold true to my personality and my beliefs. There are virtually no differences between how I express and conduct myself in real life and my online chats.
...I suppose there's only one great distinction, though; mutism.
It's plagued me mildly my entire life, but it only became a severe interference about four years ago. Apparently, it can't be genuinely classified as "selective mutism", but it may as well be considering how harshly it's affected my life. As many of you know, I also suffer from social anxiety disorder-- which I'd presume to be the source of my mutism-- further adding to my inability to lead a normal conversation. It's far beyond mere shyness or introvertedness; this is a legitimate fear, a hurdle I just can't seem to jump.
Due to these two disorders, I typically say absolutely nothing but the essentials. The only individual I can speak to ordinarily is my mother, and even in her presence, sometimes I just can't find the words or the courage to hold a conversation. Unfortunately, the internet is no different. Chatrooms are especially awful experiences, as it's in real-time, thus no different from being thrown into a room with dozens of obnoxious people. Absolute nightmare.
However, as this site has proven, that doesn't always hold true; nowhere else have I felt so welcomed and free than here at the forums, and never did I imagine that I would come out of this experience feeling so renewed and simply happy, thanks to all of you. Yes, every single one of you have changed my life for the better, together. I can't express how much it means to have a cozy home to retreat to on those rainy days, with so many wonderful individuals surrounding me. To be quite frank, you all know me better than my own family; I'd say you are my family in a way.
And for that, I'd like to thank all of you.
So, although I may speak very little in person, rest assured my "inner-self" is properly expressed here on the forums. What you're getting is the real me, philosophical ramblings and all. That I can guarantee.
i may have gone a bit too corny with the family stuff but oh well huehuehuehuehuehuehuehuehue
On the contrary, myself, I make a very strong effort to hold true to my personality and my beliefs. There are virtually no differences between how I express and conduct myself in real life and my online chats.
...I suppose there's only one great distinction, though; mutism.
It's plagued me mildly my entire life, but it only became a severe interference about four years ago. Apparently, it can't be genuinely classified as "selective mutism", but it may as well be considering how harshly it's affected my life. As many of you know, I also suffer from social anxiety disorder-- which I'd presume to be the source of my mutism-- further adding to my inability to lead a normal conversation. It's far beyond mere shyness or introvertedness; this is a legitimate fear, a hurdle I just can't seem to jump.
Due to these two disorders, I typically say absolutely nothing but the essentials. The only individual I can speak to ordinarily is my mother, and even in her presence, sometimes I just can't find the words or the courage to hold a conversation. Unfortunately, the internet is no different. Chatrooms are especially awful experiences, as it's in real-time, thus no different from being thrown into a room with dozens of obnoxious people. Absolute nightmare.
However, as this site has proven, that doesn't always hold true; nowhere else have I felt so welcomed and free than here at the forums, and never did I imagine that I would come out of this experience feeling so renewed and simply happy, thanks to all of you. Yes, every single one of you have changed my life for the better, together. I can't express how much it means to have a cozy home to retreat to on those rainy days, with so many wonderful individuals surrounding me. To be quite frank, you all know me better than my own family; I'd say you are my family in a way.
And for that, I'd like to thank all of you.
So, although I may speak very little in person, rest assured my "inner-self" is properly expressed here on the forums. What you're getting is the real me, philosophical ramblings and all. That I can guarantee.
i may have gone a bit too corny with the family stuff but oh well huehuehuehuehuehuehuehuehue
Every once in a while I insert some of my absurd/dry humor into my posts. This is something I do more often in real life. But I do it so infrequently online that when I do make a joke, people don't realize I'm joking!
So I try to make sure my online and IRL personas don't bleed over.
So I try to make sure my online and IRL personas don't bleed over.