Online Life vs Real Life

Being an introvert, I have a problem (at times) with responding in conversations. I am more comfortable with the other person(s) doing most of the talking. In print, however, I can take time to voice and clarify my talking points (like with this post). And at meetings where I am the group leader, I almost always have my talking points written down (I love standing behind a podium where it is not so obvious that I am using written notes) or at least try to have my thoughts memorized. So yes I am the same person on line, but I have had time to formulate my position in writing before I post it. I guess the bottom line is that I can't think and talk at the same time unlike your extroverts!
 
The subject of how people project their personalities is rather complex.

OP is:
Are you the same person online as you are in real life?

OP more correctly should be:
Are you the same person online personality-wise as much as is publicly exposed here within, as you are in real life?

While it is true some people don't have complex lives where they can be the same personality wise most everywhere, that may not be fully true for others. In other words, some of us are able to change our personalities somewhat depending on the realm of our lives. In those cases, in some realms we may mostly be the same in some ways while only partially in others. Those on the board with psychology backgrounds could easily expand on that discussion.

For instance, most of us that have been within professional corporate environments, probably act a bit differently around our career peers and management versus our family and or close friends. It is something people learn and develop to be successful. Some of us may be a bit different and more outgoing within groups of others within realms we are considered experienced and or experts within, while being reserved within those we are not.

This person was reserved within large groups of corporate engineering groups where I was a relative peon support person though very respected, working for groups of much more valuable engineers. I learned how to tersely, unemotionally, communicate well within those groups. The personality I expose while among others skiing or backpacking is much more open. Likewise the personality I expose while performing photography in groups as an expert in some ways is different again because that is what others expect.

In some facets of my personality, I may be the same in all realms. For instance, I am rather knowledgeable and confident even for areas I have little expertise within. For instance, cooking is a part of many people's lives, while it is not in mine. However, the personality I use to deal with having to cook in unfamiliar ways is similar to that when I am doing other things I am experienced at but not yet specifically skilled at. In other words, one can be confident about how one addresses unfamiliar activities if one has been successful doing so for years.
 
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Babs2u said:
I thought, hey, yeah, thats it!
Upon further reflexion I probably do somewhat misrepresent myself. I try to muzzle the dark side. I have fears of my health, finances, isolation, the future of my country and the world. These fears are real and ever present.
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But Babs, you just acknowledged those fears. I have some fears or concerns over the same issues you named off, and I've posted many times that I deal with anxiety. So, neither of us have misrepresented ourselves about these things. But at the same time, we're under no obligation to give all the details of our lives to anyone, not even family.
 
I'm the same person whether I am communicating in person or here. There are different facets of my personality, as is true of everyone. I have never been an open book to anyone and everyone. Except that my late husband seemed to read my mind about things that were odd, bizarre even.

When we moved to Boston, the sun rose an hour earlier than it did in Atlanta. Although that may have been obvious to everyone, it wasn't to me. I thought that Boston was north of us, but in fact it was also 300 miles east of Atlanta.

So my first morning I woke up in Boston, it was 5 a.m. and light was streaming through the bedroom windows. The only thing this could possibly be was a spaceship that had landed in the parking lot behind us. Seriously. I was scared to death. I woke up my husband and asked him to look out the window, quickly. I said nothing else because I didn't want him to be afraid to look out the window.

He did. Then he turned around, looked at me very seriously and said "WL, there is not a spaceship in the parking lot." Then he explained the northeast of Atlanta thing.

How the heck did he know what I was thinking!? He knew I didn't believe that aliens and spaceships existed.
 
WheatenLover said:
I'm the same person whether I am communicating in person or here. There are different facets of my personality, as is true of everyone. I have never been an open book to anyone and everyone. Except that my late husband seemed to read my mind about things that were odd, bizarre even.

When we moved to Boston, the sun rose an hour earlier than it did in Atlanta. Although that may have been obvious to everyone, it wasn't to me. I thought that Boston was north of us, but in fact it was also 300 miles east of Atlanta.

So my first morning I woke up in Boston, it was 5 a.m. and light was streaming through the bedroom windows. The only thing this could possibly be was a spaceship that had landed in the parking lot behind us. Seriously. I was scared to death. I woke up my husband and asked him to look out the window, quickly. I said nothing else because I didn't want him to be afraid to look out the window.

He did. Then he turned around, looked at me very seriously and said "WL, there is not a spaceship in the parking lot." Then he explained the northeast of Atlanta thing.

How the heck did he know what I was thinking!? He knew I didn't believe that aliens and spaceships existed.
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I laugh because hubby and I used to do that a lot but it's less now since we are not so involved in just each other. Same sentences, thoughts, ideas. I guess it's just part of our quirky relationship with each other and it's been a good thing. I see it returning more and more with each week
though now since the family has went through a divorce so we see less of them again. So the laugh was a laugh in a cute way in understanding.
 
Jazzy1 said:
Are you the same person online as you are in real life?
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Yes, tho what you call 'real life' i usually refer to as 3D life. Because online people ARE real people with all the same foibles and admirable qualities as folks we deal with in 3D world. In the last 2 yrs at least 3 of my cyber friends have died and while i grieved for all 3, the 2 i'd known for two decades i mourned more intensely. Just as one might mourn longtime 3D friends more than casual newer friends.

It can be a little tricker to form bonds online because we don't have facial expressions and body language cues. But over time personalities are revealed by our words. Not just how we address each other 1 on 1 but what we say to other people on a site and how we say it. In 3D world i've always been a people watcher and from the beginning of my online life i've tended to observe how various people talk to others and not just when responding to me.

One difference online is that posted questions that might elicit very personal responses evolving into TMI are more likely than the more casual relationships i have with others in this little town. People frequently share more private or detailed info with longtime 3D friends than we do with new or casual 3D acquaintances. Tho throughout my adult life i have had people in 3D world share TMI totally unprompted by me. I generally try to be as kind, helpful and supportive as possible.

We always have choices about what and who we respond to, in 3D as well as cyber spaces; apparent 'inconsistencies' in where and how someone engages can often be a result of what else is going on in our lives at the time or a because we sometimes forget that as David777 mentioned most people do tend to consider what's 'appropriate' in certain settings or company. that's not being 'fake' it is having some respect, consideration for the sensibilities of others.
 
I'm probably more myself online since I can take a long time to decide what I want to say. Real life conversation goes too fast and switches topics too frequently for me to feel like I'm getting to be myself.

Here's a rather lengthy and sometimes tedious but also funny guy who pretends to be who he isn't:
 

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