Are you similar in real life to your online personality?

.anon. · 19-03-2021 12:46am

I never argue in real life. About anything. Ever. You could tell me that the Holocaust never happened and I'd be like "Holocaust? What Holocaust?" Disagreeing with someone usually requires too much of a sustained effort and I ain't got the energy for that. Online, you can shit an opinion out and walk away, maybe come back to it later, maybe don't bother. In real life, you can't really pause when you're balls-deep in a heated discussion about, I don't know, fucking Israel or something, because Neighbours is about to start and you want to make a cup of tea.

My sense of humour is probably similar in real life, but I try to keep the weirder stuff to myself, depending on the company. I like it when a joke goes down like a lead balloon on here, because it reinforces my view that everyone except me was too thick to get it, but it's more awkward when that happens in real life.

OscarMIlde · 19-03-2021 12:50am

My viewpoints are generally the same here as in real life, but I tend to engage in less nuanced opinions and try to stick to the nub of the issue on boards than I would in real life. I find anything slightly controversial/badly expressed here can be hopped on, and I generally can't be arsed to get into a back and forth. Mainly because I'm too lazy for all that typing. In real life I'm well able to air my views, and find it's easier to air out any misconceptions face to face than it is online. I sometimes wonder if I come across as an incredibly pedantic bore on here, but since no one knows who I am I generally don't care.

[Deleted User] · 19-03-2021 12:58am

.anon. wrote: »

I never argue in real life. About anything. Ever. You could tell me that the Holocaust never happened and I'd be like "Holocaust? What Holocaust?" Disagreeing with someone usually requires too much of a sustained effort and I ain't got the energy for that. Online, you can shit an opinion out and walk away, maybe come back to it later, maybe don't bother. In real life, you can't really pause when you're balls-deep in a heated discussion about, I don't know, fucking Israel or something, because Neighbours is about to start and you want to make a cup of tea.

My sense of humour is probably similar in real life, but I try to keep the weirder stuff to myself, depending on the company. I like it when a joke goes down like a lead balloon on here, because it reinforces my view that everyone except me was too thick to get it, but it's more awkward when that happens in real life.

That's very relatable. I also like the honesty of offline. Even if you're having an argument about Northern Ireland in the smoking area of a pub (remember those?) there is an honesty in the limits to your immediate recollection of history — one of you isn't trotting down to JSTOR to find a paper that proves the other man wrong. And aside from the ordinary human decency that exists face-to-face, there's an acknowledgement that if you misrember a fact or a specific date, it doesn't entirely humiliate your argument.

God, I miss smoking areas.

retro:electro · 19-03-2021 1:14am

Who’s this cheesy dude thanking everything

Arghus · 19-03-2021 1:19am

Tell me how wrote: »

There's something weird about cutting the back off posters who actually contributed entertaining stuff on here for a long time.

Especially if it's all so OTT that it obviously shouldn't be taken seriously.

SuperSean11 · 19-03-2021 1:22am

I’m not as tall in real life

OscarMIlde · 19-03-2021 1:34am

retro:electro wrote: »

Who’s this cheesy dude thanking everything

I love how he neglected to thank this post.

retro:electro · 19-03-2021 1:40am

OscarMIlde wrote: »

I love how he neglected to thank this post.

I’m very cheesed off about it

[Deleted User] · 19-03-2021 2:21am

As for myself, don’t talk politics much offline these days. I need a pub and a drink for that. Or one of the two, preferably both.

[Deleted User] · 19-03-2021 2:22am

Mod

Can we stop mocking other posters who aren't here to defend themselves? I've had to delete several posts. Back on topic please.

Potential-Monke · 19-03-2021 5:20am

It's a strange one. I sometimes feel like I'm more "me" online, especially behind a persona. I can be more honest with my opinions on here without fear of backlash IRL. I try to be honest IRL I know everyone has different opinions and sometimes they clash and to be honest, I couldn't be arsed dealing with it IRL. On here, I can just close and go play a game if I'm sick of it, whereas it's apparently rude to just walk away IRL.

I also enjoy playing devils advocate on here. If my previous experience has thought me anything, there's 3 sides to a story, so I sometimes put up arguments that some would see that go against the societal norm. The reactions are great tbh, and that's what I'm after, peoples reactions (preferably honest), regardless of how they are perceived. Challenging the societal norm is kinda fun. I don't necessarily believe what I'm saying, but to me it warrants debate and the best debate is one without emotion, or at least one where emotion is acknowledged but can be removed from the facts. And of course, there are some topics you just can't discuss IRL that you can on here.

So, TL;DR, on here I can be more honest, IRL I can't be arsed

The Inbetween is mine · 19-03-2021 6:43am

Interesting read...I've been here for years, I've returned more times than a homesick boomerang.
My online persona's have caught people out...I've been told, oh I loved Erik Shin....and then I tell them I was Felix Jones is God and it's...oh i thought he was a plick

And that's probably me in RL....I can be very nice & thoughtful,
if you're my friend...you have a friend for life.
But when I'm bad, I'm an absolute nightmare...
I can't stand far right / facist leaning people and I stay away from those threads here... but in RL I really get involved.
So.. overall.... people run when they see me coming

PhilOssophy · 19-03-2021 9:45am

Had to google IRL......

banie01 · 19-03-2021 9:50am

retro:electro wrote: »

Who’s this cheesy dude thanking everything

I think my recently detached foreskin has gained sentience and decided it's keeping the cheese! :O

[Deleted User] · 19-03-2021 10:11am

I'd be pretty much the same in RL as I am here.

I have a solid group of friends who would (pre-covid) meet weekly to discuss/debate topics. Close to what CA is like TBH. I also chair a number of student clubs aimed at discussion/debate, so I tend to do a lot of the same kind of discussions in RL as I do online. Boards would be the only social media platform I use to discuss with anyone online though.

Potential-Monke · 19-03-2021 11:22pm

It's funny, I've never considered boards to be social media, because you have a persona. They're forums to me, and forums are separate to social media (which I use specifically for Facebook, WhatsApp, etc).

[Deleted User] · 19-03-2021 11:49pm

Potential-Monke wrote: »

It's funny, I've never considered boards to be social media, because you have a persona. They're forums to me, and forums are separate to social media (which I use specifically for Facebook, WhatsApp, etc).

When you've committed to a single account with a decent post count, then you've got a persona and reputation. Just as you would with most social media.. With many posters here, many of the threads are quite like semi-relaxed banter.

timeToLive · 19-03-2021 11:53pm

tfw you realise this is "real life"

[Deleted User] · 20-03-2021 1:10am

Potential-Monke wrote: »

It's funny, I've never considered boards to be social media, because you have a persona. They're forums to me, and forums are separate to social media (which I use specifically for Facebook, WhatsApp, etc).

Yeah, definitely. Also consider character limits on the likes of Twitter: certainly, these limits can reward clarity of expression, but they also enable abrupt, often tactless language.

I think people convey more of themselves on boards. You get more of a sense of the person writing the message. Any time I've met someone from this site, their personality was almost exactly as I'd expected.

Goldengirl · 21-03-2021 11:27pm

I would be much the same really ...talk too much ,often say things I shouldn't really , but am a big softee and just enjoy the banter and the back and forth more than being right / or wrong :pac:

jimbobaloobob · 21-03-2021 11:48pm

Goldengirl wrote: »

I would be much the same really ...talk too much ,often say things I shouldn't really , but am a big softee and just enjoy the banter and the back and forth more than being right / or wrong :pac:

Id say that sums up the majority of people on Boards

Night owl gal · 22-03-2021 1:03am

Fairly similar I would say, although much more quieter in real life and a bit more outspoken online

BeerWolf · 22-03-2021 6:32am

Mostly.

People often think I'm a white caucasian far right nazi whatever whenever I speak out against things like BLM's actions (riots), illegal immigration, racism towards whites and such with the hypocrisy, and so forth of societal issues... even though I'm brown skinned of Indian descent. These people automatically label you and can be downright nasty about it with extreme vindictiveness and contempt... :rolleyes:

Nqp15hhu · 22-03-2021 7:36am

Not really. I come across a lot of rude and flippant people online which draws out a defensive tone.

Quantum Erasure · 22-03-2021 7:55am

I find myself being a bit of a **** online when I don't mean to be, so pretty much yes

[Deleted User] · 11-04-2021 8:35pm

AdrianBalboa wrote: »

I'm just as forthright in real life which leads to a lot of gendered insults coming my way, so I'm usually called "shrill," "bossy," or worst of all, a "Karen." People are threatened by outspoken, opinionated women whether it is offline and online.

I'm also the victim of a lot of reverse classism: I am from an upper middle-class background with a plummy South Dublin accent so my opinions regarding the plight of the working mxn are usually rejected by the kind of people who think drinking wine is snooty or who grew up in homes where people smoked indoors.

Despite the fact that my views on the elite and the ultra-wealthy are generally more progressive than theirs are my thought are often dismissed out of hand because of my perceived "affluent" lifestyle. It's just jealousy.

Great parody!

Katgurl · 12-04-2021 8:49am

Yes but I've found reactions are very different. It really drives home how much people are influenced by appearance.

[Deleted User] · 12-04-2021 9:49am

I'd be more conservative politically on here compared to real life. Pro Brexit, pro-Trump. I would generally keep those thoughts to myself in real life as people tend to think I'm Jim Corr mixed with Tommy Robinson when I say that. Trying to persuade them differently never works. If you're explaining you're losing is sometimes true.

[Deleted User] · 12-04-2021 9:54am

BeerWolf wrote: »

Mostly.

People often think I'm a white caucasian far right nazi whatever whenever I speak out against things like BLM's actions (riots), illegal immigration, racism towards whites and such with the hypocrisy, and so forth of societal issues... even though I'm brown skinned of Indian descent. These people automatically label you and can be downright nasty about it with extreme vindictiveness and contempt... :rolleyes:

You need to check your white privilege, bigot :pac:

ILoveYourVibes · 12-04-2021 11:55am

Someone said I am more fragile in real life.

I don't know how i come off in life to people or online ...i am diff in diff environments.

Are you similar in real life to your online personality?

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