Internet Forums, 'Real Life', and Personality distortion

[Members Only]

Sorry if the below is full of spelling mistakes and such. I'm really tired, it's 04:53AM, but I had a pre-sleep thought which I felt like making a post about.

I often hear the phrase thrown about "You can not trust the Internet", more specifically "You can not trust what anybody says on the Internet", yet more specific "People create false personas through the Internet". Presumably, the assumption of the Internet being congested with false personas, leads people into distrusting the words of others emanating from the Internet; emanating through devices such as forums, message boards, blogs, personal websites etc...

Do the majority of people who use the Internet as a means to communicate with others create a false persona? Or do people use to it to realize their true personas, unbound by the everyday social rituals of engaging in conversation in 'real life', does this not lead to a freeing up of ones inhibitions, in which they feel more free to state their true opinions, to let loose their true nature? Do you feel MBTIc is loaded with false or true personas? Exaggerated personas? Less exaggerated personas?

If somebody acts out of turn, acts an idiot, if somebody is, say, what is often deemed a 'troll' on Internet forums; I often think people assume that the 'troll' has created a false persona, a persona to be an idiot, he/she has placed a mask over their true, everyday, less idiotic persona. But is the 'troll' persona, not the persons true persona, and their false persona the mask they place over themselves in real life? A mask worn to avoid the harsher repercussions of acting 'troll' like in the real world, repercussions that could include physical violence?

Do Internet forums create true or false people? Do some people become more true and some people more false? What makes one person choose to become more false and another to become more true, through the prism of the internet.

[disregard]

There was a thread over at INTPc called "Deceptive Perception", about posting anonymously and how your unique style of writing will always permeate your facade.

I think it's true that There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. You can't keep up an act, because after a while you will forget what the act was and your true colors will begin to show.

After a significant amount of internet time (given they are a regular poster), you get an idea of what the person is generally like. Sometimes you are mistaken by a first impression, and you grow to like someone you didn't like very much to begin with. And sometimes you don't want to believe that someone is truly how they portray themself, but after a while, you realise that sadly they are.

Just like IRL.

[Bella]

I think people who purposefully create a false persona on forums are the minority. Is that naive of me? I just think it is such a great oppurtunity to be able to speak your mind freely that it is unnessasary to create a false persona. I would think someone would be more inclined to do that in real life where you might be judged way more than you would here.

[Firelie]

There was a thread over at INTPc called "Deceptive Perception", about posting anonymously and how your unique style of writing will always permeate your facade.

That's really true. I was part of an online writing/role-playing club as a teenager and we had about 15-20 members...it became sort of a game to introduce new characters without telling anybody, just to see if they could fool people into thinking they were a new member.

I got extremely good at picking out who was who, and people were amazed by it, but the writing style gives people away most of the time. I tried my hand at making a new persona by changing my writing style completely and it worked for a while, but eventually I'd slip back into my own patterns and give myself away.

[Victor]

In literature, authors have always used false personas called a nom de plume.

And on MBTI Central we are halfway between print media and the electronic media, so the old habits of nom de plume die hard.

But on www.seesmic.com there are no nom de plumes because seesmic has made the transition from print to electronic video.

So it is no longer possible to hide on seesmic.

So in the large cultural sphere, privacy is over.

But MBTI Central remains delightfully old fashioned.

[colmena]

For me, most anxiety is lifted. I post how I feel at the time, and assume most others do so.

[Victor]

For me, most anxiety is lifted. I post how I feel at the time, and assume most others do so.

Yes, I post how I feel at the time.

It seems to release me and give me pleasure.

However I do think that most are not in touch with how they feel at the time. So essentially what they post is a psychological defence.

They clamber around like armadillos from thread to thread - their armour clanking.

[colmena]

They clamber around like armadillos from thread to thread - their armour clanking.

Well this is quite like how I've been tonight. But this is the relevant way of being in accordance to how I feel.

[EffEmDoubleyou]

I think people who purposefully create a false persona on forums are the minority. Is that naive of me? I just think it is such a great oppurtunity to be able to speak your mind freely that it is unnessasary to create a false persona. I would think someone would be more inclined to do that in real life where you might be judged way more than you would here.

I agree with this fully. That said, I think everyone has a false persona online simply due to the restrictions of the medium. Even if you always tell the truth and remain true to your personality, someone who only knows you online only knows a portion of you. There's too much of a person's essence that is only revealed in their physical presence.

[substitute]

I see the distinction as arbitrary. People make false personas in RL too, they also deceive, mislead and fake.

[Victor]

Well this is quite like how I've been tonight. But this is the relevant way of being in accordance to how I feel.

Ah, you have discovered your inner armadillo.

[Ilah]

I would make a distinction between a false name and a false persona. For example, for most people here there screen name is not the same as their real first name. However, just because a person uses a fasle name does not mean that their personality changes.

In literature, authors have always used false personas called a nom de plume.

And on MBTI Central we are halfway between print media and the electronic media, so the old habits of nom de plume die hard.

But on www.seesmic.com there are no nom de plumes because seesmic has made the transition from print to electronic video.

So it is no longer possible to hide on seesmic.

So in the large cultural sphere, privacy is over.

But MBTI Central remains delightfully old fashioned.

Sometimes on the internet I will talk more about some things I don't share as freely in real life, like spiritual beliefs, problems I have had in the past or unusual hobbies. That isn't really personality though. In real life I probably "fake" a lot of the F stuff, being more friendly and polite than is my normal tendancy. But then I do that on line too. And in real life I hide my mood swings from people as best I can, but then I do that on line too. Although I have actually told some of my on line groups that I was "hiding" my mood swings. More specifically, I was deliberately sparing them from my posts during my down swings.

I think on-line groups get much more of my "philospohical" side, simply because only a handful of people in real life our interested in hearing about it.

Ilah

[GZA]

I think everyone has a persona to some degree. We can filter everything we say, so naturally it won't realistically represent how we behave in real life, or what we think in our own minds. Although Substitute has a great point that people do the same in real life, although I personally believe it's easier to see someone is being fake in real life.

With MBTI a lot of people seem to fill in their personality with MBTI (i.e. "cause I'm an ENFP" ect), which I think distorts things.

I think things like trolling really is just a persona to say stupid/funny/irritating things and is specifically not representative of the people doing it in real life.

I made a post in my blog about internet personas where I tried to give a very simple description of myself that was intended to destroy any persona I may seem to have. Of course, when conciously describing yourself you will probably distort it even more, but I'll try and dig it up here anyway...

http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/nf-blogs/4539-enter-36-chambers-7.html#post249581

There it is. One of the best posts I think I've made.

[ajblaise]

I will posit that people are even more like themselves on the internet. People are more open and will spill their guts online.

[INTJMom]

Sorry if the below is full of spelling mistakes and such. I'm really tired, it's 04:53AM, but I had a pre-sleep thought which I felt like making a post about.

I often hear the phrase thrown about "You can not trust the Internet", more specifically "You can not trust what anybody says on the Internet", yet more specific "People create false personas through the Internet". Presumably, the assumption of the Internet being congested with false personas, leads people into distrusting the words of others emanating from the Internet; emanating through devices such as forums, message boards, blogs, personal websites etc...

Do the majority of people who use the Internet as a means to communicate with others create a false persona? Or do people use to it to realize their true personas, unbound by the everyday social rituals of engaging in conversation in 'real life', does this not lead to a freeing up of ones inhibitions, in which they feel more free to state their true opinions, to let loose their true nature? Do you feel MBTIc is loaded with false or true personas? Exaggerated personas? Less exaggerated personas?

If somebody acts out of turn, acts an idiot, if somebody is, say, what is often deemed a 'troll' on Internet forums; I often think people assume that the 'troll' has created a false persona, a persona to be an idiot, he/she has placed a mask over their true, everyday, less idiotic persona. But is the 'troll' persona, not the persons true persona, and their false persona the mask they place over themselves in real life? A mask worn to avoid the harsher repercussions of acting 'troll' like in the real world, repercussions that could include physical violence?

Do Internet forums create true or false people? Do some people become more true and some people more false? What makes one person choose to become more false and another to become more true, through the prism of the internet.
Your questions seem more like psychology questions than MBTT questions.
A psychology forum might be able to help you better.

I tend to be trusting and not given to cynicism,
so I tend to think that most people are generally being themselves to the best of their ability.
However because we're using the written word,
our perceptions could often be mistaken without us knowing it.

I tend to think of trolls as immature people with no life.

[placebo]

TROLLS! (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/magazine/03trolls-t.html) (interesting article, maybe)

[Jeffster]

Yeah, online I'm awesomelicious, and in person I'm awesometastic. The difference is subtle, but noticeable.

[Jack Flak]

I think trolls is a pretty cool guy. eh raep teh internet and doesn't afraid of anything.

[LostInNerSpace]

Sorry if the below is full of spelling mistakes and such. I'm really tired.


I wish I could use that excuse. I just seem to have a writing handicap. Anyone know of a "disabled smily" I can use?


Or do people use to it to realize their true personas, unbound by the everyday social rituals of engaging in conversation in 'real life', does this not lead to a freeing up of ones inhibitions, in which they feel more free to state their true opinions, to let loose their true nature? Do you feel MBTIc is loaded with false or true personas? Exaggerated personas? Less exaggerated personas?


I am a totally different person online--chat, email, forums, etc.


If somebody acts out of turn, acts an idiot, if somebody is, say, what is often deemed a 'troll' on Internet forums; I often think people assume that the 'troll' has created a false persona, a persona to be an idiot, he/she has placed a mask over their true, everyday, less idiotic persona. But is the 'troll' persona, not the persons true persona, and their false persona the mask they place over themselves in real life? A mask worn to avoid the harsher repercussions of acting 'troll' like in the real world, repercussions that could include physical violence?


Sounds not unlike the insane drivers who tailgate in very heavy rain.


Do Internet forums create true or false people? Do some people become more true and some people more false? What makes one person choose to become more false and another to become more true, through the prism of the internet.

What makes a "true persona" true? I have several personas. The various people in and around my life would probably not recognize me in other contexts.

[Anja]

Oh, fun coming here and seeing your OP, Members Only.

I understand!

I've thought about this before in RL in regard to motorcyclists. I have observed this kind of thing in motorcycle culture. Goes like this:

Oooooh, big, bad, swaggering leatherclad bikers. Stay away. Danger.

Nope, them are really good guys. Don't let the act fool you. They ride for Tots For Toys and do all kindsa good stuff. They've secretly got kind hearts.

No, they drink too much and beat their wives and roar around the streets.

Uh-uh. They are just misunderstood and wounded souls.

Layer upon layer exposed, deeper and deeper, "good" following "bad."

Who's zoomin' who?

___________________________________________

As far as the net goes, what disregard said. . .

[Anja]

I don't know if I killed it, or not.

My point being that folks are kinda like this - they're layers of uniqueness covered over with stereotypes and cultural habits. And most of them are in flux acting upon and being acted upon for as long as they live.

Ya can't exactly nail them cuz over time they change. You marry 'em, make fast friends with 'em, hate 'em, avoid 'em. And ten years later what you've decided about them may no longer be true. Even in the present little surprises pop out from time to time.

I was just thinking about a man I knew for years, sorta lumpy-dumpy and plain. Drove gravel truck. Didn't seem too bright. I never really got involved with him because he didn't seem interesting to me. One night, through circumstances, we ended up in a coffee shop together and he started to quote Dylan Thomas. Um. What?

Fascinating man. They're our neighbors now and have a prize-winning lawn. He raises rare Asian lilies and koi. I stroll down that way now and then just to listen to him muse.

On the net, just like in RL, you pays your money and you takes your chances.

[heart]

However I do think that most are not in touch with how they feel at the time. So essentially what they post is a psychological defence.

They clamber around like armadillos from thread to thread - their armour clanking.

You make so many assumptions about people, many before you even get to know them that you often don't give people a chance to be real with you. When I say this I mean only here on this board, because of course I do not know you aside from your postings here.

[whatever]

Deception is easy- in real life or on the forum. Those who don't know themselves are the most deceptive, whether intentionally or not- and a personality forum would draw a lot of confused people I suppose.

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." - Kurt Vonnegut

Of course I have my own insights on this topic :rolleyes:

[heart]

The internet is a great tool for learning about self though. It really is.

[whatever]

Yes- which would explain why people who are less certain would be places like here :)

[Anja]

I like that idea of a forum being, like everything else in life, a learning experience. I've talked to quite a few young introverts - well, and older ones also - who say they've picked up some confidence by practicing interacting online.

Of course, a forum is also a good place to get your ego trampled on occasion so it's good to bring the armadillo along! Just not to resort to the scaly creature to do your work for you daily! Heh.

Mine's named Francis.:smile:

That was a funny simile, Victor!

[Jack Flak]

I think it's a safe bet I have more experience with e-interaction than physical. I've been doing this sort of thing since 1993, I believe. It's second nature.

[Anja]

Do you have an armadillo, Jack?

Hey, do you know what I've learned from you already?

[Jack Flak]

No.

What?

[Anja]

Oh, hello!

I've learned that I've mistyped my son. I thought he was an ISTP for years. But you caught my attention swiftly when I came (Hey! That's my kid there.) and I started watching and listening to you and I've realized that he's an INTP!

I now understand some things about him better.

[Anja]

Addendum: Now don't go projecting any of your "mommy issues" onto me! :newwink:

*Jack replies, "I don't have any "mommy issues."*

*Anja winks again.*

[Viv]

For the most part, I would also tend to agree that people reveal their true selves online, since for some, the sense of anonymity serves as a safe haven for more genuine responses.

(LoL. This discussion reminds me of a recent dating experience I had. The Internet provides a useful portal for background checks. So GLAD I did research before I let myself fall deep- it only reconfirmed my hunches about their portrayal of honesty/sincerity despite the 'gentlemanly' exterior IRL).

Great topic!

[01011010]

There was a thread over at INTPc called "Deceptive Perception", about posting anonymously and how your unique style of writing will always permeate your facade.

Just like IRL.

Oh snap.

Yes. I agree with this and I think most people don't create a false personality. I think they only hold back to withhold their true identity. Nothing more.

[toonia]

I see the distinction as arbitrary. People make false personas in RL too, they also deceive, mislead and fake.
Well said. If you think about it, most people are shaded differently based on any given context: they dress and behave differently at home, when applying for a bank loan, with friends, at church, when visiting parents, when ordering ice cream, attending high school reunions, etc. People bring out and emphasize various aspects of their true selves, like drawing a variety of caricatures, based on the requirements of the situation. As far as deliberately distorted images, it likely happens, but even online that would take a lot of energy. The people I have met irl from the forums are similar in both context with a little change of emphasis in some cases.