The internet and all interactions we have via the internet are essentially imaginary. You can post any picture and say it's you. You can use any email, any home address, any IP address and anything you want to be -- you can be. The strangest thing I observe on a regular basis is the inexplicable value people place on their imaginary online identity. It's almost as if people truly believe each other when they post pictures, make claims about their identities or real lives. How is it that so many people forget that absolutely none of this is real? If everything can be falsified -- Is anything real? Well as you should already know, nothing in cyberspace is more or less than you choose to make it.As I have revealed my purpose and uncovered my various persona you can see that I have played the part of both male and female roles. I have taken on various roles of varying personality types. It gets tedious at times but if you bothered to read my links you will understand that once an audience believes you to be a particular character, it is very easy to assume the role. If you can sell yourself up front, people immediately begin to sell themselves on your performance. It's human nature -- they essentially want to believe your story. A certain part of our mind just doesn't like the idea that what we are hearing and seeing is not real. It makes natural interaction more difficult and we end up having to be more careful about what we say or do. Convincing ourselves of truth, or taking things at face value, allows us to let our guard down.
I once read in a book that the Japanese have three faces and six hearts. You will never know their true ambitions or desires until they choose for you to know. It makes them formidable adversaries in any situation. When I read philosophy, psychology and sociology I think back to this statement often. I know that many Japanese will smile when they experience a flood of anger or disgust, immediately concealing from sight their true feelings. It is a habit born out of shame. For some cultures to show your anger or disgust openly is extremely rude and if you fail to conceal it from sight you should feel ashamed of your lack of self-control. Americans and many Europeans will do the opposite -- they let it all hang out.
To understand the idea best I suggest a thorough reading of a novel entitled "SHOGUN" written by James Clavell. Especially with the use of the internet, ones identity and motives are so easily concealed that it makes intelligence gathering extremely easy. Conducting counter-intelligence against your friends and teammates is unpleasant if you are not sophisticated enough. Intense personal steadiness is required to maintain both the illusion that you are genuinely open about yourself and yet simultaneously keep your true intentions masked. At times your disgust and hatred for your target can become so intense that you reveal your motives prematurely. Learn from the Japanese and cover that disgust with a big toothy grin. V.
