Putting my best foot forward

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

So you just added everyone as a friend? I thought you liked me individually. That's kind of a jerk move, were you one of those girls in HS that signed year books "Stay cool" or "Have a great summer"?

Pretty fake, but I guess pretty honest also. You seem to honestly be pretty fake.

[tooblue]

To blame for what?



*this thread is absolutely hilarious BTW

I had a response for you but originally when I hit the Submit Reply button I got this error:

---------------------------

Forbidden

You don't have permission to access /newreply.php on this server.
Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

Apache/2.2.15 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.15 OpenSSL/0.9.8n DAV/2 mod_fcgid/2.3.5 mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635 Server at www.cougaruteforum.com Port 80

---------------------------

At first I thought maybe I've been locked out of responding to this thread. I asked Jeff in an PM and he didn't know what was going on. I did a little trouble shooting on my own and discovered a link I had included in the post must emulate a PHP query that the server doesn't like. Either that or it's a sign from God that this thread should end

[Moliere]

[Rosebud]

I can indeed imagine a man doing this. In fact, I REMEMBER a man doing this. You're not blazing any trails here-- the path you walk is well-trodden.

Can I have links?

[All-American]

Can I have links?

If he wants to, he can tell you all about it.

[Rosebud]

So you just added everyone as a friend? I thought you liked me individually. That's kind of a jerk move, were you one of those girls in HS that signed year books "Stay cool" or "Have a great summer"?

Pretty fake, but I guess pretty honest also. You seem to honestly be pretty fake.

So I read this thread just before bed and fell asleep trying to figure out if I'm honest or not. I ended up just getting really confused. The only answer I can come up with is the same as yours: if I'm really honest with myself I have to admit that I'm fake. Which is especially confusing because I try to be honest. So I'm starting to think that trying to be honest and sincere is fake.

Since you asked about yearbooks and they're a perfect example, I think I was one of those girls who realized that writing "stay cool" or "have a great summer" would sound insincere and might hurt someone's feelings. I didn't want to do that, so I'd try to think of something that would sound more sincere. This usually meant trying to remember anything that we had in common and writing about that. But right now while I'm thinking about it, I realize that it might have just been more honest to write something cliche. I mean, if I didn't really have anything personal to say, why try to make something up? So trying to be more sincere than you are is kind of a fake thing to do. But if you're sincerely trying to be sincere are you still fake? It's all very confusing.

And all of these thoughts brought me to thinking about the fun of trying ridiculous things on internet message boards to see what will happen. I really can't decide if it's an honest or a dishonest thing to do. When it really comes down to it, I have to admit that it's pretty insincere for all of us to put on these personae and interact together. (And I really have a hard time buying that there is anyone here who isn't putting a face on for the board. We all do... for one reason or another. Don't let yourself weasel out of the idea that you might do it, too.) But I can't really figure out if there's a difference between putting on false faces for each other here and putting on false faces for people we meet in the real world.

I guess the truth is that we almost never interact without putting on a persona of some sort. That's kind of depressing. But if we're all almost always putting on personae, what's the point of interacting?

This is not one of my most scientific moments....

[pellegrino]

So I read this thread just before bed and fell asleep trying to figure out if I'm honest or not. I ended up just getting really confused. The only answer I can come up with is the same as yours: if I'm really honest with myself I have to admit that I'm fake. Which is especially confusing because I try to be honest. So I'm starting to think that trying to be honest and sincere is fake.

Since you asked about yearbooks and they're a perfect example, I think I was one of those girls who realized that writing "stay cool" or "have a great summer" would sound insincere and might hurt someone's feelings. I didn't want to do that, so I'd try to think of something that would sound more sincere. This usually meant trying to remember anything that we had in common and writing about that. But right now while I'm thinking about it, I realize that it might have just been more honest to write something cliche. I mean, if I didn't really have anything personal to say, why try to make something up? So trying to be more sincere than you are is kind of a fake thing to do. But if you're sincerely trying to be sincere are you still fake? It's all very confusing.

And all of these thoughts brought me to thinking about the fun of trying ridiculous things on internet message boards to see what will happen. I really can't decide if it's an honest or a dishonest thing to do. When it really comes down to it, I have to admit that it's pretty insincere for all of us to put on these personae and interact together. (And I really have a hard time buying that there is anyone here who isn't putting a face on for the board. We all do... for one reason or another. Don't let yourself weasel out of the idea that you might do it, too.) But I can't really figure out if there's a difference between putting on false faces for each other here and putting on false faces for people we meet in the real world.

I guess the truth is that we almost never interact without putting on a persona of some sort. That's kind of depressing. But if we're all almost always putting on personae, what's the point of interacting?

This is not one of my most scientific moments....

Might I suggest this for your reading pleasure. It might help, but then again, it might not.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Pirandellos-Henry-IV-Luigi-Pirandello/dp/0802141943/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274797084&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Pirandello's Henry IV (9780802141941): Luigi Pirandello, Tom Stoppard: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Kvbf1Z6-L.@@AMEPARAM@@41Kvbf1Z6-L[/ame]

[Rosebud]

If he wants to, he can tell you all about it.

I can't tell if you're taking this way too seriously, if you're trying to be noble, or if you're trying to hurt someone you don't like.

Might I suggest this for your reading pleasure. It might help, but then again, it might not.

Amazon.com: Pirandello's Henry IV (9780802141941): Luigi Pirandello, Tom Stoppard: Books

It would be more honest if you would just say what you mean.

[pellegrino]

It would be more honest if you would just say what you mean.

I don't post with an agenda, or post tactically. I post for respectful discourse and interaction.

Henry IV deals specifically with the issues of personae, reality, and our perceptions of it. Read the play (it's not very long) and then you'll understand what I mean. Pirandello's observations could help with your quandary of putting on false faces, either in public or on the internet, but then again, they may not.

[Rosebud]

I don't post with an agenda, or post tactically. I post for respectful discourse and interaction.

I don't believe this. I don't believe that anyone who is really being honest with him/herself can conclude that s/he has no agenda. Maybe we're defining agenda differently.

Henry IV deals specifically with the issues of personae, reality, and our perceptions of it. Read the play (it's not very long) and then you'll understand what I mean. Pirandello's observations could help with your quandary of putting on false faces, either in public or on the internet, but then again, they may not.

Pellegrino, this is very atypical for you. It's atypical because you really do strive to post respectfully. I'm not asking you about the play. Please don't insult me by telling me something obvious in a condescending way even if you believe I deserve it. I'm trying to be honest right now and you're using intellect and attacks instead of being honest back. I still don't know what you really mean because you still haven't said.

[pellegrino]

I don't believe this. I don't believe that anyone who is really being honest with him/herself can conclude that s/he has no agenda. Maybe we're defining agenda differently.



Pellegrino, this is very atypical for you. It's atypical because you really do strive to post respectfully. I'm not asking you about the play. Please don't insult me by telling me something obvious in a condescending way even if you believe I deserve it. I'm trying to be honest right now and you're using intellect and attacks instead of being honest back. I still don't know what you really mean because you still haven't said.

Perhaps you view it as atypical because you are reading too much into recent events and conversations held elsewhere? This may be hard for you to believe, but it is what it is and I am what I am. There is no hidden message or insinuation in this post. I do not post with any sort of conscious agenda or purpose. I do not post things that I don't honestly believe, and I do not post to see what sort of reaction I can get from people. While I do try to portray myself in the best light (who doesn't?), you can ask anyone here who knows me personally and they'll tell you that my personality on CUF is essentially my personality in real life. In many situations I have been "guilty" of playing it straight laced when others on CUF were indeed joking or masquerading. I've done my best to make it clear to you why I am here, and what I get from CUF.

Honestly, your quandary about personae brought Pirandello to mind, in particular Henry IV (I could have also suggested One, No one and One Hundred Thousand, but it's not as concise as Henry IV). I don't have time to give an analysis of the play in relation to your post, because it would take too long to summarize it and articulate its relevance in an intelligent manner. That's a paper in and of itself and I've got a more important project to finish this week, but Henry IV does address the issues you bring up. If you're interested in reading it then do so. Any good library should have a copy of it. I'd be happy to discuss the play when you have read it.

[Rosebud]

Perhaps you view it as atypical because you are reading too much into recent events and conversations held elsewhere? This may be hard for you to believe, but it is what it is and I am what I am. There is no hidden message or insinuation in this post. I do not post with any sort of conscious agenda or purpose. I do not post things that I don't honestly believe, and I do not post to see what sort of reaction I can get from people. While I do try to portray myself in the best light (who doesn't?), you can ask anyone here who knows me personally and they'll tell you that my personality on CUF is essentially my personality in real life. In many situations I have been "guilty" of playing it straight laced when others on CUF were indeed joking or masquerading. I've done my best to make it clear to you why I am here, and what I get from CUF.

Honestly, your quandary about personae brought Pirandello to mind, in particular Henry IV (I could have also suggested One, No one and One Hundred Thousand, but it's not as concise as Henry IV). I don't have time to give an analysis of the play in relation to your post, because it would take too long to summarize it and articulate its relevance in an intelligent manner. That's a paper in and of itself and I've got a more important project to finish this week, but Henry IV does address the issues you bring up. If you're interested in reading it then do so. Any good library should have a copy of it. I'd be happy to discuss the play when you have read it.

That was mean.

[beefytee]

Is Sarcasm a form of "fake"?

[pellegrino]

That was mean.

you're overanalyzing. read the play.

[Rosebud]

you're overanalyzing. read the play.

sigh....