Beauty and the Beast? or What You See is What You Get?

Anna Gregoline | July 29, 2004
How does your public image differ from your private self? How do you behave with friends, family, co-workers, strangers in public?

Denise Sawicki | July 29, 2004
I never learned how to project a fake image of myself, which I think is one of my major problems in life.

Lori Lancaster | July 29, 2004
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Scott Hardie | July 30, 2004
I am generally the same person on here as I am everywhere else - obscene and opinionated, though mindful of other people's opinions. I shift into "polite mode" around my family, which just means less swearing and fewer opinions. :-)

Denise Sawicki | July 30, 2004
Expanding on my earlier statement, most people would be shocked to realize that I have a personality and can talk for hours. I generally don't say anything around people I don't know well. This is not intentional however, but a result of shyness. What I mean by not projecting a fake image of myself is that I have a hard time hiding my emotions, whether positive or negative, and I don't feign interest in things I don't care about or say stuff just to fit in, which does tend to make it difficult to ever get to know anyone to the point where I *could* talk to them for hours...

Scott Hardie | July 31, 2004
I can see how an inability to be inauthentic could hinder you in social situations, Denise, but a lot of people would envy you for such a trait. I said it in another discussion yesterday, I'll say it again; the grass is always greener on the other side.

Erik Bates | July 31, 2004
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Melissa Erin | July 31, 2004
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John Viola | August 9, 2004
Good question. I like to think I am myself no matter the situation, but it is hard to be objective when talking about yourself!

I like friends and acquaintances more than strangers, so if I am in a public setting with people I don't know I like to meet them so there will at least be a level of relatedness, even if only slight.

I am very much the physicist and philosopher, and enjoy learning about the life, the universe and everything. I like to learn more about people's thoughts and feelings, and how people work together as a society. The best way to learn about life is to live it, and therefore I enjoy meeting and interacting with people of all walks of life.

As far as being myself, I have many radical ideas and have no problem exploring and discussing them, even if the ideas are not popular. I would rather be hated for what I am than loved for what I am not.

Anna Gregoline | August 9, 2004
Why are your ideas radical? Just wondering. Post some of them!

John Viola | August 9, 2004
LOL. My ideas are radical because THE MAN wouldn't like them ;-)

I have already presented some of them in the 'Gay Marriage' thread - questioning the idea of marriage and definition of love. Granted I haven't expounded on them, but at least the tip of the iceberg is there.

Ideas regarding capitalist economy. It seems like capitalism has been equated with democracy as if they are inseperable - even though capitalist structures are dictatorial. Until recently captialism has almost been like a religion - sacred and unquestionable. But protests in the US (WTO in Seattle) and worldwide since the 90s have at least somewhat loosened the stranglehold on debate.

Is the US of the people, for the people, by the people, or is it run as a few key people see fit? Is our democracy a thriving system where we play a part in the discussion and decisions in our community locally and our nation as a whole? Are people too busy selling themselves on the 'job market' to be able to decide how much of their time is spent on certain tasks of their own choosing on a day-to-day basis? Does everything revolve around production and consumption since it benefits the profit of a few? Is credit the life support of our society (since wages can't provide the lifestyle that profit-making-consumption requires) - which is unstable at best?

Just some things off the top of my head.