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We are different people in real life than on the Net. The anonymity of the World Wide Web often grants us courage and cowardice to express and hide certain traits we would otherwise not express or have a difficult time containing. I am starting this thread as sort of a confession thread. I don't want to know dirty secrets or anything, but basically I thought it might be fun to share and contrast the differences in how we express ourselves online vs. in real life.
I personally am different in a few ways. I tend to be rather blunt here about my opinions. I don't mean to cause offense, but I simply state my opinion rather straightforwardly. I am an opinionated person in real life, but I tend to be more tactful, to a fault even, when sharing my opinion. If someone pushes me, I will beat them in the head with my opinion, but often I find that it is a battle not worth fighting and I drop it. Here on this site, I notice I have a hard time dropping things, especially if I feel passionate about it.
I am somewhat shy in real life. Not terribly so, though I used to be. I don't always speak up immediately. However, I have gained a great deal of confidence over the years (I don't believe I am arrogant, but then most arrogant people don't :P ), and therefore I open up more quickly with people, but it still can be a difficult task for me.
As I've been teased before for it, my tendency to quickly apologize for causing offense is far more pronounced in reality. I hate to hurt others. I can be very self conscious as well, and worry about whether others like me far more than I wish.
I do consider myself intelligent and well spoken in reality. I can be a bit of a grammar fascist in reality as I tend to be here.
I tend to be very conscientious of the religion that I so proudly proclaim here, and I do all in my power to represent my faith well. In real life I let my guard down far more than I wish. I truthfully slip up and swear rather regularly, though I try never to do so. Sometimes I tell a naughty joke though I try to control myself. I am kind of quick-witted, and with that comes impulsivity as my thoughts flow right out my mouth, and I don't always catch myself quickly enough.
You know, when I was young I remember plotting a four-celled chart about how much I knew and didn't know about myself vs. how much others did and did not know. Depending on which cells were largest and smallest, you hid much from others and from yourself, etc. I think I liked to consider myself mysterious at the time and plotted myself very unknown, both to others and to myself. Was this true? Probably not. I think I was rather shallow back then. But over the years I have become a very introspective person. I try to not only feel, but figure out why I am feeling, not only think, but figure out why I am thinking. I really look pretty deep at my own thoughts, motivations, and foibles. I can honestly say that while I'm sure many of my own characteristics are evident to others and not to me (like my crappy sense of fashion), I think I can honestly say that were I to draw such a graph again, the quadrant representing that of myself that was hidden from my consciousness would be much, much smaller.
While this may not seem relevant to the thread, it has bearing in that this sort of thread can be a great exercise in learning more about yourself. You may come to realize that you have or lack certain traits you thought otherwise before.
Anyone care to join in? Don't share overly personal stuff, but please let us know who you really are on some level. And while you're at it, you may discover more about yourself as well.
