Internet groups and blogs are like a playground, the contributors, puzzles. The thing about these puzzles is that they come without pictures and the pieces are doled out one at a time via something akin to a scavenger hunt.
In this age of instantaneous worldwide communication, it’s very easy to find someone to chat with any time, day or night. Some are passing allegiances, some casual chat buddies when you happen to bump into each other, some more than that. Still, it’s very difficult to honestly get to know anyone from a few paragraphs here and there. You lack the advantage of observing their interaction with their environment when only associating on-line. You miss all the little nuances of their personalities and oft times form a mental image of them that is far from accurate.
So the puzzles we attempt to build are ever-changing, shifting with our perceptions as more information becomes available. And as these impressions change, so does our interest in connecting the pieces. Some we realize we simply have no desire to continue and we put the lid back on the box. Others take shape in ways we weren’t anticipating but still represent individuals we believe worth knowing.
Along the way to assembling these puzzles which we are never likely to complete, because, let’s be honest here, none of us ever share every tiny detail about ourselves no matter who we’re speaking with, it’s highly probable that our misperceptions will cause hard feelings in some way or another. It’s up to you how you handle it. Me? When I’ve inadvertently stepped on some toes and am told I don’t know the other person I agree. They are correct. I do not know them. I merely responded with an impression formed through the glimpses of themselves that I’ve been granted thus far. If it’s a person who I feel I genuinely like and want to know better I add a request for them to tell me more. Dish out more pieces.
I don’t do that with everyone but it is how I am in my “real” life as well. People come and people go. That’s life. Many leave fond memories and we’re glad to have known them for a time. It’s the rare few that become the puzzles we laminate and hang on our walls.
Tour de France update –
Winner Stage 19, July 25 – Chavanel, France
Overall Leader – Sastre, Spain
Cadel Evans still in 4th
In this age of instantaneous worldwide communication, it’s very easy to find someone to chat with any time, day or night. Some are passing allegiances, some casual chat buddies when you happen to bump into each other, some more than that. Still, it’s very difficult to honestly get to know anyone from a few paragraphs here and there. You lack the advantage of observing their interaction with their environment when only associating on-line. You miss all the little nuances of their personalities and oft times form a mental image of them that is far from accurate.
So the puzzles we attempt to build are ever-changing, shifting with our perceptions as more information becomes available. And as these impressions change, so does our interest in connecting the pieces. Some we realize we simply have no desire to continue and we put the lid back on the box. Others take shape in ways we weren’t anticipating but still represent individuals we believe worth knowing.
Along the way to assembling these puzzles which we are never likely to complete, because, let’s be honest here, none of us ever share every tiny detail about ourselves no matter who we’re speaking with, it’s highly probable that our misperceptions will cause hard feelings in some way or another. It’s up to you how you handle it. Me? When I’ve inadvertently stepped on some toes and am told I don’t know the other person I agree. They are correct. I do not know them. I merely responded with an impression formed through the glimpses of themselves that I’ve been granted thus far. If it’s a person who I feel I genuinely like and want to know better I add a request for them to tell me more. Dish out more pieces.
I don’t do that with everyone but it is how I am in my “real” life as well. People come and people go. That’s life. Many leave fond memories and we’re glad to have known them for a time. It’s the rare few that become the puzzles we laminate and hang on our walls.
Tour de France update –
Winner Stage 19, July 25 – Chavanel, France
Overall Leader – Sastre, Spain
Cadel Evans still in 4th
5 comments:
Very interesting post . . . Although sometimes it is still hard to get to know people even with access to the nuances.
This is so true. We all hide little bits of ourselves and present what we choose to others.
Very profound. I am not one to play with puzzles myself though. too many pieces and not enough time for me.
I like puzzles. I like piecing them together slowly. I am not usually a jump right in kind of girl anyway. I prefer to take all things slow and methodically. So meeting people on the internet, piece by piece, seems to work well for me. I can't just sit down and complete a puzzle in one day.
XoXoXo
Dakota
Excellent post. You are exactly right. I suspect that is why we sometimes are better off not meeting someone in person...
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