Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Inner Beauty


I agree with Lauren Thomas' conclusion that the "outside image" is heavily focused on with not enough credit given to the "inside image". This common to TGs and GGs alike, with strong reinforcement given by men.

On the internet, it is possible to create any "identity" of one's own choosing. How close or far this identity is from reality depends on the motives of the person underlying that virtual identity. It depends what that person is looking for, be it information, attention, their jollies, or real genuine human connections. For those seeking real connections, the "outside image" will fairly closely reflect reality. It also depends on the needs and goals of the audience. In communities where the importance of external appearance reigns supreme, the internal is often overlooked or forgotten.

The question is, how important is someone's external appearance to you? Does this criteria determine whether you will interact with that person on a friendly basis? Does it assist in the judgement of whether they are worth your time or not? How much information about that person can be learned by assessing their physical appearance? If you put the most credence in a virtual image as presented, you run the risk of being fooled.

If instead you seek people with character substance, you will find that fabricating substance is too much work for those who are just playing games. When you meet someone new on the internet, ask some questions, get them talking. Their words will tell you much more about their "inner image" than any photo.

Originally posted in response to: http://genderevolve.blogspot.com/2005/11/inside-image.html