Who you are is who you are

https://lemmy.world/post/13423151

Who you are is who you are - Lemmy.World

There is a distinction between real life and online. Psudonimously posting under a screen name is very different from making real life statements as yourself.

If you chose to be yourself online that is your choice. You can be someone else on the internet. You can choose to be an asshole on ocasion, that’s kind of the entire premise of trolling.

There is no ghost inside you, simultaneously piloting the same meat suit you are, who suddenly takes control sometimes.

It’s you. You said those things. You may have been drunk, you may have been anonymous, but you still said them. If you’re willing to go on a racist tirade online, you’re willing to go on a racist tirade. If you’re going to make death threats anonymously, you’re going to make death threats.

Statements remain true without qualifying where, or how. Because you still did a thing, regardless.

An actor literally says the lines they say, but they are playing a character, those words are not their own. Acting, improv, playing pretend, roleplay, there are plenty of ways for healthy adults to take a role and be a person other than themselves.

Online interactions can do the same thing. Some people choose to be someone else on the internet and that is fine.

The screenshotted comment is from audreyii-fic, someone who chose to represent herself by what is (presumably) her own name. That perspective is very different from the sort of person who would choose to be someone else online.

Be an actor, sure, but an actor isn’t ‘being someone else’ - they’re acting - they’re **pretending ** to be someone else. It is different.
It is different mainly because everyone knows it if they’re in the play or watching it.