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[2009/10/28 14:29] Apmel Ibbetsson: Jag glömde påminna dej o m Experiential Cyber Psychology idag. Det var en timme tidigare än vanligt pga att USA ännu inte gått över till vintertid så jag missade det också. Ämnet för dagen var Don Quixote and the Idealized Self.

[2009/10/28 14:29] Kandinsky Beaumont: Haha på nåt sätt känner jag att ämnet hade passat både dig o mig...

PS. Jag tror det kan passa många av oss. Farbror IB körde iväg och hämtade denna kopia på Reflection Freenotes förberedda introduktion:

I will begin our seminar with some prepared remarks, and then invite open discussion of the topic as this relates to your experience of life in SL.

Seminars in Experiential Cyber Psychology: Don Quixote and the Idealized Self
In 1605 Cervantes published what is considered to be the first modern novel, Don Quixote.

Along with the works of Shakespeare, Cervantes work is thought to constitute the foundation of modern literature both in terms of literary device and psychological
sophistication.

Interestingly, both novels and plays are forms of virtual reality and so have
interesting correspondences to our electronic versions of virtual reality. Don Quixote is especially fascinating, because it is a novel which is about the impact
of the novel, or a virtual reality which is about the effects of virtual reality. Don Quixote is someone who is driven mad by his intoxication with chivalrous romantic novels, and attempts to assert his idealized vision of chivalry in his own life, with humorous and paradoxical effects.

We seem, like Quixote, to instill our Avatars with often idealized characteristics which we prize and value. Unlike in RL, we can actually choose the nature of our avatar, and we can finely craft our presentation in this our novel which is the play we are writing for our avatar in SL.

The people we meet, are also representing themselves in similarly idealized form. Relationships which we develop often can also have idealized characteristics. We don’t have to take care of the boring and mundane aspects of First Life (FL) either in our idealized play, or in those which we create with others.

Cervantes is making a very interesting comment about the nature of our idealized selves in his novel, and he suggests that there are many profound realizations awaiting us as we attempt to adapt these idealizations to FL.

Some of the ways in which we can be idealized in SL, seem to have to do with our ability to never have a “bad hair day”. We always look our best (or at least how we have decided to look).Days on which we are too depressed, or anxious, or angry to relate to others, we can just choose not to show up.

We can set limits with other people really easily, so that again we are only dealing
with others in ways which we prefer or want to.

We don’t have to struggle with others over who has money to pay the rent, or who will
drive to a restaurant, or who will get the check.

Sometimes we may think of taking, like Quixote, our idealized visions, back into FL with us. Certainly there are potentially interesting things to be found.

What do you think they might be?

Are our idealized selves, that we present here, more or less authentically who we are, do you think?

Are relationships easier or harder to develop and maintain here?

Is it a good thing to attempt to take our idealized selves back to FL?

And do you have the sense of writing an autobiographical novel with your avatar and activies here in SL?

And with that I turn the discussion over to all of you.