Getting To Know You
I am Janus, I am ancient, I am ageless, I am omnipotent.
And I do not exist.
I am a shell, a false face that someone masquerades as, I am nothing more than a mask that allows a living flesh and blood human to do his work online. I do not, have not, and will never exist except in his mind, and perhaps in yours as well.
My name is Robert, a quaint name but the one that I am blessed with.
Why am I writing this? Is it ego? An overinflated sense of self?...That may be part of it, but the primary reason is simply to connect.
Each of us on this website lives a parallel life. We both do and do not exist.
One part of us lives a normal life and is known by 'real' people, a flesh and blood human who is a member of our own society. The other however is a mental construct, our own 'persona' that we can wear whenever we want.
However, Janus is not very connectable--not in his current position at least. Janus is simply one of my (Robert's) faces and while I try my best to help, neither I, or that aspect of me, has ever been too terribly outgoing.
Thus this entry, sometimes I think it's a simple matter of remembering this duality that we lead online. Each and every member of this website both does and doesn't exist--but when you are speaking to the digital construct that information is being perceived and filtered through the eyes of the real human who's looking at their monitor.
Each of us, blessed with this duality must also realize that we each have our own fractured view of the world--not to say that it's twisted, simply fractured, incomplete, missing portions. I can only see my own view of the world and not anyone elses--because I am me, I am Robert.
Basically in the end I believe it comes down to this: The moderating staff of this website may at times appear ruthless and oppressive to some members, I will not deny this.
But remember that sometimes members also seem alien and antagonistic to us.
What is the best solution to this?
Remember that our projection is not what we are, I am not Janus, you are not your screen name.
You are you, and I am me.
But together we can become We, and we're far stronger that way.
-Robert
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