A Toast to "Lessened Hostility"

[mlerules]

*sigh* - the cat's turned off, the kitten-heads're clustering, the temp's cooled down, the jacuzzi beckons but I'm too tired to indulge...even though I could just open up the bedroom window and crawl out onto the deck, push off the top, and melt into the hot water. Today was an odd day. Accomplished little...or so it seemed at the time. Now perhaps it's dawning on me that Taking It Easy is in and of itself A Good Thing.

Tomorrow I'll have fambily over and around through dinner-time (still dunno what I'll make for 'em...will figure it out when the time comes). Sunday'll be spent w/them again, at least 'til late afternoon/early eve. Next week there's nothing on the calendar 'til Friday morning when dad and his wife arrive to stay w/me 'til sometime on Monday. It's odd having nothing scheduled. Dawg knows I've got things to do. Who knows what I'll actually do though.

Now that doing laundry isn't such a production, it also doesn't feel like such an accomplishment either. Neither does putting together a couple of IKEA bookshelves (initially typed "building" but it's NOT so I re-verb-phrased it). It's as if it doesn't count (it = doing whatever) unless it's Big, Bold, Impressive, Different, Something Other Than Same Ole Same Ole.

Read something today that's been bugging me. Even though this is out of context so you don't get a real flavor of the discussion (and I cannot easily right now trace back the link for anyone who cares) and I don't really believe in the direct causal connection, the upshot (net effect/symptom) does appear to describe attitudes/actions which abound for whatEVER reason:

"Virtual worlds reinforce the popular culture drive for self-satisfaction and self-realization above all other goals; users of virtual worlds cease to see other human beings as human, but instead perceive them as tools to maximize their own pleasure/goals/desires."

But if'n these goals/desires (from which one derives pleasure) are community-based, than other folks're necessary. This sends my mind spinning down paths of creating community vs. maintaining community. Community as r-ships 'tween folks w/common ground/path/direction/goal/motive/desire/interest. Limerance. Will it last or flicker out? Is it driven by personality or something larger than any one person? Engagement is vital.

Comments

[stacymckenna.livejournal.com]

so, since you live in my computer, you're now a tool to maximize my pleasure? Oo, baby!

;P

[mlerules.livejournal.com]

Figure out the right key combo and I'll even vibrate on command! ;-P

[mlerules.livejournal.com]

The virtual world to which the quote referred was Second Life (but also WoW by implication). I don't see LJ as a virtual world - it's an extension of the real world, a means to keep in touch...'specially when friends 'n' fambily're scattered to the winds.

I like the idea of evolving limerance (particularly the color shift visual). Vis-a-vis community, I agree that it's important to keep an eye on where things're at, where things're heading, making sure that all remain on board and helping guide/shift as appropriate, bailing if need be.

I hear that sort of thing a lot.

[geoffcain.livejournal.com]

I have been hearing that since 1995 around distance learning. Humans are social animals and they will use all means necessary to socialize. They will also tend to use any means necessary to "maximize their own pleasure/goals/desires" in the virtual world or out of it. The definition of virtual worlds is always really hazy; why is a book not a virtual world? We are doing some marvelous stuff in Second Life around education. There is a lot of medical training that is going on there (order of procedures type stuff). All of that would not be possible without the huge layer of porn and gaming that goes on there as well. The coders and scripters who go to incredible lengths to build a working light saber have enabled us to create virtual ekg machines.

Addendum

[geoffcain.livejournal.com]

SL is now completely voice-enabled. I used that for the first time in yesterday's business meeting. I hear that a lot of people really don't like it though -- it is going to out a lot of virtual transvestites.