Insights on the Avie Life 

 

 By Archie

 

 

 

Are You Playing The Role of an Avatar

We practically live in There. In reality, of course, we are human beings sitting behind computer monitors and manipulating buttons. Is this “Role Playing”? Even if we are not “trying” to be a super hero and battle alien creatures from medieval fortresses, are we not at least operating animated avies in a virtual world? What are the constructs and limits of this sort of interaction? We can’t lie down, kneel down, or get wet.  We can’t get hungry, thirsty or cold. We can be awkward, clumsy…unable to jump over a short ledge sometimes. Often we find our avies staring way too long at each other. But perhaps in “RL” you’ve just looked away from the computer for moment to grab the phone or munch a snack or something.

  

This Pixelly Life.

However, we seem to understand the conditions of this pixelly life. Times of lag, segment violation, and rebooting. It’s all worth it because it’s our buddies that we are joking around with, comforting and finding ourselves on great adventures on mountainsides and across huge expanses of land and sea. These are the buddies with whom we play, talk and laugh and even cry, without pretense, social posturing or outward attempt to dominate or threaten. I’ve seen There forum threads where we discuss overcoming shyness and developing self confidence and becoming somewhat more assertive, and that spilling over in our real lives, as well…hmmm- a benefit of being in There?

 

Another Dimension.
The role we play as avies, is but a dimension of ourselves. Perhaps it isn’t truly a “role”, although it isn’t exactly the same as living in the Real World either. The avatar of There has a unique take on “virtual reality”. This has been a topic but this writing of course, but perhaps certain answers to how Thereians co-exist are hidden in this context.

 

Our Role as Human.

Questions about relationships are often treated as though we have true physicality in There. Sometimes, a wonderful humor and freedom lies in the fact that we are made of indestructible pixels. Perhaps there is a human lesson in self-control emerging here. Perhaps the times are changing to expose a newfound attitude about life, and how seriously to take the innocence of human/avatar awkwardness, our “feet of clay” as Shakespeare would have called it. Why we would punch in “R-O-F-L” after we get splattered by a paintgun, or dropped from a hoverboat. Crack up over the pixelly details or lmao by claiming that one’s hair got mussed up when the buggy flipped over. Perhaps in the Real World there are times when should choose perspectives more thoughtfully. ‘hmmm…