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Multiple Personality Disorder
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Subject: Multiple Personality Disorder From: GUEST,Phantom Lurker Date: 20 Sep 00 - 05:13 PM Am I the only person suffering from a uniquely electronic version of multiple personality disorder? I sign my Mudcat postings with different pseudonyms depending upon the persona I have adopted for a particular thread. When joining a thread I ask myself, do I want to be the sage today? the newbie? the jerk. Just curious. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Bill D Date: 20 Sep 00 - 05:20 PM probably NOT the only one...maybe you carry to a greater extreme....it sure does dilute your impact, but, hey...it's the Age of Anonymous....
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: MMario Date: 20 Sep 00 - 05:26 PM My multiple personalities* are confined to OFF-LINE, thank you. MMario is MMario is MMario when posting to the 'cat. In fact, pretty much anytime posting to the net. With the few very rare exceptions when I post for "Dido" (Cleigh's Sister) or Stavros - my evil identical cousin. *and they aren't in disorder, I know where they all are. I suspect that while you may not be unique among the posters here, the percentage who follow your practice is (are?) few. Most of us, (even regulars who have not chosen to become members) seem to choose one name and stick with it. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Jon Freeman Date: 20 Sep 00 - 05:32 PM I do have a multiple personality disorder but only in Hearme where I often go by the name ~squiggle~. This is a handle I use in the internet wide chat rooms where I don't feel comfortable using my real name. I tend not to go back to being Jon Freeman or Jon F for the Mudcat sessions as I have found myself later going into these other rooms, saying something and being recognised (my accent is quite distinctive) only to discover that I am using my real name. Jon |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Max Date: 20 Sep 00 - 05:34 PM You may have multiple personalities as far as the average mudcatters know, but I can see the real you. Frankly, the practice is frowned upon. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: mousethief Date: 20 Sep 00 - 05:35 PM Can't relate. I've been told my online persona and how I come across "in real life" are indistinguishable. I took it as a compliment. "I yam what I yam." -Popeye
Alex |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: MMario Date: 20 Sep 00 - 05:40 PM You mean you really have great big ears and little beady eyes? *sorry, couldn't resist* |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: mousethief Date: 20 Sep 00 - 05:48 PM Mmario, you're the wind beneath my wings. I mean beneath my paws. I mean, um, you're the shredded newspaper beneath the opening at the base of my tail. No wait, that's not right either. thanks for the laugh, bro.
Alex |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Uncle_DaveO Date: 20 Sep 00 - 05:52 PM How about adopting an honest, straightforward expression of who you really are as a "persona", and sticking with it? Dave Oesterreich |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Hollowfox Date: 20 Sep 00 - 05:58 PM Why bother with a persona? This is a forum, not a MUSH, MOO, or whatever else they're calling role-playing sites these days. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Thomas the Rhymer Date: 20 Sep 00 - 06:00 PM Your personality is ashamed And weel it should be, I've proclaimed Don't worry, fiend, go unblamed We could 've helped if you'd remained.
But many, no, you haven't one,
Culture hate and you'll fit in
Multiple is not your truth
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: CarolC Date: 20 Sep 00 - 06:00 PM If you only allow yourself to be "personas", maybe you miss out on something deeper and much more special. I love being just me, CarolC. There's so much scope for the imagination in here. So many different worlds to explore just within my one identity. It's great. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: mousethief Date: 20 Sep 00 - 06:09 PM Hey Thomas -- here's a song. To the tune of "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini"
He was afraid to come out in the Mudcat
(two three four tell the people what he wore) (additional verses left as an exercise for the reader)
Alex |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: catspaw49 Date: 20 Sep 00 - 06:11 PM Yeah.......Its probably the biggest change around here. Its not so much a GUEST thing, but this has been a pretty safe and trusting place in the past and now its lees so. So many people have no problem saying who they are and we all get to know each other on a pretty personal level. Lately we have gotten a lot of games players who are more interested in the games than anything else. You're exactly right Hollowfox. I guess its just a part of the growth process and we go on. If we start worrying and jacking with this stuff, we lose the open feeling. So I guess I'd prefer the arguments that these folks create to totally losing the friendships that are here. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Jeri Date: 20 Sep 00 - 06:29 PM Guest whomever, I suspect either you're alone, or no one else makes a constant habit of it. When you stop for a while, all of you stop for a while. When you start again, all of you start back at the same time. It's too obvious to be truly anonymous. I'm happy being myself, faults and all. I tried posting anonymously. I never managed it because I felt like I wanted people to know who was talking. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Kara Date: 20 Sep 00 - 06:31 PM I have at least 4 personas in real live so I feel am entitled to at least as many on the web,
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Thomas the Rhymer Date: 20 Sep 00 - 06:45 PM Is that a folksong mousethief? I've never heard it B-4. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Hollowfox Date: 20 Sep 00 - 06:47 PM You're a sick puppy, Mousethief, but you're really good at it. *BG* |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Noreen Date: 20 Sep 00 - 06:54 PM That is very clever, mousethief- I think that will be hard to get out of my head now, the words fit so well. Noreen |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: mousethief Date: 20 Sep 00 - 06:56 PM Of course you've never heard it before. I just wrote it.
Alex |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Sean Belt Date: 20 Sep 00 - 07:08 PM Phantom, I have a hard time relating to your question. I make a point to sign my real name to anything I write. If I felt I had to adopt a disguise in order to kick in my two cents around here, I'd probably leave. For me, living an honest open life is much too important to use pseudonyms. I can understand that many folks don't want to use their real "parent given" name on the internet out of concern for safety and security. But to slip on various characters in order to be clever just doesn't make much sense to me. I'm just sayin' is all. - Sean |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Burke Date: 20 Sep 00 - 07:31 PM When I first started out I tried a couple of different Guest handles, or none at all, just Guest. This was because all other electronic identities I've had clearly had my rare last name as part of them & I was not comfortable with that. I thought about trying to adopt a name that was 'me' like Wayfaring Stranger or some other persona but could not find one. I ended up creating a 'name' that doesn't really tell you who I am in person, but all my posts are mine. Within MudCat I'll live with whatever image I end up creating here. Any connection beyond here is up to me.
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: GUEST,Wavestar Date: 20 Sep 00 - 07:40 PM I post here under Wavestar (although at the moment I've lost my cookie... Waaahhh!) because I've been using that name online for nigh on seven years now, and people know me by it. It's easier to keep track of - although I'm apparently not the only one. Oh well, I wasn't the only Jessica, either. But I use my real name here, which is far more than I do on most online things I do, be they MUDs, bbs boards, Messenger systems, or anything else... I have yet to use a chat room, but... I simple don't like people I don't know and often don't like calling me by my name - first, real, any. If some goon on Grex (bbs system) sends me a tell saying "Hey wavestar, tell me about u body" (I'm not kidding) I don't feel as violated as I would if the sentence began with "Jessica". Maybe that's just me. But I do feel here, and did soon after I first showed up, that I can trust the folks on the forum not to make me feel that way. I also felt somewhat like I was hiding in an honest place, which was rude, so I use Wavestar, but sign my posts with Jessica. -Jessica |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Callie Date: 20 Sep 00 - 07:41 PM Jeez - and I feel like a coward using ONE Mudcat name instead of my own. I think one would have to be a bit paranoid to have lots of Mudcat identities. What are you afraid of? Are you causing trouble for the sake of it? If so, wouldn't it be better to take a break from Mudcat and do some community service somewhere? |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: DougR Date: 20 Sep 00 - 08:20 PM I'm just me, regardless of the thread. DougR |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Bert Date: 20 Sep 00 - 09:07 PM You've hit it right on there Callie - He's causing trouble for the sake of it - just ignore the silly bugger. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Thomas the Rhymer Date: 20 Sep 00 - 09:11 PM The tune too? |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: The Beanster Date: 20 Sep 00 - 09:18 PM Phantom Lurker, I suspect you posted this thread as basically, a rhetorical question. You're not primarily interested if other people here use pseudonyms or not. For some reason, you wanted to tell us that this is what YOU do. Whatever question that may pose in your mind has a much more interesting answer than the question posted here, I suspect. By the way, as of 1994, Multiple Personality Disorder is called Dissociative Identity Disorder...just a largely useless bit of info I thought I'd throw in...! |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Mbo Date: 20 Sep 00 - 09:22 PM Thanks for catching that, Beanster! I missed it, and I took Psychology only last January! All those acronyms.. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: little john cameron Date: 20 Sep 00 - 09:32 PM Wid some o ye please enlichten me on this name business.Whit for dae some fowk no yase their ain names in the furst place.It aw very mysterious,is it no? Whit dis it maitter if fowk know yer name or no?Mibbe ah'm missin somethin here.Ah mind there wis a fella caed "The unknowm Comedian"wha did his show wi a paper bag ower his heid.Ah can see the humor in that bit ah dinnae see the point o sayin somethin an then hidin ahent a false name.Whit's it aw aboot,eh? JOHN CAMERON. Ah see the original poster didnae reply.Sucked ye in again!!!! |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Peter Kasin Date: 20 Sep 00 - 09:59 PM Always chanteyranger for me, on this site. In college I was called "Moose" in honor of a joke I told which involved a gigantic rampaging moose. Once in a long while I'll run into an old buddy or acquaintance from the student co-op days, and they'll greet me with, "Hey, Moose!" |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: The Beanster Date: 20 Sep 00 - 10:15 PM Hahaha Mbo--psychology and neuropsych have more acronyms than NASA, I think! ADHD, DID, APD, ODD, PTSD, FAS, LD, RTS, MR, OCD, SAD, BWS, NOS, off the top of my fuzzy little head... |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Mbo Date: 20 Sep 00 - 10:17 PM Good gravy, it's half the DSM-IV! |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Escamillo Date: 20 Sep 00 - 10:35 PM Disguising is the national sport of the Internet land. I feel comfortable with my own personality and will never disguise, but I can understand people who do it for fun. But.. I feel it's not appropiate for this forum, because this a rather exceptional place. It is full of interesting, knowledgeable and friendly people who open to us all their feelings, opinions and their own houses many times. So if I adopted another personality I would feel like cheating to them. I took the name Escamillo since the old BBS times, for security, and because Escamillo is an Opera character, is a singer and is ridiculously romantic, but always sign here with my real name. Un abrazo - Andrés |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: The Beanster Date: 20 Sep 00 - 11:09 PM LOL, Mbo! I agree with you, Andres. I only use a nickname because mine is a ridiculous name that I like to use here (and besides, it's on my birth certificate) heeheehee But I am and always have been consistent in using it. If I say something goofy or light-hearted here, it doesn't matter as much, but especially, if it's a serious subject and I take issue with someone else's view, I want them to know who it came from so they are able to respond to me and say what they feel about my statements. Give and take, in an honest way. There's nothing like it and that's one of the things I love about this place. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: catspaw49 Date: 21 Sep 00 - 12:15 AM HEY Little John.........I used the name because it was a business name and I noticed that lots of people used nicknames. As far as hiding anything, if you look through these threads you will find my name,address,phone number,blood type, pictures of my small and large intestines and a catscan of my aorta (not a joke....seriously). I thought about dropping catspaw, but now when I talk with catters by phone they call me Spaw instead of Pat.....its who I am. I think you will find that true with a lot of the pseudonym folks LJC. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: bbelle Date: 21 Sep 00 - 12:17 AM When I first came to the mudcat three years ago, I hadn't been using the web for very long, and had heard all the stories about why you should use a pseudonym on the web. The first two I used were more pseudonyms than anything else. (I quit using "humdinger folksinger" because Art Thieme could never figure out whether to call me "humdinger" or "folksinger" or "humdinger folksinger" or "hdfs.") Also people didn't know if I was woman or man, and I'm proud to be a woman. I used "chinadoll" for a while, because I was born in China. Then I started using my real name, Jenny. I used that for a while until I was stalked. I felt the need to change my mudname but I didn't particularly want it to be an alias or pseudonym, so I chose a nickname instead, "moonchild." It was a while before I would say my real name in the threads, but certainly many of the mudpeople knew it. I changed my mudname again, yesterday, to "moonjen." No big secret as to who I am. It's what catspaw calls me mostly and I like it. "moonchild" has grown-up. I associate too much hurt and baggage with "moonchild" and it's time to lay it to rest. I'm okay with that. So, nicknames and hatefulness do not always go hand-in-hand, do they ... catspaw, annamill, mrzzy, sinsull, bigchuck, midchuck, mbo? Mudpeople address me by jen, jenny, moon, moonchild, moonbaby, and not, moonjen. But, if you're still wondering, my name is "jenny." |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: DougR Date: 21 Sep 00 - 01:51 AM So I assume it is considered Politically Incorrect to refer to one with Dissociative Identity Disorder as having a multiple Personality Disorder, right Beanster? Must make a note of that. DougR |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Lena Date: 21 Sep 00 - 02:36 AM Difficult when you have a cookie on you. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Bagpuss Date: 21 Sep 00 - 05:53 AM Interesting conversation. I have had a similar conversation in another forum where my friend who usually appears as Philm Phan talks about playing roles a lot. She thinks that we do it online, but also that to a varying degree we do it in real life too. In different situations, we present the person (or persona) we wish to be seen at that time. And that doesn't mean we are hiding our true selves, but that all of our personae are part of the real us. Bagpuss |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: GUEST Date: 21 Sep 00 - 08:13 AM The aim of psychoanalysis is to relieve people of their neurotic unhappiness so that they can be normally unhappy. -- Sigmund Freud Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you. -- Carl Jung I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it. -- Anonymous |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Jeri Date: 21 Sep 00 - 08:35 AM I can understand pretending to be different people for fun - it's what we do as kids, and it's one way to try to understand others. The problem I find with that in a forum like this is it's not a game and we express OUR opinions. When I type, what you get is what I think. It's who I am, not who I want you to think I am. It's what I feel and believe at the time I'm typing. I'm comfortable with letting the world see those things. If I were a bit afraid, I might feel I needed to pretend to be someone else. I did do a one-off message as someone else once. It wasn't a flame - I just wanted to say something in a way I couldn't as myself. I was sure people would figure out it was me doing it - they were my ideas, even though the way I said them was as someone else. When no one did, I felt very manipulative and underhanded, even though I still believed what I had said. I don't like people who are maniplative, and I don't like feeling I've been manipulative myself. I also edit myself to make sure what I want to say is what I think will be understood. Do I want people to think I'm angry? Silly? Sarcastic? Do any of those qualities interfere with the message? One thing that's good about written communication is that we have time to do that editing, and not have to live with the first things that come out of our mouths. Of course, what we say here is remembered longer - it had better be worth saying. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler Date: 21 Sep 00 - 10:19 AM My postings amply demonstrate my single disordered presonality but it is a little known fact that it is only the continued therapy from Professor Patsclaw (no relation) at the NYCFTTS that keeps a whole slew of strange personalities securely locked up in my head. These include The Kazoo King of Ascot, leader of the Fogeys (Old,Skifflers- and back): Mal Canto and the Malcontents, '50s rockers;Croakin' Bullfrog, the blues singer;Slim Waller, the barrelhouse pianist;Manitas de Plomo, the suspiciously pale purveyor of Caribbean ditties and Real Drag Martin, the dixieland banjo legend. So long as drugs and therapy keep them securely away fom reality the world is safe for music lovers. RtS |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: GUEST,Phantom Lurker Date: 21 Sep 00 - 11:12 AM Great thread!!! Threads like this are the most important reason why I bother to check in at Mudcat regularly. I am really impressed with the tone of the responses. Judging from other threads, I expected more serious flaming than I got. As in all matters of taste some people get it and some don't. The key word is "fun." If the idea of multiple pseudonyms doesn't sound like fun to you, or if you've tried it and you didn't enjoy it, then you don't "get it." But that is NOT, repeat NOT, a criticism of you. It is no more a mark against you than any other matter of sheer taste such as an abhorrence of spinach or a love of single malt scotch. No, Beanster, it was not a rhetorical question. I was really curious about the phenomenon of multiple psyeudonyms. Once upon a time, I thought I was so different and weird. The older I get the more clearly I see how ordinary I am. I just wondered if my use of multiple pseydonyms was another mark of my ordinariness. But thanks for the correction. I haven't studied psych since I took an intro course decades ago. I really like knowing correct terminology. As for Callie and bert, no, I am not a troublemaker, Your assumption about my motivation says more about you than me. I was pleased to see that this theme died a quick death. The question was also a kind of Rorschach test for the denizens of Mudcat. One thing that the exchange makes clear is that there are some very fundamental differences in the participants' perceptions of Mudcat. For the record, I do NOT participate in Mudcat in order to cultivate deep, significant, personal, meaningful, whatever relationships. I satisfy those needs only in contexts where I can interact face-to-face with people. To be brutally honest, people who attempt to satisfy their need for such relationships at a place like Mudcat make me very nervous. They are exactly the people I hide from behind pseudonyms. To put it bluntly, I am a Mudcat guest because all I want is a mutually enjoyable one-night stand. I don't want a marriage. Finally, I really liked Bagpuss' comment. It had the potential to take the whole discussion to the next level. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: little john cameron Date: 21 Sep 00 - 11:23 AM Ah wisnae meanin the use o jist ane name,ah can understaun that ok,it's haein ither names on same site.Ye could go daft hain argyments wi yersel,cud ye no? On anither site ah'm on the place wis in an uproar coz o ane fella posin as twa or three and stertin a big rammy.It wis aw in fun an naethin really bad wis said.This business o comin in in disguise disnae mak sense tae me.Wid ane o the anes that dae it explain tae me whit is the point unless it is tae get fowk riled up.Seems tae me ye can dae that withoot gettin intae ither names. ljc |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: little john cameron Date: 21 Sep 00 - 11:28 AM Gled ye cleared that up Lurk.It's as clear as mud noo. ljc |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Bert Date: 21 Sep 00 - 11:29 AM Now I know who you are. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Mary in Kentucky Date: 21 Sep 00 - 01:09 PM ljc - I'll PM you some info on why some of us use a generic name or a pseudonym. And for everyone else, remember that we can use the personal messages for communicating. It's still not foolproof from stalkers, but you can choose how much personal info to share. As an aside...has anyone seen any research which diagnoses or somehow chronicles the "personalities" seen in various web postings? I have my theories, and like Bert, I can recognize certain "characteristics" or "adjectives" (wouldn't be polite to engage in name-calling), but I'd really be interested in learning more from someone who knows more about psychology. |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: Sean Belt Date: 21 Sep 00 - 01:21 PM P.L. says, "For the record, I do NOT participate in Mudcat in order to cultivate deep, significant, personal, meaningful, whatever relationships." Fair enough. But that leads me to question why you doparticipate in Mudcat? Sounds like it's just for the purpose of winding people up and playing head games under an assortment of guises. I admit I could be reading something into this that isn't there. But if that is your sole reason for being here, it's kind of sad. It's a lot like going into a neighborhood tavern and representing yourself as something you're not, then thinking, "That's okay, because I don't really know these people and won't see them again." It's not terrible behavious, certainly, and probably mostly harmless. But it is distasteful anyway. I hope that all of us here have reasonably full lives and have many fullfiling relationships outside of the ones we have on the internet. But, whether that's the case or not, it is important that the recipients of what we post here in the Mudcat are all real people and should be thought of and treated that way. End of sermon. - Sean |
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Subject: RE: Multiple Personality Disorder From: MMario Date: 21 Sep 00 - 01:30 PM " I do NOT participate in Mudcat in order to cultivate deep, significant, personal, meaningful, whatever relationships" ditto - but I also recognize that does not mean that they CAN occur, nor am I afraid of that happening. |
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