wotanon | anon post (II)

I see!

But is it under their "real" name if so many of us don't know those "real" names?

Well, whatever could be attributed to them, I suppose.

Though I suppose that's an interesting sort of ontological question for discussion. What do you think?

I feel that it is easily resolved once we realize that we use the idea of a name as a substitute for the person. Particularly for their presence in the society, their image and perceived character, all those traits they display publicly. But while a name is a useful placeholder it is, of course, in no way the actual object that it describes; but the way we mix the two for daily convenience allows for such little amusing "misunderstandings".

Allow me to quote your earlier reply.

"So perhaps for anything someone might not want to say or ask about under their real name."

In this case what is truly meant is that the person resorts to anonimity to avoid changing in any way their aforementioned public image; whether for fear of damaging reputation or giving away information they would rather not disclose about themselves openly. Their name, of course, does not truly come into it, but it is still closely tied to their identity in our minds as a useful collective label. Whether or not it is "real" does not truly matter; all that matters is that it is enough for us to identify the person in our minds.

But it is amusing nonetheless. And possibly opening the way to discussing the possible conflict between our "real" selves, identified by our "real" names, and those we create or assume here.

Apologies for the tautology there. How much wine should one drink in the course of one day?

Well, some say none, and some say as much as one can, but perhaps the true answer varies from person to person. Which would perhaps be a transferable answer to the question posed between us. Surely some people consider every name they've worn to be "real," and others might consider only one to be their true name.

I suppose that on a program designed around the creation of "image," though, the image one wishes to project has an outsized influence as opposed to the lives anyone here would live ordinarily. But on the other hand, the parts of a person that they try to keep hidden are an important part of them, as shame, embarrassment and fear tells you about someone's character as well.

There are a number of people here who very much consciously try to project a particular image, of one kind or another. But to create an image does not mean that what is hidden becomes anything other than real; it just means a delay in addressing it, does it not?

But then again, here I am posting my comments without signing them as well.

Haha, so am I! But I believe it is more intriguing this way. The human mind has a love of puzzles and mysteries, an innate sense of curiousity. Is it not enjoyable to try and glean your opponent's identity from the little or noticeable cues none of us can help giving away? And trying to pose a similar challenge is an exciting exercise as well, although I doubt I am having much success on that count. But while remaining anonymous is not my primary goal here, I admit I do find enjoyment in tailoring my replies in such a way as to avoid giving away my identity all too easily.

Your question is rather intriguing! I would agree that for the most part hiding some aspects of oneself only delays their coming to light. On the other hand, the longer you play a role, the more devoted you are to it, is it not entirely possible to find your own perspective shifting, drifting away from the person you used to be? And thus those hidden secrets become not fragile or dangerous things locked away, but so much old junk. You may keep them for nostalgia's sake, but you have already moved on.

My stance on our perception of our several names is much the same, and it is another topic I find interesting. We associate with those names different aspects of ourselves, of our lives, and I would guess that if one considers something to be their "true" name, it is the part of their life and personality that they feel most strongly drawn to... although it may not be who they are at the moment. Intriguing, do you not find?

It is certainly important to consider the role of aspiration in personal and external change. After all, that kind of restless hope is fuel for reaching new horizons. It's just that intentions cannot be the whole of the work, from my perspective, even if they're a necessary foundation.

Of course, while I don't remember the name I most recently went by—or, really, any of the names I've gone by, apart from the one I consider the least my own—I felt as though I still had a strong sense of my own personality from the outset, and named myself in accordance. It really is quite intriguing, which things seem to simply make sense and which things need to be relearned.

I would love to hear what else you consider necessary for growth. It is rather a pleasure to speak with you - though I do not know much about myself yet, I enjoy such discussions. If you would give me a hint, I would like to come see you later.

But I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiment. Rediscovering oneself seems to hold a lot of surprises, and I hope I could see more of it in the others, to compare with my own experience. Of course, I do not mean surprises in the direct sense, like taking memories and discovering things you did not remember, but rather exploring your own subconscious - things that you don't know you remember.

Now that I think of it, I am curious as to how exactly our amnesia works here. If all of our memories are taken away, how do we still know how to speak, how to act? How do we have the knowledge of some basic and even more complex concepts? Is behaviour something innate to people or something we learn?

Based on observation, it seems that most of those here retain a sense of how the world "should" work, which is to say, general knowledge from their homelands. The rest, I suppose, is a bit of a fascinating dive into the question of nature versus nurture; perhaps some personalities are more flexible or more fixed.

I wonder if regaining memories could return faded childhood memories to crystal clarity? Or those lost to trauma, for that matter. Interesting potential applications, although the psychological ramifications of such are, I suppose, equally unexplored.

And if you'd like a hint—as I've found this conversation quite pleasant—I've already said my name in this thread once. :)

Ah. Could it be possible that we have met the other day at the site of the meteor impact? :)

Memories lost to trauma is something that I think I am unfamiliar with, though the same could be said for much of the workings of the mind. But I think your proposition is rather intriguing! I have not taken any memories yet, but if you would prefer I could try to, haha, commit the experience to memory. There must be something about the way we register and react to those memories, and I believe it could be interesting to compare reactions between different people, maybe even arrive at some consistencies.

Another question that I find myself wondering about is whether our memories were erased or simply blocked off. Both approaches would have their merits and disadvantages. What do you think?

[ let's pretend i didn't initially post this logged in on the wrong fucking journal, ]

You're quite astute.

And as a phenomenon that is, well, endemic to our existence here, it would be ideal to research the effects as they apply to a range of individuals. I'm sure some of your fellows have warned you that buying back your memories can, in some cases, be a very fraught experience, but if you're comfortable speaking to your experience once you have some to your name, I'd be interested to hear.

It's an interesting question as to whether memories were erased or blocked off, as well. It seems that some reflexes remain for many, myself included. Which is not surprising, as one would imagine that the neural pathways formed by experience would still remain, even if the memories that formed them do not.

I would like to ask if you knew who I was before I referenced our meeting. :) I must say, this really is quite a fun way to spend time!

I agree wholeheartedly that we would need a larger pool of participants, but I understand not everyone would be comfortable speaking of it. My own views may yet change, too, but as of now I do want to contribue to this. I shall notify you if anything changes.

Is that how memories are formed? I confess I am either unaware of the more scientific side of the matter or have forgotten what knowledge I had. However, I do wonder whether it is possible to restore our memories without resorting to the system in place. If our reflexes and base knowledge of the world - or rather, our respective worlds, - remain, then I would say that our memories are locked away rather than erased, and thus could be brought back without necessary direct contact with them, so to speak.

I wasn't quite sure, to be perfectly honest, but there's not that many people here who are are prone to philosophizing this way, so if it was someone I had met, that did rather narrow the people it could be.

There's quite a lot of interesting science about the formation of memory, as well as how repeated experience contributes to skill-building and formation of rote responses—which is usually good, but also can create maladaptive coping mechanisms in the case of trauma, where the mind attempts to protect itself overactively.

I would in fact agree that it is likelier a case of memories being locked away—so I wonder if there are alternate ways to restore them, too. There's some science on that where I come from, too, but nothing terribly conclusive, and it wouldn't be entirely relevant due to the fact that I have no idea how science interacts with demon magic.

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