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Real Life vs. Virtual Life
Akureii
Member Posts: 31
I was challenged to "experience real life" about a month ago by someone that declared I needed to see something called "sunshine" and smell something called "fresh air." Now, I've always kept a healthy balance between school and gaming but I have about... 0 social life. I took my buddy, who I only know virtually, up on the challenge and this is basically my little ramble about it.
Notes- I'm a "girl gamer." I'm 19 years old and a rising Junior in a military college. I'm decent looking and I'm not overweight. Most guys can't tell I play video games.
Social Life-
My friend circle consists of people I'm on ventrilo with, my steam buddy list, and anyone in any gaming community I'm a part of. Our hang outs consist of watching movies together over ventrilo and playing games together. Occassionally, we'll even play monopoly online.
In my college dorm, I have people coming in and out of my room every 10 minutes and I'm exhausted. I've gone cliff diving, gotten my third tattoo, smoked a lot of hookah, and probably drank every night in the past two weeks. I have bruises everywhere and I have no idea where the hell they came from.
Conclusion: At least I when I virtually do stupid shit, I can 'log off' or change my name. IRL, that's a little harder. 
Personal Relationships-
I've done the whole e-dating thing. It's not really for me. My buddy suggested dating guys in real life. Okay, let's give that a try.
I've been dating this one guy for a week now and I want to rip my hair out. Alright, I cut down to ONE HOUR of gaming a day. NO MORE. I swear it. He's a gamer himself but nowhere near as hardcore as me. The one time I was playing Heroes of Newerth, and we were 10 minutes from winning and I was the healer and I would have gained 20 psr from it, he dragged me out of my chair and declared we were going to the movies. Since then, I've been on a losing streak. The Gods of HoN are spiting me for abandoning my team.
Also, there's the issue of random guys and fanboys that say suggestive things to me over voice chat. Even if I ignore it, which I do for the most part, it's never going to end.
Conclusion: Boyfriend + my gaming = bad news bears.
Physical appearance-
Gamers are stereotyped to look like this-
Ok. I DO have a slight case of carpal tunnel. I have gel pads on my mouse and a wrist rest on my mouse pad. My desk and my room pretty much looks like this and I have glasses.
I've gained 7 lbs this past two weeks. I SHIT YOU NOT. All this going out to eat and drinking beer thing is ruining my body. When I game, I usually eat 1 or 2 meals a day and even then it's not much food. I sit on my ass and do nothing and eat ramen noodles. 115 lbs. Now that I'm cliff diving, swimming, and doing "real life" things, it's making me want to eat more and this isn't muscle I'm putting on! My friend declared today that I'm starting to get a beer gut. The boyfriend says it looks more like my stomach isnt defined anymore, but yeah, I'm starting to see the outline of a beer gut.
Conclusion- I was better looking as a pale vampire that sat in the dark playing BFBC2. 
Overall-
Now that I have a "social life," people won't leave me alone. My phone keeps ringing. Friends keep coming into my room wanting to go out. I'm BROKE. I tried playing L4D2 last night and my boyfriend kept nagging me to go out while two of my gal friends thought it was funny to try to tickle me as I played. My "virtual" friends were annoyed that I was "distracted" and although we won the game, they were really nervous that I was gonna drag the team down.
I preferred being a hermit and having no social life. I had money in my pocket and I've never been so tired in my life. Partying is nice and all, but now I'm getting fat. I have to deal with drama- I swear my friend that lives down the hall slept with my boyfriend or something- and other people's drama. I've listened to my friends cry over stupid crap (okay... so your boyfriend left you... you cheated on him anyway, why are you crying?) and I've watched two engaged girls go home with two random guys while both of their fiance's were in Iraq. Real life... jeez. I preferred it when drama consisted of which clan got a certain gamer. I preferred things when they were simple.
Question for you guys-
I'm obviously a n00b at life. How the hell do you guys deal with all the crap that life throws at ya?
Comments
115 is too slim. i woudn't wory about that. it's not like you won't gain some more as you age. Think of it as going average.
I wish i could pick up a girl just because i wanted to like that.
-Would you like cheddar or swiss cheese?
-Yes.
-...
Don't say yes to everything. Ignore the pity ploys some use whether they try to pity you or have you pity them. Continue with real life stuff but as in all things, use moderation.
Partying is not an every day thing. It doesn't even have to be a weekly thing.
Reserve time for yourself and mean it.
I'm with the OP screw real life!
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
- Lewis Thomas
I think as with all things, you get better at it the more you do it. As far as I can gather you're smart enough to realize what you like and don't like and over time you'll actually learn to say NO to things more readily because you actually don't want to do them rather then just go along with it because someone guilts you into it.
If nothing else then ease yourself into "life". "You can't just jump in the ring with Ali because you think you can box." It'll get better, and besides, you said you were only 19.... you got lots of time.
No required quests! And if I decide I want to be an assassin-cartographer-dancer-pastry chef who lives only to stalk and kill interior decorators, then that's who I want to be, even if it takes me four years to max all the skills and everyone else thinks I'm freaking nuts. -Madimorga-
You sound like how I was many years ago.
Its all about what you do with your life. Each level of life has different rules...and in our own language "Rules of Engagement."
I believe there is the Physical World, which is what we refer to as offline. We have some control over ourselves but not by much. We have the Digital World...which is what we refer to as the online world. Regardless the laws people come up with, unfortunately there is a different approach to it.
Finally, I believe we also have "The true world" which is the world that counts on the Macroanalytical point of view. Its true that the United States has 300 million people, but truthfully under 1000 people combined in the Legislature and Executive Branch rule the nation itself on a federal level.
The statement "of the worlds 100 Richest Entities, 51 of them are Corporations, 49 of them are nations"
When you look beyond the 7 billion population in this world, there are around 4000 - 5000 people who on the national level + max corporate level combined pretty much account for the decisions that affect the total population. It is their feuds and interests which create the conflicts people go by.
My advice to you is simply to "be aware." I am sure in tactical arts you learn that awareness is what transcends a passively looking situation into an active one. People love to have their opinions. Just "Live" and you will be fine. Just because a person can be "married" and "have children" does not mean they are "living" and having a "good life."
Just be aware to not fall into situation where circumstance and time force you into living a certain way you may not agree with.
Hey Akureii
I was like you a couple years ago. I had hardly any social life in real life. However, it does get better out there when you give it a shot.
I think you are doing a lot of extreme things in the real life. Drinking every single night isnt very healthy for you lol. Just take some time take it slow.
Also, if the guy gets on your nerves drop him. There's a lot of cute guys out there that are more fun than any MMO has to offer. trust me.
give it time. You'll get better at it
People who have to create conspiracy and hate threads to further a cause lacks in intellectual comprehension of diversity.
Don't become on of the real lifers OP! run run while you still can!!! they just want you to go out into the sun and burn to death!!
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
- Lewis Thomas
You know, I never realized how much real life imitated TV shows.
I didn't know that people ACTUALLY knock up their best friend's girlfriends and drink til they passed out in their own puke.
Swear. I thought that shit was only dramatized on tv. It actually happens. Holy. Crap.
lol, no doubt.
However, I would recommend easing up on the booze. Some men can be assholes and take advantage of that "issue."
Just be careful, ok?
People who have to create conspiracy and hate threads to further a cause lacks in intellectual comprehension of diversity.
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
- Lewis Thomas
To be serious though, real life can be great. but you have to surround yourself with good things to. If you want to not have all that drama just don't be around people that cause that type of thing, the party types, emo types, attention bastards.
i hang around a lot of nerdy types, gamers etc. yeah there will always be a lil drama in RL but just deal with it when it happens and move on, no use dwelling on it. i've seen virtual drama that was bigger then any rl drama i have ever seen.
You don't have to party and all that crap to fit in. getting piss drunk is fucking stupid, having a couple of beers isn't bad at all. drugs fucking stupid. don't need it to have fun with life.
yeah i know some are gonna trash me for the beer and drug comment i don't care, my life hasn't been the best thing and i never had to use those things to help me feel better.
anyways lol. don't completely shut off RL, being a hermit will only work for so long. You can have a good social life and gamer life. just find the right people and do the right things.
Personally the minute i find out somebody i know is drama magnet is the last time i ever have anything to do with them, they'll just bring you down and you don't need that.
meh i could keep going but i'll shutup for now
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
- Lewis Thomas
I don;t think you can even compare Real life to a Virtual life. It would be horrible to even think about. LOL
To taste, touch and smell far outwiegh any online benefits you could possibly have. To me virtual worlds are plastic. Yes, like cheap, toxic plastic. May look good from a distance, but when you get close to it, it has no life at all. To taste, touch, and smell other humans is far more entertaining to the senses then talking to a bunch of " plastic" people all day.
My only purpose in playing in virtual worlds is to kill all the plastic people there.
Seriously though. Live your own life like you want to. Not for others.
Wether it's real or not matters not.
-Would you like cheddar or swiss cheese?
-Yes.
-...
im sure it just depends on the human too right? cause damn some humans i don't wanna get within 20 yards or miles...lol
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
- Lewis Thomas
LOL! well, of course it would depend on the human, you don;t just walk up randomnly licking people to see how they taste.
lol
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
- Lewis Thomas
@ OP
From what i see you went from one extreme to an other. I have some friends who also go out all the time and what not and who i even end up disapointing quite often because i don't enjoy going out every single night ... (during holidays or W-E) and some of them aren't doing good. Some ended up as pot-addicts and two others horribly failed at college . So it's all a matter of balance, learn to say NO to your friends , that's what i did . Going out kinda gets old if you're doing it all the time (i've done that for two years and ended up getting bored of it and than i decided to limit it to when i really feel like it)
And don't let those anti-gaming Nazi's get to you , if you like gaming who are they to judge you , as long as you don't hurt anybody it's your problem and life .
Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt.
Among those who dislike oppression are many who like to oppress.
Hah, yeah. It was just a challenge from a friend. I wasn't going to give up gaming forever... but I did learn a lot about myself and I did learn a lot about social relationships.
I definitely trust people online more than real life. Real life people are sketchy as hell... I did enjoy cliff diving. It was almost comparable to being the first person to take on a boss in the history of a new videogame. You don't know what you're in for and you don't know how much it's gonna hurt but you gotta dive in and do it anyway.
But, I do enjoy kissing a boy in real life over webcam dates. :x hehe.
Hey Deviliscious... give me a taste...
No required quests! And if I decide I want to be an assassin-cartographer-dancer-pastry chef who lives only to stalk and kill interior decorators, then that's who I want to be, even if it takes me four years to max all the skills and everyone else thinks I'm freaking nuts. -Madimorga-
I dunno.. that might be like furry Canadian Flavored Icecream.
Dump the chump. He's obviously not on par to what you like and is trying to force a particular behavior model on you. Find someone as hardcore as you (both gaming and playing hide the salami) and you'll like "real life" more.
How you figure? You're not Canadian
No required quests! And if I decide I want to be an assassin-cartographer-dancer-pastry chef who lives only to stalk and kill interior decorators, then that's who I want to be, even if it takes me four years to max all the skills and everyone else thinks I'm freaking nuts. -Madimorga-
Virtual life wins all! lol.
PS:A gamer myself:D
Plus she strikes me as one that shaves any trace of the Canadian beaver.