How do we know the veracity of what people say on the net?

[white page]

This is something which has been bothering me a little lately.

I know that truth is variable , we all recount certain things differently according to whom we have as a interlocutor , for instance due to the possibilty of being anonymous, this gives me the freedom of being more open than I am in real life, however the same possibility also inevitably leads to mythomanie , individuals who invent themselves .

How does one tell ?

Or is it important ?,

their mythomanie maybe tells us more about them than the strict truth .



thank you for reading , it really does interest me how other members feel about this .

 

[Jazzey]

Re: How do we know the veracity of what people say on the net ?

It's an interesting question WP. And one that I've wondered at times too. For me, I guess I accept that if people lie about who they are, then the rest of us will never have the benefit of knowing them. Just as people IRL can lie and put up facades about who they really are...

I believe in instincts too. If on the web and I feel someone isn't quite being genuine via this medium, I'm a little more guarded about revealing myself.

I know this doesn't really answer your question WP. At the end of the day though I struggle with the same issues over the net as I do IRL but maybe a little more magnified because of the venue...

 

[NicNak]

Re: How do we know the veracity of what people say on the net ?

:hithere: White Page.

Are you asking about the people on the internet, interms of if they are genuine and true, regarding their personalities?

Or are you inquiring on the if the information they provide is legit and/or accurate?

I think you are meaning about the personality of the person, but I am not fully sure.

Hope you are having a nice day White Page.

 

[white page]

Re: How do we know the veracity of what people say on the net ?

Are you asking about the people on the internet, interms of if they are genuine and true, regarding their personalities?


I think you are meaning about the personality of the person, but I am not fully sure.

Sorry NN I realise I wasn't very clear about this , I was thinking about the personalities . My day is good , I hope this is so for you too

 

[ladylore]

Re: How do we know the veracity of what people say on the net ?

I think I have said this before but it's worth mentioning again. My rule of thumb is treating people on the net the way I would if I saw them in person. Trust takes time to build, period. Some people do lie about who they are whether in person or on the net.

But I do take the stance that most people are honest and won't do this kind of behaviour. That way I can relax and be myself and naturally get to know people. If I find out someone is deceitful I will usually pull away both on the net and in real time.

Clear as mud? :2cents:

 

[white page]

Re: How do we know the veracity of what people say on the net ?

I think I have said this before but it's worth mentioning again. My rule of thumb is treating people on the net the way I would if I saw them in person. Trust takes time to build, period. Some people do lie about who they are whether in person or on the net.

But I do take the stance that most people are honest and won't do this kind of behaviour. That way I can relax and be myself and naturally get to know people. If I find out someone is deceitful I will usually pull away both on the net and in real time.

Clear as mud? :2cents:

Thanks LL , that is very helpful ,

But I do take the stance that most people are honest

this I like to believe also

 

[Retired]

Re: How do we know the veracity of what people say on the net ?

I do take the stance that most people are honest and won't do this kind of behaviour

In the interests of personal inner peace and of reducing personal stress and anxiety, I give everyone the benefit of the doubt that they are honest and being straightforward about who they are.

It does not seem to take long before people who put on a facade tend to reveal themselves, through contradictions, exagerations and inconsistencies in their stories.

When I get such signals, in real life (from body language) or from what they say/write either in person or in communication, I become cautious and vigilent, restricting what I might otherwise reveal about myself, until I am convinced they are a fraud...then I ignore them.

However, it's always wise to filter how much one reveals about specific personal information on the internet, such as clues about one's residence details, contact information, place of employment along with the obvious information that might contribute to identity theft.

If in doubt about giving out information about yourself, then don't give it out..your intuition is usually your best advisor.

 

[white page]

Re: How do we know the veracity of what people say on the net ?

If in doubt about giving out information about yourself, then don't give it out..your intuition is usually your best advisor.

Thank you TSOW , this comforts what I felt recently , but began to doubt my intuition , feeling a little guilty about having a doubt in the first place , if you see what I mean .

 

[NicNak]

Re: How do we know the veracity of what people say on the net ?

Sorry NN I realise I wasn't very clear about this , I was thinking about the personalities . My day is good , I hope this is so for you too

I think when in a forum or in real life, if someone isn't genuine, that always shows through eventually.

In my experiences, people who are not sincere, can't keep up the "act" forever. Their real personalities eventually show through.

Ofcourse online, it seems to take a bit longer for that to happen. I always just go with my instincts or just lean on the side of caution until I think I am sure of people.

Take care White Page.

 

[pip]

It is actually kind of funny. In real life/on the internet, people often assume I'm not telling the truth. It's because I have a tendency to tell half-stories. My head's pretty chaotic, and I can't always remember who I've told what details too.

For example, I have two sets of parents. My abusive biological parents whom I cannot stand, and my "adoptive" parents. Sometimes I forget to tell the whole story, so when I refer to my biological mom in a negative way, then a little bit later blab on about how amazing my adoptive mother is, people get confused. They instantly assume I'm making something up.

Hence my insistence that people remain upfront and clear, and just ASK.

This happens both online and in real life. I'm one of those people that's naive enough to trust EVERYONE, and I (unjustifiably) get frustrated when people don't have the courtesy to just ask before passing judgement. As a result, I make it a point to ask when I'm confused or unsure about something someone says, and I think it's a pretty okay policy to follow when dealing with internet people. That way you aren't condemning anyone without giving them a chance.

 

[Yuray]

Hey WP
First off......ya got me with the word 'mythomanie'. Apparently its a French word. (after much research)!

I would like to address your original query with a look at it from the other side. Who we are.

Myself, and many others in these forums, all say relevent, intuitive, and sincere offerings which by and large are the result of all of our genuine concern and willingness to share in the hope that someone will benefit from it.

I know who I am, how I think, how I matter, how much meaning some of my words have, my unselfishness, and my great admiration for all things and their existence, despite negative attributes. That just me. In a nutshell.

Many of you know me by my words, and through them you understand me, and have created an image and format for me. The people who are activley involved in my life, are not aware of me as you are. Why? Because they know what a jerk I can be, the mistakes I have made, my pain in the ass stubborness at times, and mostly, that I am fun to be around. They are not aware of my philosophical views, charity work, rational thinking, abilitiy to see the big picture, or the tears that appear in my eyes when I see things in the world that are causing undue grief to those undesreving of it. They know me as just good old me, and thats exactly how I like it. I do not deliberately hide things from them, but I just appear as me, as they have known me, and what they are comfortable with.

In this abstract sense, I feel that many of us are mythomanies in a way, not that we invent per se, but that we can be / exist, as it pleases us, and to be all that we want to be in the realm of benevolence in a forum such as this.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

FYI:

"Mythomanie" in English is pathological lying.