Coronavirus (COVID-19) Discussion Thread

[Angelus]

CrazyGamer2017 said:

Angelus said:

If you're so anti-social, what exactly are you doing here? Why are you bothering to interact with us? Share your opinions with us? We're just more lousy humans too. If anything, the faceless anonymity of the internet only brings out the less desirable qualities in most people, so the average interaction is hardly improved. 

You had a good point in your previous post but you don't on this one.

Though in your defense you are not trying to make a point, you are asking a question. So I'll answer it.

I consider social behavior the interaction I may have with people in real life. Here on the internet I feel insulated from human contact and being myself a thinker of the free kind, I don't loathe exchanging ideas and hearing what other humans have to say about most topics. In fact the internet is perfect to do just that without actual contact or social commitment of any kind.

Not seeing humans in real life is what makes me anti-social, but not exchanging thoughts would only isolate me intellectually which is not what I want. Same with video games, TV shows and movies. I do enjoy watching and playing those but I don't need to avoid TV shows with human protagonists to be anti-social.

As for the faceless anonymity of the internet, I do agree that it often brings forth the lower traits of human nature but that is precisely what I am going for as it allows me to better see what's wrong with humans and thus be even more justified in my dislike of them.

Perhaps one could say that while I am physically very anti-social, I happen to be intellectually very social. Interesting paradox I must say!

If you like the internet because it helps you see the worst of people, you're really just looking for entities to give positive affirmation to your negative world view. Where is the benefit in that? Feeling better about yourself? Do you loath yourself as much as everyone else, I wonder? 

And what about those movies, and shows you watch? The games you play. You enjoy them, why? Seeing more examples of what you consider the poor traits of humanity? To criticize the writing? The acting? Direction? Or are the playgrounds of our imagination a better one than reality? Are the protagonists of fantasy inherently better than those next door?

If there was a real plague that wiped the earth of everyone but yourself, would you miss any of these people who crafted your entertainment? If so, isn't humanity a little bit better than you're giving it credit for? If not for the social paradigms you detest, but the creativity, and ingenuity they're capable of?