Can we judge a person by the way they post?

The way the person thinks, feels, acts, and relates to topics and life in general.

To actually tell what makes a person tick, or what experiences one has had.

I think it is a stretch to say we can, and it is damn near impossible to judge a person with just one post.

But, i believe perhaps with each post from each individual, it shines light into what hat individual believes in. As each post goes on, perhaps you can learn more than just that. Perhaps you can see why one has a certain opinion about something, or why he/she feels that strongly about a certain subject.

Experiences change views.

Like once upon a time, a kid was mad at his father for making him wear a helmet while he went out on a bike ride. Then one day he actually fell on his head, and was grateful his father had made him wear a helmet.

That is the sort of thing, that changes views.

So when someone posts that he believes parents should not have so much control over kids, and another person comes onto the thread, and disagrees, because he remembers the time daddy strapped on a helmet to his head for protection, which saved him much agony.

Perhaps the other poster has not had an experience like that, so his views are different.

Perhaps the other poster had controlling parents, which never even let him ride a bike.

You can see where both these posters might but heads. But usually neither of them know the others own experience, and why they have different opinions.

How are we supposed to know everyones experiences?

We don't, all we can do is observe what is said, and bring fourth our own posts, which are no doubt formed from our own past experiences.

So can we effectively judge a person by their posts?

I will leave that for you too answer.

[edit on 17-2-2009 by darcon]

You can judge a person by their posts on the condition that they're arguing their actual positions, and not lying or dealing in hypotheticals. How you are to find that out is beyond me.

Originally posted by darcon
So can we effectively judge a person by their posts?

Yes and no.
Yes because its the only thing we can use to make assumptions.
No because these assumptions are not correct.. because they are... assumptions.

Let-me explain: We live in a social world... its mean we have pre-concepts about almost everything. Without these preconceptions we couldn't ever to talk to another humain being... remember a english, as a language, has "assumptions" too, some words mean some things.. other words mean other things. And we live our lives the best we can do with this limitations. Now extrapolate this idea to not just language but to everything and you can see the mess

Everything like writing is an interpretation of "facts" (personal interpretation of how to write, how the best way to expose an idea, what the meaning of words - e.g. the word god for me don't have the same meaning to other people -; interpretation of events, interpretation of contexts, etc etc)


Yes its really complicate subject. And there isn't a simple answer to this question.


[edit on 17/2/09 by blackcube]

You can get a pretty good idea about someone's personality online if you have a good grasp of NLP.en.wikipedia.org...

Far from fool proof but a starting point to gain insight.

I'd say I have split personality in a way, I am different around everyone, I am different on these forums too.

Judge me. I can take it. I don't post anything online that I don't mean.

Originally posted by _Phoenix_
I'd say I have split personality in a way, I am different around everyone, I am different on these forums too.

Everyone does that, the majority do anyway.

I do it also, if I'm with my "homies" (my true friends) I spit, swear, swagger lol etc. If I'm with my mum I don't spit, If I'm with my boss, I don't spit or swear. Its just that certain people expect certain things from you, well, my friends won't be all " You alright man ? You haven't spat, swore or swaggered all day! "


But the funny thing is, I don't want my kids (none yet) running around effing this and stick that ishy stick up your ash. I wouldn't mind once in a while, thats funny.


And on here I need to type proper English to get the message across. Al try n type oot how a really talk n sh*t. Haha that summed it up perfectly man!

[edit on 17-2-2009 by trilateral_insignia]

I think it's possible to an extent. If someone is rude and condescending in every post they make then odds are they are the same way when interacting with people in person. If they are polite in every post, then they are probably polite in person. Most of us tend to go back and forth though. Some topics we can discuss calmly, which would lead someone reading through those posts to think we are a calm and rational person. While other topics may make us angry or sad, and if you only read the angry/sad posts someone makes then you may come to the conclusion that they are always angry/sad.

The difficulty, as you pointed out, is that we have no way of knowing why someone thinks the way they do unless they tell us. I may think that pizza is the greatest food on earth, you may think it's the worst because every time you eat it you get sick. I may just think you're some crazy pizza hater when really you hate it because you have had bad experiences from eating it.

reply to post by Jenna


This isn't necessarily true. Look at anonymous. If they were really half as "evil" in real life as they are online, the world would be a far more interesting place.

Sometimes consequence free semi-anonymity brings out the worst in people. People who are quiet or shy in real life might be chatty or gossipy online. How somebody acts on the internet tells you how they treat a consequence free medium of communication, but not necessarily how they act when subject to societal scruples and standards.

reply to post by mdiinican


True. I find anonymous to be more delusional than evil though.

I'm pretty much the same both on and offline. Meaning I get mouthy sometimes, but mostly I'm just honest and opinionated. And really, nothing is anonymous or consequence free. Even though you don't know who I am aside from my screen name and any details I may have posted over the years, there are some people I know offline that know my screen name so what I say here can come back to haunt me. Fortunately I say the same things in person if asked about any of the topics I post about here so I don't get haunted often. Though I must say it's quite a bit easier to finish a thought here than offline. Hard to be interrupted when no one can respond till I click post reply.

reply to post by trilateral_insignia


Haha yeah so true.

I guess it's human nature, to adjust a bit to each person. Or kids, women, men, older people etc.

sometimes people post things that are the complete opposite of their true feelings, just to see how others might react (i.e. trolls). Some are so good that its hard to tell. So, IMHO, you can't really judge people by what they post on websites. Especially this one! LOL!

reply to post by blackcube


Yes it is really complicated, and yes, i tend to agree with you.

We all have assumptions about every one, and the assumptions only get greater when you are not talking to a person face to face, and instead you are talking over the Internet.

Sadly many assumptions are wrong.

So i believe the no, definitively outweighs the yes.

reply to post by whaaa


Indeed, but i do not think you can really understand a person, using that method, sure, you can gain insight, probably more than if you were not paying attention, but can it really pin point who that person really is? and why he believes in the things he believes in?

I think not.

reply to post by _Phoenix_


This is really interesting isn't it. Now, we haven't even started talking about this. Where one acts differently around another. One poster said that everyone acts different around different people, i tend to agree, but only to a certain point.

For Example, Once upon a time, there was a boy. Who had a crush on a girl. Every time he was around the girl, he would act differently, because he liked her. He would be more shy, and do anything for her. But it is so strange, because when he is around other people that do not effect him as this little girl does, he acts like jokster, and he is not shy at all. They become friends, and as he spends more time with her, his true character shows, he becomes less shy, but because he loves her, he would still do anything or her.

There is another experience. So you see, too a certain degree, yea, people act different around other people, depending on how they feel about them, and what past experiences they have with each other. But if you spend time with a certain person, usually your main personality, seeps out sooner or later. Not to say you don't have different aspects of your personality, since you met that particular person(like the example above, since meeting the little girl, he has had a change in his personality).

Your personality is ever changing.

But with posting, it is harder. You are not face to face, you usually know nothing of the person you are talking too, and that is where again, the assumptions come in. Assuming someone's personality, feelings, and overall view on life, just because it is better to assume then not know. We fill the blanks with what we want.

Sorry for my rant

Originally posted by asmeone2
Judge me. I can take it. I don't post anything online that I don't mean.

Really, you have never posted anything you regretted in the long run, how interesting.

reply to post by trilateral_insignia


I concur, we act accordingly to the people who effect us.

We spit and swear in front of our friends to be cool.

We act professional in front of our bosses, because we do not want get fired

We be polite in front of our mothers, because they are our mothers!

Those are just some of the reasons why we act differently, not so say there is not other reasons, because there are.

reply to post by Jenna


I tend to agree. If one types angry posts most of the time, then that could be a indication that he is a angry individual, and vice versa.

Why is he an angry individual though. We can perhaps discern ones typical post style, and get some indication of what that person is like in general, but we do not know for sure, or even why.

Which brings me too my next point.

Perhaps one is totally different when posting. What if, Once upon a time(here i go again), there was a normal kid. A kid who is just, so normal, it bugs him. He portrays himself as the most boring thing ever. HE portrays himself. He finds a website called ATS. Decides, to create thread. Declares he has been abducted by aliens, and makes up a pretty interesting story, but fictional nonetheless. He gets the attention he wants, people ask him questions, and for a moment in time, he thinks he isn't normal, that he is out of the ordinary, and that people can see that.

Over time on this site, he starts to act differently from what he would normally act like in his personal life. He starts to act like he is special, and has some sort of life secret that everyone does not know about.

I am sure this scenario has happened before, so can we accurately a person by his posts?

That lie changed his out look on himself. Whether it be fore the positive or negative in the long run. All the while, fooling everyone on the site, as he never had an abduction experience.

So it is hard to tell. I do realize that most people on these boards are telling the truth.

This is definitely an interesting and complicated subject.

[edit on 18-2-2009 by darcon]

Originally posted by mdiinican
reply to post by Jenna

 

This isn't necessarily true. Look at anonymous. If they were really half as "evil" in real life as they are online, the world would be a far more interesting place.

Sometimes consequence free semi-anonymity brings out the worst in people. People who are quiet or shy in real life might be chatty or gossipy online. How somebody acts on the internet tells you how they treat a consequence free medium of communication, but not necessarily how they act when subject to societal scruples and standards.

It is like i stated up above, many who come here, want to portray themselves differently, as they would in their personal life.

reply to post by Jenna


Yea, it is definitely different, when one is speaking to another face to face.

Which is why posting is very interesting. Kind of reminds me of poker.