Why is everybody the good Guy?

[Rafe Zetter]

Actually, I’d say I’m my truest self when in a videogame, since there is anonymity and minimal enforceable societal constraints.

I can be who I am on the inside, rather than hiding behind the facade we all put up to mesh with the rest of civilization (and keep our jobs).

Never was a truer word said - "Right on Commander" to that (coz I'm an aethiest and amnen just doesn't work for me.)

I think this is how it is for most people, myself included - but I'm guessing I'm on the opposite side from you because of "minimal societal constraints" - but you've put that out there now so, kudos to you for that at least.

When I was younger I would get in someones face if I saw them doing something that most people don't like, but wan't do anything about - you know the sort, the kind of people who are shouting or otherwise being aggressive at their kids / spouses / girlfriends in public places.

As I've got older though and more kids are carrying knives etc, you have to be more careful IRL. In games and online though - I can be me, an "internet warrior" if you like and I don't consider that a shameful label, because social media has made it possible for more people to do things to raise awareness of a whole slew of things that previously was mostly hidden.

I digress.

I think games and the wider internet allows the "true self" of people to occur more often than some would like to admit even to themselves.

The test is simple for those people that are "RP a bad guy in a game" - write it all down what you did over a week, and then tell everyone you know - if they all think it's cool, because they know that deep down inside you're a nice guy, then you're ok.

But we both know there's a high chance you'll change a few peoples perceptions about you - and some people will even lose relationships as a result.

It's why many people don't advertise how they vote, or tell others they sympathise with certain viewpoints.

Id bet some young game players parents would throw thier pc's and consoles out the window if they knew how they behaved in a game.

 

[Finn638]

It's not a fallacy - at best it's a slight over simplification, but it's not a lie.

Getting a bit philosophical here, but I wouldn't say the comment you're responding to is exactly false. There are most likely cases on both sides. I would argue that people want to appear to be good - to themselves and others. There are many people who are not very good once you get to know them - they would treat those who are close to them badly, abuse every opportunity they get - regardless of who gets burned by it - for their own benefit, completely lacking empathy, and so on. But then they would go out and be nice and generous to everybody else for the need to feel decent afterwards. From the outside they may look like a model citizen, and it would take a long time to find out who they really are. To paraphrase Jordan Peterson, almost nobody thinks of themselves as a bad guy.

That can also be a reason for people to act virtuous in games, just for self- and social validation. Doesn't necessarily mean they lead their lives the same way, or that if they're aholes then they will necessarily act like that. Sometimes quite the opposite.