Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people. -Spencer Johnson
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The last time you entered the home of someone you knew barely nothing about you probably, knowingly or not, looked around and gathered information about this person. If may have first seen the “class” of the furniture or belongings of that person. You then possibly saw the way they organized everything. You may have also took note of one specific item that we tend to put major emphasis in judging a persons character without knowing them. This one item that can sit alone or with many of it’s brothers and sisters are books.
Now, stop thinking about their books. Start thinking about the books you own. Do you display the intellectual books so that everyone can see that you read intellectual books? Are the books laid out in a fashion that dictates what your life truly is about? How do the books in your common space tell who you are? Do they speak an honest truth?
The Impact of the All Digital World
EBooks have become amazing tools. They have changed the availability of information without tying us down to their physical presence. I have created them to share my ideas and approaches so that they may help others develop the lifestyle they so desire. Digital books are not alone is providing this information either. Whether it be blogs, news sites, or other forms of digital information, today it is more possible to be informed and spread knowledge than ever before and tomorrow it will be that much more possible than today.
So what is the impact this has had on our society?
Let’s look back to our entry to the person’s home we knew nothing of before entering. We perceived the person to be one way or another solely based on the items they held. I like to focus on the books because, often, we may believe a persons intellect matches that of the books they own. In no way am I saying people are not smarter or dumber than the books they own. It just isn’t the most accurate way to know a person. Thus, I believe the digital self developing in our world is leading to a more honest depiction of ourself and better understanding of who others truly are.
Your Eyes Don’t Know
What influenced this thought was my own book collection. I had been wanting to rid myself of the 20 or so books I have lugged around for quite a few years. I have taken their knowledge and applied where necessary. However, while going through the collection, I realized I am nothing like most of the books. I try to apply ideas from Four Hour Work Week, but I am nowhere near living that lifestyle. The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman may be one of the most interesting books from my perspective, but I am not fully taking advantage of the world wide opportunities as many other individuals, companies, and countries are. My point is that I am nothing like the books I owned. The books impacted me in some way that is better realized by actually speaking to me rather than looking at my book collection.
Your eyes don’t know who I am just by seeing what books I own.
Just as we have always been told to never judge a book by it’s cover, the same applies to others and their books.
How the Digital Self Impacts You
As with most people, I dislike being depicted as something I am not (the good and bad). Therefore, I have taken the approach that I know absolutely nothing about anyone until a word comes from their mouth or I have read their words. By implementing this, I continue to void the part of the brain that believes a person is who they are based on their appearance.
The digital self is significant because I stop judging you based on the books on your bookshelf and I hope you decide likewise. We should have always followed this principle, but the digital age is forcing us to do this more and more. The things we own are not a true reflection of the characters we are.
What you can do is take this approach to your everyday life. See everyone as though they are an eBook, nothing of pure physical nature besides an electronic file, rather than a traditional book, physical being that effects are perception. You may learn the same information from both sources, but the distraction of the physical state does not interfere now.
Are We Honest
I am no saint. Most of you already know this. I can fall to the embedded nature of judging others by the cover they present. However, I do my best to eliminate this connection barrier. That’s all we can do. Our best.
I cannot tell you whether you judge a book by it’s cover. That is something you will have to be honest with yourself about as well.
The Digital Self is King
Honestly, I may have never connected with Everett Bogue 14 months ago had it not been for his interest in my digital thoughts and requested this interview. Dusti Arab may have never crossed my path if it wasn’t for her similar feeling on comments. I would have never been provided as big an audience had Leo Babauta never reached his hand to this minor blogger. All of these connections came solely because the of the digital self I presented.
The digital self is no longer just digital. It is who we are. We must stop putting book covers on everyone we meet in the physical world and the digital world. Book covers keep us from purely learning what the book is trying to convey.
Take this not as a promotion of solely the digital world. The digital world has its flaws and the physical world has its benefits. Take this as a note to the power of being honest with ourselves as to the life we want others to see and the life we see in others.
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David,
Nice way to start 2011, in challenging my thinking as to what is possible.
Best,
Coop
I think everybody’s new years resolution should be “Be Better” Since in some way shape or form everybody could be a better person or better at something, even if means judging people less by what they own (or what owns them) and more by who they really are.
[...] You want to find out if we are genuinely the people we present ourselves as online. [...]
This is something I’ve been wrestling with for days ever since we had the pleasure of meeting Matt Madeiro and Jeanie Witcraft on New Years Day. I have this digital self – this voice in my head that writes my blogs, that calls things how he sees them, that isn’t afraid to tease or flirt with strangers on the web. That isn’t afraid to make bold statements about crazy ideas.
But that guy goes away when I meet real people. I turn back into this nervous kid who does all the wrong things. I self-deprecate. I avoid talking about my passions. I know my past and why I do these things, but it doesn’t make it any better. I wind up wallowing in self-doubt. Who am I really? The digital dick or the real life pussy?
But I agree that the digital self is king. I doubted, but you’re right. That’s who I am because that’s who I am free from my fear of society’s judging eyes. That’s my true self vomited on the screen for all to point and laugh or learn and grow. Whatever they choose to do with it.
And hey, I can always try to project that self better in the physical realm if we get to meet up on Saturday.