# How close is your SDMB personality to your IRL personality? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 21, 2007, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609 "2007-07-21T00:11:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/61 "2007-07-23T05:31:05Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] How about “in meat space?” 😃 [/QUOTE] I like that!! ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/62 "2007-07-23T11:02:59Z")
SD members who say they hate everybody in this forum aren’t true to themselves. Or are they ? (That was in an IMHO thread a few weeks ago). ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/63 "2007-07-23T13:21:55Z")
It’s me, but it’s the part of me that’s left over after the kids have drained all the sweetness and light (and patience) (they take patience I didn’t even have to give them). Sometimes just being a bitch for a while is such a relief. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/64 "2007-07-23T13:33:05Z")
[QUOTE=Mr Bus Guy] Me too I think. I’ve met a few Dopers IRL, and none of them seemed too surprised by meeting me in person, like I was someone different than I am here. [/QUOTE] I can vouch for that. He is a very nice and fun guy on the dope and in person. My SDMB personality is all me except that I am calmer on the dope most of the time. I am not really a very calm person. Ask my wife. While posting on the dope, I can stop, calm down or even cancel angry retorts. I think I come across as a(n overly) talkative, friendly person on the dope that is interested in most things, and that is what I am. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/65 "2007-07-23T13:45:52Z")
I am way, way less TMI IRL then here. Actually I guess this is kind of one of my outlets, cause as someone else said, I figure people can just skip it here, and IRL I’d never talk about half the stuff I talk to. I’m also not so gregarious; when I hang out with people I’m very friendly and talkative but I don’t go out of my way to chat with random people. I don’t argue much here, but I rarely if ever argue IRL. I know how to pick my battles and most of them…just aren’t worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Barrington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Barrington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrington)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/66 "2007-07-23T16:39:41Z")
I’m pretty similar online and in “meat space”, as much as one can be. Although I’m fairly new to the SDMB, I’ve been on plenty of other online communities under various identities for many years, and learned that being myself is OK, and more comfortable than trying to pretend I’m something I’m not (or not something I am, for that matter). The hard part for me is trying to express myself in typing without sounding too formal, yet avoiding smilies where possible. While I speak good English, I usually do it with a big smile, and that doesn’t come across much in text. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/67 "2007-07-23T16:51:52Z")
I’m the same in both lives. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/68 "2007-07-23T17:15:10Z")
I use more emoticons in real life. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/69 "2007-07-23T17:23:26Z")
Almost the same, but I feign a bit of arrogance online that I don’t believe myself to have in real life. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/70 "2007-07-23T17:29:37Z")
[QUOTE=fessie] Sometimes just being a bitch for a while is such a relief. [/QUOTE] So when are you gonna start bein’ a bitch? 'Cause I haven’t seen it. 😉 I’m _mostly_ the same on- and off-line. It’s really hard for me to give my patented Dirty Look ™ :dubious: online, and I swear varying amounts more or less as the mood takes me. I’m very affectionate and supportive both “places” and equally unlikely to stir shit (except in the playful sense) in either place. I don’t tend to talk politics or religion either place, unless I’m sure I am discussing these things with someone with a truly open and non-judgemental mind. (For example, my family would be _horrified_ if I discussed my true feelings with them. We diverge wildly on both politics and religion.) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/71 "2007-07-23T19:55:04Z")
I’m **Cecil**. You could tell, couldn’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/72 "2007-07-23T21:05:51Z")
I’m more outgoing IRL. And funnier, I think. Otherwise, though, I think I come across the same. I’m overly sincere, I like to tell long, stupid stories, and I don’t get into arguments very often. Overall, the big difference is that I feel pretty shy on the boards, though I’ve been coming out of my shell some lately! ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/73 "2007-07-24T00:49:25Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] How about “in meat space?” 😃 \ [/QUOTE] I also love this. This must be adopted as the new standard. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/74 "2007-07-24T00:50:38Z")
[QUOTE=Dung Beetle] I’m **Cecil**. You could tell, couldn’t you? [/QUOTE] Damn, Cecil. What…um…boobs you have… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/75 "2007-07-24T15:24:20Z")
Okay, if people are going to love “meat space,” I feel I must come clean and admit I didn’t invent it. I’m sure I’ve seen it around here before. So, **Dungy** , you’re Cecil, eh? You’re pretty smart. You’re kinda funny looking, though. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/76 "2007-07-24T15:40:11Z")
Yeah, it’s all this intelligence. Makes my head all bulgy. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/77 "2007-07-24T15:50:14Z")
I’m less argumentative in real life, I think. I always figure that if someone posts on a message board, they’re actively inviting and encouraging all aspects of their point of view to be questioned, that they’re immune to words. Basically, I think that online I separate “arguments” and “person” when IRL, I’d be more sensitive. I can be aggressive and argumentative, but I’m just more cautious about who I do it with. Even at work, we’ll get into insane email “arguments”, and then go down the hall and just chat like regular folk about mundane stuff. . .as if we weren’t just “yelling” at each other in email. It’s sort of schizophrenic. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2007, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/78 "2007-07-25T01:25:03Z")
I’m much more formal here than IRL, because when writing, I am careful. When speaking, I am a free-for-all goofball, and smile and laugh a lot more than my posts here suggest. I also type like a slug, so my word posts don’t go at all with the cadence of my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2007, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609/79 "2007-07-25T03:09:13Z")
I hold back a lot here, especially about personal facts. I’m almost paranoid about some wacko disliking me on the internet and figuring out who I am. IRL I keep almost no secrets from anyone. I also speak louder IRL. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-your-sdmb-personality-to-your-irl-personality/412609.md?page=3)