The Individual Sel "SELF"

Well the obvious between an online class and a traditional class is the face-to-face interaction. Being in an online class you do not get that face-to-face interaction with classmates as you would with traditional classes, but I ask myself, is that true? I tend to believe that a person can go a whole semester in a classroom and physically not say a word to anyone, maybe to the professor, but typically not to a classmate, unless it is required. I have seen it, and I am sure many others have as well. Does it make that person, bad? NO, some people are just not capable of expressing themselves through talking. It could be fright, anxiety, just a list of numerous reasons. I think first impressions with traditional classes focus more on appearance and then on course work. My first impression with making a blog for this course was fun. I have taken many online courses and this is honestly the first online class that has required a blog site and has required us to introduce ourselves. I really enjoyed it because it lets the person individualize themselves. Lets the individual show their creativity and oppose their opinions, without being judge or frown upon. You can really understand, relate, and comprehend all of the bloggers entries.

Orson Scott Card tries to find the core of “true self”. He states that every person has multiple versions of themselves in different settings. He questions, “Is there some core of “true self” underneath the various masks we put on for different people and different situations?” (Beedles pg 32). Card suggests that these masks are not indeed masks but rather different facets of our “true self”. I could relate to that because the way I speak to my parents and grandparents (family in general) is a lot different than they way I would speak to my co-workers or friends. Card questions are we in fact our “self” if this is taking place and I feel like I am being myself at all times no matter who I am around but I obviously feel more comfortable sharing information with certain people than I do others, so I guess in some sense I am not being my “true self”.

Erving Goffman presentation of self presents the more obvious, because he states that we manage our selves in face-to-face interactions. Erving Goffman says, “When an individual appears in the presence of others, there will usually be some reason for him to mobilize his activity so that it will convey an impression to others which it is in his interest to convey (Beedles pg. 44).”Meaning we define people as we meet them, to get a sense of whom they are, to understand their individuality and we use it in a social setting. I could relate to this because as Goffman says a person does this to learn what is expected from me will in return be expected from them, which will then be the best way to call their desired response (respect).

I agree with Gergen when he says, “the technologies of social saturation expose us to an enormous range of persons, new forms of relationships, unique circumstances and opportunities, and special intensities of feeling (Beedles pg 53).” I think you can definitely get a sense of who someone is through this blog site. They only difference is you do not have a physical face to image the talking to but that is what pictures are for.