Comments on: The Death of Intimacy http://thegreatofficeescape.com/the-death-of-intimacy/ Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:17:23 -0700 hourly 1 By: Annette http://thegreatofficeescape.com/the-death-of-intimacy/comment-page-1/#comment-153 Annette Wed, 14 Nov 2007 02:37:53 +0000 http://thegreatofficeescape.com/the-death-of-intimacy/#comment-153 I was having a similar conversation the other day with a good friend of mine - we both realized that we had become so "addicted" to the internet that being without it was disastrous. It's strange because we formed our friendship online - chatting away the hours for years on end. When I finally met this friend in person I was nervous we would have nothing to talk about in person. Luckily, that didn't happen. However, with everyone you meet becomes a "friend" online through facebook or myspace how do you even distinguish your real friends anymore? How do you keep it all real when the social norm asks you to continuously broaden your social circle? It's terrible that you felt like there was nothing to talk about with your bf...In person, I don't know what emoticon I'd use to convey my feelings to you...I wouldn't want to use such a trivial gesture. I don't know if intimacy is really dying per se, but perhaps all of us could integrate some of Mike's suggestions into our own life. I was having a similar conversation the other day with a good friend of mine – we both realized that we had become so “addicted” to the internet that being without it was disastrous. It’s strange because we formed our friendship online – chatting away the hours for years on end.

When I finally met this friend in person I was nervous we would have nothing to talk about in person. Luckily, that didn’t happen. However, with everyone you meet becomes a “friend” online through facebook or myspace how do you even distinguish your real friends anymore? How do you keep it all real when the social norm asks you to continuously broaden your social circle?

It’s terrible that you felt like there was nothing to talk about with your bf…In person, I don’t know what emoticon I’d use to convey my feelings to you…I wouldn’t want to use such a trivial gesture. I don’t know if intimacy is really dying per se, but perhaps all of us could integrate some of Mike’s suggestions into our own life.

]]> By: Redraven17 http://thegreatofficeescape.com/the-death-of-intimacy/comment-page-1/#comment-152 Redraven17 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:34:36 +0000 http://thegreatofficeescape.com/the-death-of-intimacy/#comment-152 I know exactly what you mean and it's just so insane that people have forgotten the meaning of a true conversation. For example, I was out to dinner with my boyfriend one night, and I just remember we sat there, and barely talked. Granted the table we were sitting at was longer than either of us were used to, but it was like neither of us had anything to say. We were having a nice night together, just him and me and we had nothing to say. We spent alot of the night just looking at our menus and occasionally at eachother. It was really weird, but your entry just got me thinking, maybe the reason why we had so much trouble talking in person, is because we spend so much time chatting online or texting to eachother that when we actually have time to really talk to eachother, it's difficult. I seriously felt like my mind was just blank... and it seemed like he was having the same problem. Now.. I'm not saying we never have conversations, but it seems like it is becoming more and more of a rare thing in the world.. and I find that to be very sad! I know exactly what you mean and it’s just so insane that people have forgotten the meaning of a true conversation. For example, I was out to dinner with my boyfriend one night, and I just remember we sat there, and barely talked. Granted the table we were sitting at was longer than either of us were used to, but it was like neither of us had anything to say. We were having a nice night together, just him and me and we had nothing to say. We spent alot of the night just looking at our menus and occasionally at eachother. It was really weird, but your entry just got me thinking, maybe the reason why we had so much trouble talking in person, is because we spend so much time chatting online or texting to eachother that when we actually have time to really talk to eachother, it’s difficult. I seriously felt like my mind was just blank… and it seemed like he was having the same problem. Now.. I’m not saying we never have conversations, but it seems like it is becoming more and more of a rare thing in the world.. and I find that to be very sad!

]]> By: Mike http://thegreatofficeescape.com/the-death-of-intimacy/comment-page-1/#comment-151 Mike Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:18:27 +0000 http://thegreatofficeescape.com/the-death-of-intimacy/#comment-151 Thanks for your comments, Porcelain. Great name, by the way! I always thought the "look how skinny I have gotten" public dieting is really funny too. It's ironic, because most of the people online dieters pander to never even see the results in real life! Thanks for your comments, Porcelain. Great name, by the way! I always thought the “look how skinny I have gotten” public dieting is really funny too. It’s ironic, because most of the people online dieters pander to never even see the results in real life!

]]> By: Porcelain Interior http://thegreatofficeescape.com/the-death-of-intimacy/comment-page-1/#comment-147 Porcelain Interior Sun, 11 Nov 2007 03:10:43 +0000 http://thegreatofficeescape.com/the-death-of-intimacy/#comment-147 The world is getting rather impoverished in the area of human intimacy. I think it's becoming an increasingly shallow "HEY LOOK AT ME!" type of communication system. I started noticing it with cell phones, they became status symbols, and when that novelty wore off being on one constantly became a symbol of how popular and special you are, so special you cannot even drive without talking on the phone. Myspace and the like are all places to show everyone what we've been buying/doing or how skinny we've gotten or how much cooler our faux personna is than the next person. It's all just so tiresome and fake. Glad you are keeping it real. :) The world is getting rather impoverished in the area of human intimacy. I think it’s becoming an increasingly shallow “HEY LOOK AT ME!” type of communication system.

I started noticing it with cell phones, they became status symbols, and when that novelty wore off being on one constantly became a symbol of how popular and special you are, so special you cannot even drive without talking on the phone.

Myspace and the like are all places to show everyone what we’ve been buying/doing or how skinny we’ve gotten or how much cooler our faux personna is than the next person.

It’s all just so tiresome and fake.

Glad you are keeping it real.

:)

]]> By: Mike http://thegreatofficeescape.com/the-death-of-intimacy/comment-page-1/#comment-131 Mike Sat, 03 Nov 2007 16:52:38 +0000 http://thegreatofficeescape.com/the-death-of-intimacy/#comment-131 Very true! The kind of communication I'm speaking of does have its uses, but the problem is that it's infiltrated our personal lives as well. It's just too new and overpowering for us to completely have a bead on yet. Perhaps in time, we will. There is a big difference between how we interact with strangers and how we interact with our significant others (like the couple on the train) Very true! The kind of communication I’m speaking of does have its uses, but the problem is that it’s infiltrated our personal lives as well. It’s just too new and overpowering for us to completely have a bead on yet. Perhaps in time, we will.

There is a big difference between how we interact with strangers and how we interact with our significant others (like the couple on the train)

]]> By: escapee http://thegreatofficeescape.com/the-death-of-intimacy/comment-page-1/#comment-129 escapee Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:04:28 +0000 http://thegreatofficeescape.com/the-death-of-intimacy/#comment-129 A very thoughtful post. There is a distinction between loss of communication with those you want to be with versus people that you don't want to be with, however (note your previous post that shows you ways to use technology to avoid interaction with annoying coworkers). One is to be lamented, the other not so much. A very thoughtful post. There is a distinction between loss of communication with those you want to be with versus people that you don’t want to be with, however (note your previous post that shows you ways to use technology to avoid interaction with annoying coworkers). One is to be lamented, the other not so much.

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