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A recent BRPS post just boggled my mind.
Yes, RP is less important than RL. RL /always/ wins. However, nowhere in there is there leave to be a jerk to other people. If you make an appointment -- whether it be for RP, or a movie with friends, or a job interview, or a study group, WHATEVER -- then you either keep the appointment, or you inform people in advance that you're not going to be able to make it. Or, when you slip up (as we all do), you damn well apologize, and try to ensure it doesn't happen in the future.
Pretendy-fun-time-games does not mean that common human courtesy is put on hold. While everyone has emergencies, moments of forgetfulness, or whatever, at least acknowledge that, yes, other people have blocked off a part of their time, maybe turning down /other/ fun stuff they could be doing, in order to keep an appointment with you. The least you can do is make your best effort to be there, or inform, or be properly apologetic.
Why is that such a controversial observation?
Part the Second -- Yeah, mental illness is often played as a 'card' online. It's amazing how many people feel confident giving themselves a full-fledged mental diagnosis based on an internet quiz they took. And how that self-diagnosis suddenly becomes an excuse for every bit of jerkiness that they come up with. Seriously, people. People online pretend to DIE for attention or to get out of trouble. There is little deception that some won't sink to when safely anonymous.
Yes, RP is less important than RL. RL /always/ wins. However, nowhere in there is there leave to be a jerk to other people. If you make an appointment -- whether it be for RP, or a movie with friends, or a job interview, or a study group, WHATEVER -- then you either keep the appointment, or you inform people in advance that you're not going to be able to make it. Or, when you slip up (as we all do), you damn well apologize, and try to ensure it doesn't happen in the future.
Pretendy-fun-time-games does not mean that common human courtesy is put on hold. While everyone has emergencies, moments of forgetfulness, or whatever, at least acknowledge that, yes, other people have blocked off a part of their time, maybe turning down /other/ fun stuff they could be doing, in order to keep an appointment with you. The least you can do is make your best effort to be there, or inform, or be properly apologetic.
Why is that such a controversial observation?
Part the Second -- Yeah, mental illness is often played as a 'card' online. It's amazing how many people feel confident giving themselves a full-fledged mental diagnosis based on an internet quiz they took. And how that self-diagnosis suddenly becomes an excuse for every bit of jerkiness that they come up with. Seriously, people. People online pretend to DIE for attention or to get out of trouble. There is little deception that some won't sink to when safely anonymous.