ONLINE AND OFFLINE
WHICH WORLD DO YOU LIVE IN - THE REAL WORLD OR THE VIRTUAL WORLD
Food for Thought
By
VIKRAM KARVE
Thanks to the advent of the internet, we have the opportunity to live in two worlds, the real world and the virtual world.
We can also have two identities, one online identity in cyberspace and of course our real-world offline identity.
We can maintain two lives, one offline in real space and one online in cyberspace, and have two kinds of relationships, online virtual relationships and offline real relationships and two kinds of friends too - offline friends and online friends.
Internet is a great tool for social networking and it enables us to live two lives and enjoy the benefits of instant interaction and friendships across the globe and facilitates us to enjoy the best of both worlds.
It is good to have the best of both worlds, the real and the virtual, as long as you maintain a balance. Yes, like you have work life balance, you also must have a real-world virtual-world balance in order to enjoy the best of both worlds.
Here is one of my favourite Mulla Nasrudin stories which exemplifies this aspect:
Mulla Nasrudin bought a beautiful house at a picturesque place far away from civilization high up in the hills.
From time to time he would suddenly pack his bags, leave the city, and go away to his house in the hills, disappearing for days, sometimes for weeks, sometimes for months.
And just as suddenly as he used to disappear, he used to unpredictably return back to the city, suddenly, without any warning or notice.
When asked the reason for his erratic and whimsical behaviour, Nasrudin explained:
“I have kept a caretaker woman up there in the hills to look after my house. She is the ugliest woman - horrible, repulsive, hideous, and nauseating. Just one look at her and one feels like vomiting.
When I go to live there, at first she looks horrible. But slowly, slowly, after a few lonely days, she is not so horrible. Then after some more desolate forlorn days, she doesn’t seem that undesirable. And as more and more time passes in lonesome seclusion, a day comes when I start seeing some beauty in her.
The day I start seeing beauty in that horrid woman I know that it is time to escape from my virtual world in the hills.
The day I start getting attracted to the hideous woman means enough is enough – I have lived away from the real world for too long - now even this horrible revolting woman has started looking beautiful.
I may even fall in love with this ghastly ugly repugnant woman - that's dangerous.
Enough is Enough... Enough of the virtual world... it is time to get back to the real world...
So I pack up my things and rush back to the city.”
Dear Reader:
Has your Virtual World, your cyber space, your second life, started looking a bit too “beautiful”…?
Are you spending more time in cyberspace, social networking and interacting with your virtual friends, rather than having face to face interactions and communication with your immediate flesh and blood friends in real space?
Is there an imbalance? Are your virtual relationships overwhelming and taking precedence over your real relationships?
Are you losing touch with reality?
Maybe it is time for you to return back to the Real World, isn't it...?
Of course, when you get saturated and bored spending too much time in the real world, feel suffocated with relationships in the Real World, you can always go back to the virtual world, your alter ego, and enjoy the best of both worlds, alternating and switching over between both your lives, online and offline, just like Mulla Nasrudin does between the city and the hill-station!
Social Networking gives you a lot of pleasure and satisfaction and internet a great tool for building relationships. It is good to have the best of both worlds, the real and the virtual, as long as you maintain a balance living your life in real space and cyber space.
Close your eyes and reflect - which world do you live in?
Think about it - isn't it time you logged off your social networking site, switched off your laptop, stopped surfing on your mobile cell phone and returned to the real world from the virtual world - from cyberspace to the true space.
Outside it is dark, it is past 11 PM and I am sleepy.
Good Bye, my virtual-world friend, I am going back to the real world to my offline identity.
Why don't you log off and get back to your offline identity too?
Good Night. Sleep Tight. God Bless.
Take Care. And remember to be back online in cyberspace tomorrow as your online friends will be waiting for you.
VIKRAM KARVE
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
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Copyright © Vikram Karve 2012
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Did you like this blog post?
I am sure you will like the 27 short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAILTo order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
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COCKTAIL ebook
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Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
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About Vikram Karve
A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925
Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9
About Vikram Karve
A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
well yes, the world today has 2 identities to live up to. And more often than not, we do tend to mess up among them.
ReplyDeleteGrass is always greener on the other sde and so realities of life, the real world appears worn out. but maintaining a balance and co-ordination is most important :)
I loved the story!
sarah