lonelygirl said:
I think the gamers are lonely since it is a solitary thing usually. Also it's easier to get into fantasy world rather than deal with cold ugly real world. So it actually sucks any social skills out of you. And makes you perhaps more scared anxious and thus geeky when dealing with the real world and real people.
Bingo! That's a simple yet profound statement that echoes in my head constantly. I used to be into gaming, back when CS was a craze. I was a total geek. More recently, my friends became addicted to World of Warcraft, and admitted that they hated it, but couldn't let go of it because of its fantasy aspects: a virtual world that is easier to manage than the cold ugly real world out there. They've since quit the game and rejoined me in life's adventures.
As for your next statement:
lonelygirl said:
I HATE sports and jocks. Well, I don't hate them. I just don't understand how they can think throwing a ball around matters whatsoever and in 100 years what they did for a living will have zero effect on the world. Versus a writer or artist or musician who can create something beautiful for all eternity.
While I've never been a sporty guy or jock (far from it in fact), I've gradually moved from things which restrict me to being alone at home to getting out there and doing things. Don't get me wrong, I like a good book now and again, and enjoy my alone time too, but it's always been to help me interact with others in the near future. And it's not really about the effect you have in the world; it's more about facing your fears and your challenges in life, and conquering them.
I read an article about a father taking his two daughters kayaking and how our most profound moments are often realized from the seat of a kayak.
"Joy and inspiration don't come from comfort. They come from the same place fear does -- from confronting something different and larger than ourselves, and not knowing what will happen next. They happen in climbing, skiing, kayaking, and they continue into our normal life. That is probably why adventure sports are so compelling. They present life in a microcosm, simplified and elemental, symbolically carrying life's biggest questions in a primal form. There's control and letting go, feeling safe and being scared, standing in the known and stepping into the unknown."
And who's to say getting out there has zero effect in the world? Some of the most compelling and moving events in history have happened while getting their sandals dirty. Environmental causes, for one. Social and political changes for another. David Suzuki would never have had so much effect in changing the way the world thinks through his books and articles without all the exploration and interaction with people face to face.
Bottom line: We were not meant to be in seclusion, no matter how much we can enjoy our lives alone in a corner. Everything about us points to the fact that we need other people in our lives. It only makes sense to work toward ensuring we're properly equipped and trained to deal with other people on a constant basis. The arrival of technology has more so robbed us of human touch and interaction, than given us an edge in life.
. But yeah if your daughter wants to learn go ahead, they did some study and said its easier to learn at a younger age..
