Mind's Eye Images Shot to Hell

I've had the same experience -- sometimes "yes, of course that's what the person looks like," and sometimes "WHAT?!" Slappy, for example, falls in the latter category -- I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't him.

Who knows how I form mental images. Probably a lot of association. This person's voice is similar to this other person I know who's voice is similar (speaking of writing style here, not, like, timbre), so maybe they look similar.

People often let clues drop about what they look like; age, weight, hair color, that sort of thing. Those are integrated into the mental picture, but of course they're not always true.

When we see people here, we don't really see people here. We see words and an avatar. Over the course of time, I developed mental images--vague ones--of what I thought people looked like. But only in my head.

The images are based on attitutude, voice, and, yes, avatar. I'm not suggesting that people look like their avatars. I bear no resemblance to a cheetah. But the choice says something about me.

First it was Timber's thread. Lately, there have been gatherings; photos have been posted. The mental images I formed are gone. Reality has intruded. There were a few surprises and some nods; yup, that's exactly what I thought somebody would look like.

Do you form mental images of people here? What are they based on? Were you surprised to see a photo?

I saw the bubblebath picture pretty early on, before I'd fully formed a mental picture of you, I think. I don't really remember a pre-existing mental picture of you anyway.

Evidently people tend to think I'm blonde. My midwestern-Scandinavian upbringing, maybe...?

When we see people here, we don't really see people here. We see words and an avatar. Over the course of time, I developed mental images--vague ones--of what I thought people looked like. But only in my head.

The images are based on attitutude, voice, and, yes, avatar. I'm not suggesting that people look like their avatars. I bear no resemblance to a cheetah. But the choice says something about me.

First it was Timber's thread. Lately, there have been gatherings; photos have been posted. The mental images I formed are gone. Reality has intruded. There were a few surprises and some nods; yup, that's exactly what I thought somebody would look like.

Do you form mental images of people here? What are they based on? Were you surprised to see a photo?

Soz looks younger than i had expected, and very energetic, very enthusiastic. The biggest surprise i had ever gotten was Cavfancier. Wabbits, of course, are just wabbits--they all look the same.

[W]hen I first went on Abuzz, I did not want people to have any preconceived notions about my sex, age, marital status, etc. I wanted my words to be evaluated on their own, and as a result I was very conscious about not writing anything that would give anything away.

When I started to feel more comfortable, I began to share, and most people were surprised that I were not a man. Well, I AM a tough broad!

Soz looks younger than i had expected, and very energetic, very enthusiastic.