Is love real in a virtual game?

[Silent Mistwalker]

We met in October of 1999 in another virtual world. In January 2000, he moved over 2500 miles to be with me. During the first 2 years we were together, he left once, and I kicked him out once. We've been together 22 years now.

We may not be ideal for each other, but we care about each other and neither of us is alone.

[Cali Souther]

On 8/31/2021 at 8:23 AM, kali Wylder said:

I vote yes, not that I believe that the answer to your question is the sort of thing that can be voted on. Emotions are real and love is an emotion.  It's not necessarily permanent and there are no guarantees but that's true in real life as well.

It's an interesting question though.  I'm also interested in whether or not it's possible to truly know another individual in a virtual reality.  And moreover, can you love someone without truly knowing them?  I thought that I knew and loved a few people I've met in SL and later learned that I didn't know them as well as I thought I did.  But I still felt love. The fact that I later learned things about them that I didn't know at the time doesn't change the way I felt.

Well said.

I think the feelings of love are true.  Still,  it is not the same as living with someone in real life and paying the bills and doing the day to day things.  Online relationships can be a bit romanticized.  

I know a couple that have been online only for about 15 years,  maybe more.  Some would say that's not a real relationship,  but to them it is and it works.    

[Coffee Pancake]

16 hours ago, Lindal Kidd said:

I personally know of four or five "happy endings"...situations where people met in SL, fell in love, met in RL, married, and remained happily married. But I think the OP's estimate of 95% less-than-happy endings is probably about right.

I know of probably a bakers dozen long term SL -> RL including my own, and that's not counting many more the RL friendships that started in SL (perhaps as romantic entanglements). 

The bulk of relationships in SL do tend to burn themselves out pretty quickly, doesn't make them any less valid or any less worth doing.

Speaking for myself, falling in love is about the best feeling there is, and if that ends up tempered to a life long friendship, that's still a huge win.

[Memory Harker]

Well, I mean Nethermind Bliss & Taco Rubio are still – very happily – together:

https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/sxsw/2011-03-11/sxswi-from-in-game-friends-to-meatspace-marriage/

Yes, even now, in 2022. 

[Dafadilia Wayfarer]

Met my hubby three years ago in SL. We took it to rl about two years ago. I moved to the UK last year to be with him and we are engaged to be married now. He is very much my soulmate! We have a very beautiful rl and sl both. Neither of us are really young and we took this relationship very seriously from the outset. Meaning we were very open, honest (even when the honesty was brutal), and took things very slow. Things progressed naturally. Nothing was forced.

So although I cannot speak for anyone else, I can say I found a happy ending with love in SL.

Love is very real no matter in the real world or sl. My rl bestfriend and sl sister I also met here in sl originally. We've been friends for...oh gosh 12 years. She is the sister of my heart in both worlds.

[Maryanne Solo]

Wow - congrats to all. ❤️
Maybe I am doing SL wrong 😿 
A good excuse to post this anyways.

 

[Cali Souther]

9 minutes ago, Maryanne Solo said:

Wow - congrats to all. ❤️
Maybe I am doing SL wrong 😿 
A good excuse to post this anyways.

 

Maryanne,   I never had ANY luck with SL / Online relationships.   I met my partner via Match.com 🤣   

[Maryanne Solo]

3 minutes ago, Cali Souther said:

Maryanne,   I never had ANY luck with SL / Online relationships.   I met my partner via Match.com 🤣   

Omg I just couldn't do anything like that lol.
I'm quite happy to die old and lonely. 8-/
To shrug off poverty, disadvantage and care for loved ones is a lifelong quest.
Almost there. ☺️

[Silent Mistwalker]

1 hour ago, Memory Harker said:

Well, I mean Nethermind Bliss & Taco Rubio are still – very happily – together:

https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/sxsw/2011-03-11/sxswi-from-in-game-friends-to-meatspace-marriage/

Yes, even now, in 2022. 

Wasn't Taco the one that said he was going around upskirting, taking snaps and posting them somewhere thereby freaking a bunch of women out?

He claimed he did it, but I never believed it. 

Probably was a different Taco.

[Silent Mistwalker]

20 minutes ago, Cali Souther said:

Maryanne,   I never had ANY luck with SL / Online relationships.   I met my partner via Match.com 🤣   

Wait... Match.com isn't online? 🤯

[Veysseria Nova]

Met my partner on here almost 3 years ago while out boating on the Blake Sea. We will be getting married irl next month.

[Coffee Pancake]

14 minutes ago, Veysseria Nova said:

Met my partner on here almost 3 years ago while out boating on the Blake Sea. We will be getting married irl next month.

Congrats !!!! 🥳

[Luna Bliss]

Sure, love can be real in a virtual world.  But first....what is love?    

[Ceka Cianci]

3 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

Sure, love can be real in a virtual world.  But first....what is love?    

It has something to do with tryin tah find someone with wind blowing through their hair..

That's like the first step to it.

The other stuff after, Oh that gets way more complicated. Yup yup.

 

hehehe

 

[Memory Harker]

13 hours ago, Silent Mistwalker said:

Wasn't Taco the one that said he was going around upskirting, taking snaps and posting them somewhere thereby freaking a bunch of women out?

He claimed he did it, but I never believed it. 

Probably was a different Taco.

No, you're right, that was the very same Taco.

The adorable, top-hatted little miscreant. ❤️

 

[Luna Bliss]

11 minutes ago, Ceka Cianci said:

That's like the first step to it.

The other stuff after, Oh that gets way more complicated. Yup yup.

indeed indeed....    

 

[Silent Mistwalker]

15 minutes ago, Memory Harker said:

No, you're right, that was the very same Taco.

The adorable, top-hatted little miscreant. ❤️

 

If you see him, tell him he is missed. He won't know this name though so just let him know some of us miss the little imp.

[Cali Souther]

14 hours ago, Silent Mistwalker said:

Wait... Match.com isn't online? 🤯

It is, but it's not.  We met right away and dated in real life,  not in a virtual world.   Not 100% organic,  but it has turned out better than anything I ever encountered in SL.   At this point,  I think most people meet via some sort of technology.   I don't see a lot of women hanging out in the produce department admiring the cucumbers these days. 😉

 

[Silent Mistwalker]

26 minutes ago, Cali Souther said:

It is, but it's not.  We met right away and dated in real life,  not in a virtual world.   Not 100% organic,  but it has turned out better than anything I ever encountered in SL.   At this point,  I think most people meet via some sort of technology.   I don't see a lot of women hanging out in the produce department admiring the cucumbers these days. 😉

 

I need to work on my technical one liners. 😉