WYSIWYG

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In computerese, the title is an acronym for "What You See Is What You Get".

This also applies to life. At least, life as I see it. It isn't always so simple. What you see is not what you get because there are so many frauds out there. What you see is what they want you to and not what is reality.

The many smiling faces out there hide a truth that sometimes is totally the opposite of what they portray. I find that this is usually the case. People scream out that they are smart; I think they want to be smart! Some insist they are happy, I think they don't really know for sure. It seems to me that they need validation. They do, say and act in a particular way only to garner specific responses. It's a funny kind of gratification they crave. Yet, I'm quite sure that even when they manage to get the standard and polite responses, the hollow low self-esteem is still there. Why? One needs to be true to oneself first!

Recently, I had a late lunch with a new friend. Lunch soon stretched to tea and before we realised it, the time showed it was nearly 5 pm. With this friend, I know that what I see is what I get. She has a blog and I've been there many times. She writes from her heart. However, the real test is when you meet up with her and engage in a conversation with her. Ahhhhhhhhhh! Up close and personal, she speaks from her heart too. She is who she says she is. She is one of those rarities that is genuine. With her, WYSIWYG.

When you sit down for 4 hours with anyone, you share your minds and not just empty words on paper or in cyberspace. In cyberspace, there is no direct interaction. If you use social tools like Facebook or Friendster, you can pretend till the cows come home. Everything can be made to seem hunky-dory. Only a sharp mind can see beyond those pictures and words (which may or may not be your own). Only in a physical meeting, can anyone truly know another person and what is real or made up.

Being acutely aware of the many fakes in this world, I am always mindful that who I am and what you see is what you get 24/7. If I put something here, it's what I truly believe in. If I'm not sure, I'll say so and you'll get that from reading the entire post. If you are following my blog, you'll also know if I use a quote or I am pasting something from a source.

I'm aware that some people do just that. They browse websites and then they copy, paste and edit it a bit and then call it their own. If I were rude, I'd quote the Chinese who have a crude saying that goes like this "Take someone's backside to be your face". My unprofessional opinion, however, is that it must stem from having some feeling of inferiority.

I don't like cooking and I would never boast that I could. When I was young, I used to dance and even performed in some hotels but I wouldn't make that claim now! If I can, I do. If I can't, I won't fake it! Why should I? Everyone is given different talents and we do the best that we can with it. It would be like asking my mom to cook a dish and then I put it in a nice receptacle and send it to my colleague saying that I made it. Pathetic, yes?

Why do some people have a need to portray to unsuspecting family and friends that they are super intelligent? How will they justify this pretense when they have to have a one-on-one conversation? Won't it be glaringly obvious then?

I used to know a man who boasted that he could speak convincingly on any topic for half an hour. I thought he was being haughty but later I found that, indeed, he could and he was not joking. He was an extremely intelligent person and he wasn't just saying it to impress people. It was really a facet of his character. I heard that he's passed on now and whether he knew it or not, his wit and wisdom touched my life.

I can only hope that my family and friends feel WYSIWYG when they are with me.