When asked about Second Life, a friend of mine likes to reply, “Someone turned my computer off while I was in Second Life, and I’ve been here ever since.” I like to say that on October 29, 2007 I stepped into and through Jenaia, infusing her pixels with joie de vivre and the breath of my dreams. Though movement was a challenge, and the default helmet hair made me laugh, there was something very familiar about the whole thing – about stepping into an avatar. The rules were new, the tools a little different, and my abilities both curtailed and enhanced in enticing ways. But the basic premise was the same – the essence of my Self was taking on and expressing itself in a new form, which by the way, is the definition of an avatar:
“Avatar or Avatāra is Sanskrit foṛ descent, from avatarati he descends, from ava- away + tarati he crosses over - an incarnation in human form; an embodiment (as of a concept or philosophy) often in a person."
That’s also why the experiences of Jake Sully, the disabled veteran and main character in the blockbuster film AVATAR spoke so powerfully to me. In the movie, Jake is connected to and able to control and express himself through an avatar via a sophisticated contraption that links his mind to that of his avatar (not unlike the connection I make to my avatar via computer, the Web, and the Second Life interface). Once “connected,” Jake is freed from the limitations of his disabled body and able to run, jump, climb, etc. using his avatar’s body. More importantly, he is able to step outside the bounds of his ordinary existence – the beliefs, priorities, and cultural values that shaped him – into the world of another race.
Anyone who has spent time outside his or her country of birth, or even been asked to do business regularly with people from another culture, can tell you what an eye opener “difference” can be. The ten years I spent living and working in Japan taught me not only a new language – which required adjustment of both grammar and thought processes based on gender and social status – but a whole new way of seeing myself, my country, my values, and even my body. I went from being just an ordinary American female going about the day-to-day business of living to being an anomaly, a curiosity, a gaijin (foreigner). This was the gift that Jake received as well – a gift that allowed him to step outside his role as a soldier, tasked with the job of infiltrating “enemy territory,” and come to know, appreciate, and ultimately fight for the survival of another race.
It’s also important to note that the shift in perception works both ways. Stepping out of your country of origin, and seeing it from the perspective of another, very different culture is both intriguing and disconcerting. Though I could and would never want to become Japanese, my basic assumptions about the world were challenged and reshaped enough by my experiences in Japan that I will never be “wholly,” or more accurately unquestioningly, American again.
To my mind this is the wonder of both AVATAR the movie and the opportunity to “be” an avatar in Second Life. In both you are reminded of two fundamental truths:
* Differences, while scary, disconcerting, and occasionally genuinely threatening are opportunities to see both our world and our selves in new ways. They are challenges to our reality and a reminder that reality is subjective – that there are many ways to see and be.
* Perceived differences merely mask the underlying truth that we are all in this together. Or, as James Cameron put it when he accepted his Golden Globe award for best director, “Avatar asks us to see that everything is connected – all human beings to each other and us to the earth.”
The opportunity to explore and learn from our differences while using our collective intelligence and creativity to address the challenges we face is what makes life as an avatar in Second Life so exciting. We not only have access to a community of residents from around the world, but the space and tools to engage in meaningful exchanges - dialogs, discussions, storytelling, poetry, music performances, art exhibits, etc. - that allay fears, build empathy, and help us understand that what we share far outweighs our differences.
The only real question now, is whether we can move past the rather formulaic and drama-perpetuating model Cameron has employed in AVATAR, i.e. the struggle between good and evil. What if we think of Second Life as a combination playground and classroom? What if we look for ways to engage with one another that address the differences and conflicts but encourage empathy, understanding, and collaboration? We can still have our heart stopping, adrenaline pumping chase scenes with the ravenous, saber-toothed beasties chasing our heroes and heroines, but at the end of the day I want to be able to say, “I see you,” when I look another creature in the eyes, don’t you?
