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inb4 @Plums gives us a psych lesson /brick'd

I wanna know what each color represents to you. What imagery it brings to mind. Do light greens remind you of spring? Is purple a color that inspires you to draw? Do you feel unnerved when you see deep amber or blood-red eyes? If combinations of colors have special significance to you (such as complements or holiday colors) then feel free to share that as well.

Orange, because of its link to fire, symbolizes energy and drive to me; bright oranges make an image more vivid and lively. Which is strange, since they can also mean the opposite, as in sunsets or autumn leaves which bring to mind images of passing, ending, or winding down.

I also see magenta as a sort of spiritual color, for various reasons. One being that (aside from red, obviously) it's a color commonly used to represent the heart, usually in a metaphorical rather than literal sense.

I got to thinking about this after reading this article and following the train of thought to my own frequent avatar switching. The gist of the article is that men play as women fairly often (at least compared to the reverse) in online games, with some interesting results...

So in other words, a form of role-playing, perhaps subconscious. Not perfect, as the article goes on to say—Surface details changed, but more ambiguous or firmly rooted habits stayed constant—but interesting nonetheless.

I began to think about this in the context of avatars, the masks we wear, and realized they might have some things in common. My last avatar of consequence as of writing was this one, and while bearing it I became contemptuous and snide towards certain people, prodding them and then laughing at their reaction; meanwhile, my current one as of writing is this, and I've already begun to write more neutral, open, or vulnerable posts as a result. Two just tonight. Obviously I could still open up with the former or be incited to anger with the latter, but even then my responses tend to be filtered, e.g. I might confess something in an aloof or detached way, or express my anger as though flustered or on the verge of tears.

Now, I'll be the first to admit I'm a performer—such a good one in fact that I find it hard to keep track of what's sincere and what's an act—but I also doubt that nobody else in the world does this. So what do you think? Does this happen to you? Do you change your avatar to suit your mood... or do you find the opposite happening, that your mask of choice changes the expression you wear underneath? Do you place significance on your avatars, or just wear the characters you enjoy (or both)?

Is culture a word that holds any weight to you? What images does it bring to mind? Do you think of countries or peoples? Or do you think of social groups, people who come together to find common ground? What does culture do for you—or, if you feel you have none, what would you want from it?

When I think of culture, I think of tradition and heritage. Belief systems, musical styles, rituals, parables, even sayings and day-to-day superstitions, that accumulate over time and many generations. Things that give people a sense of family and unity. And I feel like I'm lacking in that. My relationship with my family is all right, but it's not spectacular. And I never felt like I had a whole lot in common with people. My folks and I moved around a bit, and I was always transferring between schools, leaving whole social groups behind. I was missing something to keep me grounded. I've sort of found it on the net, but not to a huge extent; even here, sometimes I still feel like a stranger. But I will say this: There are people I've met here who I feel would never judge me harshly, would always try to find common ground and make me feel like I belong, and that means a lot.