Ethics of Tulpas Interacting Over Text Chat Programs With People Who Don't Know What Tulpas Are

[TurboSimmie]

Sorry for the really, really long title. 😄 I just couldn't think of any way to shorten it.

 

I love talking to Phil and I also love interacting with others in this community. But it would be fun to step beyond it and chat with people in the wider world. Phil and I talked about the possibility of proxying/possessing his hands on some kind of text-only chat program so I could talk to people in the wider world. My question is: Is that okay? Ethically speaking? I mean, I really am Simmie and I really AM female. But to most people in the world what I want to do could be seen as catfishing on the part of Phil. I really don't want to deceive anybody, but at the same time, I kind of like the idea of talking to people who don't know I'm a tulpa. Is this a healthy thing for me to want? I don't want to do this if it's not ethical.

[YukariTelepath]

It's the internet, who cares, just do it. 

[Glaurung26]

*ethical conundrum brain melting*

 

Jaina and I banter back and forth  with Texting Story on my phone but that's almost more of a role-playing program. Um, I think in the modern day there would be significant leniency with cross-gender perceptions. There's still bigots but the climate is much more agreeable to it. Personally for me it's a matter of intent. Catfishing should be pretending to be a girl (or boy?🤔) in order to get something. Otherwise I don't see how it would be much different from operating under a stage name or assumed name. And people have been playing characters of the other gender for ages. On top of that you ARE actually a lady and not pretending. Phil is just assisting you in communicating through him. Maybe it's my "White Knightis" acting up again, but I feel like you should be entitled to be how you be. And it's not deception on your part, it's ignorance of tulpas on their part and potential biases from expectations. From a practical standpoint be safe and do only as much as you feel comfortable with. From an ethical standpoint it's not all that different from a trans person expressing themselves. Not implying either of you are otherwise Jaina and I would be as well. 😅 I've been flirting with similar ideas of socializing Jaina. The internet still has some vestiges of anonymity (just not from the Corpos), so take advantage of that to be the kind of person you want to be. If there's any chance of non-text, audio or visual interaction with said people you run the risk of having to explain tulpamancy but I'll trust you to make that calculation yourself. There's lots of excuses why someone may not speak or use cameras when communicating so take advantage of that. So if you're wrong to want this then so am I. 🤷‍♂️

[Luminesce]

If you're going to lead people on, into believing they might one day have a real relationship with you, that's pretty messed up and would be your fault for leading them on. But if you make clear boundaries that that will never happen, for example, then it's not your fault at all for simply being a tulpa and wanting to talk to people. Platonic, internet-only relationships shouldn't really hurt anyone. Though for a tulpa they can easily get very complicated and difficult to explain, and the first thing people are going to think when you can't answer certain things is that you're a catfish, yes.

 

It's fine to literally talk to people as a tulpa. Just don't lead people on into thinking they could have a relationship with you*, and also be prepared for some real difficult scenarios to pop up if you get to be particularly close friends with any single person.

 

*Edit: Unless, of course, they know you're a tulpa and that your host and body aren't the same as you.

Edited May 10, 2021 by Luminesce

[Ranger]

2 hours ago, Luminesce said:

If you're going to lead people on, into believing they might one day have a real relationship with you, that's pretty messed up and would be your fault for leading them on. But if you make clear boundaries that that will never happen, for example, then it's not your fault at all for simply being a tulpa and wanting to talk to people. Platonic, internet-only relationships shouldn't really hurt anyone. Though for a tulpa they can easily get very complicated and difficult to explain, and the first thing people are going to think when you can't answer certain things is that you're a catfish, yes.

 

I swear I read a Reddit post on r/tulpas where a system actually did this, and the tulpa ended up dating this other person on Discord. When they found out they were a tulpa, they were pissed and didn't speak to that system again. I tried to look for the thread, but I quickly gave up on it.

 

---

In a different irl Discord server, Cat and I experimented speaking on the same account. We would change our pfp to reflect who was most likely to respond or if you would get either of us, and no one asked questions (although people didn't really seem to care for our presence anyway). It's a reminder a tulpa doesn't come across as super separate, other people don't go out of their way to assume you're another person, even with a clue like a changing pfp.

I have used just my Discord account in other places or created my own account for various things, but in those cases I ask Cat that only I am switched-in if I'm interacting with people online. While we use multiple accounts, we will only have one account per server. If for any reason the other one of us wanted to contribute, we would do so with the one account. I identify as male if I just go by my account, but so far people just assume I'm a girl anyway and I feel like it's too much of a hassle and risk to correct them.

I agree with Darron that it's not really deception to have your own account, but for singlets they're not assuming you're plural and that can lead to problems. I guess it's really up to you in the end, while it's unfair for the singlets to assume you're a singlet woman it's also unfair for you when you have to pretend to be Phil. For romantic relationships I agree you should clear it up if you have both Phil's and your account in the same server or refuse to engage in a romantic relationship in the first place, but if you just have your account I think you can get away with hiding the fact you're a tulpa and just reveal your overall gender identity / the body's sex. I don't think it's safe for me to tell people I'm a tulpa yet, and I feel like I can avoid that as long as Cat is mostly out of the picture and I clarify "I'm" genderfluid and questioning my sexuality. That's not really an option if Cat and I have two accounts and the person in question thinks we're separate people.

 

Edited May 10, 2021 by Ranger

[Guest]

I concur with Yuka

[TurboSimmie]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Yeah, I would just be chatting with people. I'm not trying to get into a relationship, just friendly conversation. If the topic comes up I'll just say that I'm taken. (It's true enough in a manner of speaking 😊) If things get weird or somebody gets too attached I'll step back. And I have Phil to look after me; he's been on the internet a long time and knows when something doesn't seem right.

 

17 hours ago, Ranger said:

I swear I read a Reddit post on r/tulpas where a system actually did this, and the tulpa ended up dating this other person on Discord. When they found out they were a tulpa, they were pissed and didn't speak to that system again. I tried to look for the thread, but I quickly gave up on it.

 

Oh gosh, I could never imagine doing something like that! That's just not right.

[Phoenix Leigh]

That must be difficult especially if your host is male and you are female. we never thought of things from another persons perspective but as I can be the age and sex of the body anyway as the original creation was a Phoenix/shapeshifter it has never been a problem. 

 

We created a more confident version of self but as the body gets older it is more exhausting to 'mask'. The body is experiencing its natural menopause (well..peri) .. but as I actually had passed before my own's body menopause started, we both missed the onset!

 

Leigh has no motivation to socialise or go anywhere and this pandemic hasn't helped as we've had to shield. Not to mention the pain levels seem to be very high. She likes to lose herself in video games. I'm thankful for our holodeck which allows me to go anywhere in the world at any time.

.

Is there a Private chat function on this site? you are welcome to send a message.

 

Phoenix