A Tale of Two eCitizens
![USA](http://www.erepublik.net/images/flags_png/S/Belgium.png)
MaryamQ
It was the best of games, it was the worst of games, it was played in wisdom, it was played in foolishness, it inspired belief, it inspired incredulity, it was a bringer of Light, it was a bringer of Darkness, it gave hope, it gave despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going straight to Dio, we were all pig disgusting – in short, eLife was so like Real Life, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
Into this eLife, on or about the significant day 2000, two young citizens were eBorn. The first, who wished to be called Chuck D., was seemingly born into the elite. In truth, he worked to make the right connections, was nurtured by the government of his country and by his chosen party and MU, and advanced quickly. He did his best to follow the rules, with the expectation that he would be justly rewarded for doing things the right way, and in fact, it seemed that he was. He worked, trained and fought regularly, used all the supplies that were offered to him, and was rewarded with increased rank and even the occasional medal. He opened his own newspaper, where he started making intelligent and sometimes witty comments on life in the eWorld, and gradually his subscriber list and his list of friends grew. He became active on the forum and IRC, where he got to know his fellow citizens and was soon on track for a political career. He became nationalistic and dreamed of an eEmpire centered on his home country. Most of the people he met considered him a good guy and a model citizen.
![](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/05/article-1394553-0C6B7EBF00000578-446_468x393.jpg)
Our young friends at eDay Care
The second citizen, called Syd C., started off in very much the same way, taking advantage of the help offered by his fellow citizens, but he had a persistent feeling that something was not quite right. He noticed things – disturbing things – going on around him. For one thing, it did not take him long to realized that no matter how hard he worked, trained and fought, he was never going to catch up with players ahead of him who were doing the same things just as hard or harder. Clearly, there was no way for a newcomer to win in this competition. He was never going to be a media mogul, either, unless he bought subscribers, because his paper was only seen in his own country. Additionally, he encountered Jack, the leader of a group of players who seemed to have no eLife goal except to make others unhappy. They continually sniped at those who were not part of their group, calling names, attempting to PTO other parties and other countries, and throwing mud and random accusations at anybody and everybody who seemed to stand in their way. Syd was certain he could never out-troll these trolls, and what’s more, he really didn’t want to play the game their way. He thought about trying a different eCountry to see if things were better, but he soon discovered that the only real difference was scale.
Syd was on the point of eSuicide when he discovered that he was not alone. There were others who also were in search of something better. A chance acquaintance directed him to articles such as Sisyphus and Don Quixote Walk into a Bar… He had the feeling that most eCitizens were more like Sisyphus than Don Quixote, doing the same things over and over again, and never getting anywhere. Of course, Don Quixote was not getting much of anywhere, either, but he seemed to have more fun on the journey.
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vj2e1m7Hlgw/TBfYGQ-ShMI/AAAAAAAAnRI/Ldn82HedFqs/s1600/donquixote.jpg)
See? Doesn’t that look like fun?
And this is when Syd discovered what Chuck maybe never will – since you cannot win at this game, you must make the journey its own reward. He started looking around more. He found players, many of them good writers, who fought for causes, or reached out to help others, or just stayed for the friendships they made. He found that it really didn’t matter what color your country was on a map, and that many of these people remained friends regardless of parties, national boundaries or alliances. He realized that, when you have such a circle of friends, the Jacks of this eWorld become irrelevant.
![](http://dustedoff.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/pic14.png)
Syd and Chuck enjoying a drink together
So they continue to this day and beyond. Neither really understands the other’s way of playing, and both of them really do not understand Jack. What they have in common is that each feels successful on his chosen path and that, after all, is what eLife is all about, isn’t it?
Comments
Life is always better with a circle of friends!
"the only real difference was scale"
Voted, for stark truth.
♥
nice article : i agree, thanks
Love it!
Voted
What`s the point? There are always two sides in the story; the good side and the bad one: We are the good ones. It means you are the other side. I am sorry, but it is like that.
You sort of help make the point. There's not just two sides to every story. You have choices, even in a world like this where they're not obvious. There's more than just the good guys and the bad guys, there's some of us who just want to be guys and feel forced to one camp or the other.
It's okay if you don't see it her way. Just understand there are more ways to see it than just the conventional way.
Its like that! and thats the way it is... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLGWQfK-6DY
Arjay is right. The world is not just black and white. It has many colors and shades of gray, as well. Even my story has more than two points of view mentioned. It's not always about us versus them.
http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/the-assertion-of-the-individualist-2275069/1/20#comments
I think your article is better than mine, even though we're writing on the same subject. Mine reads like a manifesto, a call to arms. Yours is more reflective, more of a parable.
I hope people read both of them, but especially yours. I also hope a few stop for a moment and meditate.
Your article is also recommended reading, imo. It's saying much the same thing, but in a different way, which may mean that more people have a chance to understand it.
Nicely put
You're a wonderful writer, Maryam, and I read a hell of a lot.
Would it be fair to say that Syd and Chuck don't know Jack?
Trust you to put that spin on it. 😉 Yes, it probably would be fair.
Great article, great parable! I'm giving you the biggest HUG ever! You deserve it!
/me hugs MaryamQ
In other words, even sh*t players can make friends online and thus enjoy their experience?
Good point 😛
spreading the butthurt since you got your ass handled in two hq,ha?
I think you mean handed, obviously they haven't got a school near your hovel
yeah poor me,i wasn't teached in school about men handing other mens asses. i admire you for acquiring that skills,your schools are so progresive. irony mode off
but hey i'm with you on this one,when the content doesn't suit you - stick to the form.
Very true.
wow that was... nice!
A nice read ^ __ ^
nice one Mary 😃 voted
and every now and then I do get to read actually good things here : D
thanks, good one!
Yep, really good one. Voted from Buenos Aires, Argentina 😉
I read the story of the first guy and thought: "what a boring eLife is that". Follow the rules, OBEY... OBEY... OBEY ... so that one day, your asskissing might be rewarded. $
The second guy enjoyed his eLife, made fun, had great lulz, didn't get the shitty medals the first guy had, but at least had a good laugh in the game.
Just like IRL, it's not your carreer, prestige, strenght and reputation that makes you happy. It's the amount of laughs you have.
Maryam is writting with his heart.
thanks for this nice moment : )