Finding authenticity in virtual idols? How do you find something real in fake things? Self-Actualization and authenticity are at the upper ends of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. However, only a small minority of us reach the top level of the hierarchy. I’m thankful to live in a society, culture, and country where the majority of people have their basic needs. Although, I’m sure a lot of us could do better at managing our finances and escaping living paycheck to paycheck. Still, the majority of us in developed countries have a home, water, and food and feel safe daily. While I’d like to see the rest of the world enjoy these luxuries, I know humans are doing their best. It’s only a matter of time before we are all at least on that level.
Where Maslow’s theory kind of falls apart and gets fuzzy is in those last three levels. I’ve always had a hard time fitting in. As a result, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking and working on my own. I think a lot of creative people are the same. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi observes that creative people need some time out of the society they live in to bring change. Maslow’s Hierarchy asserts that after meeting survival needs, individuals progress through social belonging, self-esteem, and eventually self-actualization stages.
In my experience however, I found that steps three and four are complicated. Only after gaining a bit of confidence in yourself can you make an authentic connection. Once that is established it enables fostering true community. As much as I enjoy time on my own It’s good to feel a sense of belonging. These two steps on the ladder feed each other in a beautiful dance of yin and Yang.
Finding authenticity in virtual idols: We all play characters
My idea that the world is a massively multiplayer game draws inspiration from things like the Matrix and beatnik’s philosophy. Hindu religion believes the world is a play, in Greek dramas you put on a mask and become a persona. To become a real person in our society, you must dawn a mask and become someone. But where did that idea of who you are start?
Well, I’m me. I’m Alan Watts. I’m John Doe. I’m Mary Smith. And I firmly believe I am, because I really oughtn’t to think anything else, ought I?” And that “me” is a finite ego, or a finite mind—whatever that is. On the other hand, the Hindu will say that the real self—which he calls Ātman—is what there is. It’s the works, it’s the which than which there is no whicher. The root and ground of the universe and of reality.
Alan Watts Image of a Man
I’d argue that the world is much less of a linear game or play with a predetermined plot. It is more akin to a continual improvisation or an open-ended sandbox game. Stories, adventures, and arcs are created by the players themselves on the fly. Steve Jobs has stated it in a smarter way that’s easier to understand.
When you grow up you tend to get told the world is the way it is and you’re life is just to live your life inside the world.
Steve Jobs
Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money.
That’s a very limited life.
Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.
Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same againThese things are important to keep in mind when we try to build esteem. Most of us will grow up and try to become who society wants us to be. We wear all the clothes the world expects of us, act in and expected manner, and dawn our mask. As Alan Watts recites in his lecture, we become genuine fakes or personas. Deep in our heart, we know that isn’t us. The real self or Atman is always peering through the guise we dawn.
Finding authenticity in virtual idols: Becoming the True Self
Finding authenticity in virtual idols can be difficult, especially in a society that places a high value on conformity. I needed to leave home to find myself. Being alone in a foreign country made me appreciate where I was from. All the struggling to survive gave me gratitude for all the things my parents did for me. Time away from my society and the strong influences of my friends, parents, and siblings gave me room to grow. The personalities around your life color who you are. I moved to a society where the culture pushes for uniformity and homogeneity. One of the phrases that is said in Japan is “the nail that sticks out gets hammered”. The problem is no matter how much I try to fit into Japanese society I will never truly fit in.
Although I do try my best not to rock the boat too aggressively, don’t want to tip it. I woke up to my own unique energy after realizing I would never fit in. Somewhere along the endless struggle, I picked up the courage to stand alone. I don’t swim against the stream just because it’s the opposite way. That would still be letting society influence my actions. I just do things I like, whether it’s popular or not shouldn’t matter.
The Weeb at WSU
Finding authenticity in virtual idols also applies to the subculture of anime enthusiasts known as “weebs.” When I got into gaming, Japanese culture, esports, and media creation, they weren’t the massive industries they are today. I still don’t understand what drew me to those things, but it felt right. There are things in life that when they happen, you just know. Following who I was and wanted to be in college wasn’t easy. It’s kind of weird looking at culture and society and seeing how far esports and all the things I like have come.
Being good at video games is now considered “cool” in school, and wanting to be a streamer is a valid career choice. Anime’s popularity has exploded over the past couple of years. Some things have dipped in popularity, but I never cared if they were popular to begin with. When I started to follow and listen to Hatsune Miku, that was probably the peak of her popularity. But it still wasn’t a normal thing to walk around the college campus with the virtual pop star on your T-shirt.
New Era Weebs
Since then, thanks to vocaloids like Miku, the advent of something called V tubers or hololive has exploded. Hololive is popular within the otaku community. People use real voices nowadays, but their character is a created and designed being which lives in a virtual space. While others might think this is weird currently, as we integrate technology into our world, it’s only a matter of time until we all wear virtual avatars and inhabit virtual spaces.
The point is, I didn’t care if Hatsune Miku wasn’t popular; the friends I made authentic connections with in college didn’t either. A group of us went to see the Hatsune Miku concert in Seattle. Since then, after getting into Miku almost ten years ago, I have made it a goal in my life to see a live concert in Japan. I didn’t think it would take so long, but I finally achieved that dream, and a lot of growth took place.
Finding authenticity in virtual idols: Seeing Problems from a New Perspective
As Finding authenticity in virtual idols teaches us, a lot of people are afraid to express their true selves and what they like. They shave off everything that makes them unique and try to fit into a box. In Japanese society, that pressure is higher. But sometimes, it becomes clearer to know what to do when you see a problem happening to someone else.
I recently ran into an old art friend of mine. She was having a gallery in Tokyo exhibiting her artworks, so we got the chance to catch up. It was strange because as we got to talking, it felt like she was where I was in my early 20s. She was someone of mixed descent struggling with what to do with the future and trying to fit in to Japanese society. Because I had been more comfortable with enjoying what I enjoy and authentically representing myself to the world, it was easier to make an authentic connection. We had a deep personal conversation about her life and mine
“Why would you shave off everything that makes you unique and beautiful, to fit into Japanese society? You’re an artist after all. Try to lean into it and make something only you can make” – Marco
Finding Authenticity Virtual Idols: Lean into It
I had only learned this lesson recently, and it was good to pass on the advice. The nice thing about leaning into things that you like is that when you meet people, there’s no need to be reserved. Living in that authentic space means you make authentic connections. No one’s going to go to a Hatsune Miku concert and make fun of you for being there, we were all there for the same reason.
I had been wearing my cosplay more often in public. Some of the advice I get from self-help gurus is that most people are too concerned and worried about themselves and their own problems to care about what you do in life. So appreciate the kind people because they are taking an extra step to compliment you. And ignore the haters, because usually, they’re speaking from their own insecurity or in a far off worse place than you if they need to put people down to feel better about themselves. The majority of people won’t care in a good way, or might think it’s a little strange, but they’ll go about their day as normal.
The combination of going to the Hatsune Miku concert, leaning into my passions, and wearing my cosplay made for one of the most memorable weekends of my life.
Seeing Growth Meeting Friends
Old Friends
Before the concert, I told my friend I would be in Tokyo. It was a friend from another lifetime, and while she didn’t like Hatsune Miku was fun to catch up with her. It was strange to run into someone from so long ago who had grown up. She was more beautiful now than she was back then. But I think I had always had a soft spot in my heart for her. It was perhaps one of the reasons why was so interested in Japan in the first place. And I finally got to apologize, I had realized that some of my driving was a little bit dangerous it was weighing on my heart long term to not say something. So I finally got to apologize in person, I commented that I still do dumb stuff in my car on mountain roads. We both had to laugh about that.
New Friends
After that, I made it to my hostel which was located in Akihabara. I realized if I liked anime and nerdy things, I might as well put myself in a place where others like the same. There I met hardcore hollow live otaku, you always think that you’re a fan of something until someone shows you that you’re not. Idol culture in Japan has a real cult following,it is very much the same with virtual idols. People buy merchandise, remember lyrics, and have to use lotteries to buy tickets. There is a whole culture that goes along with idols.
Finding authenticity in virtual idols, I had a chat with them about hololive and I told them about Hatsune Miku and we are both really excited to talk about it. Later because it was a hostel some Korean guys came in we had a short conversation about League of Legends. I thought that wow living in hostels is really cool even if it’s only temporary. I thought that maybe I can open up my world by really learning Japanese and a couple of other languages. But I was glad I spoke English, it was the one common language between all of us at the hostel. There were people from Vietnam, Australia, China some of them had built a real community in a public discord.
Finding authenticity in virtual idols: Concert Day
When it came to the day of the concert, I cosplayed as Felix from Re:Zero. I figured other people might too. I got to the venue early and stood in line. There were fewer people in cosplay than I thought there would be, but a lot of people had Miku merchandise on. I figured if I was gonna go to one of these next time, I should cosplay one of the vocaloids.
But thanks to my cosplay, I was able to meet two friends. One of my new friends liked the outfit so much she wanted a picture with me. I got some compliments on my outfit from strangers, and I just enjoyed the concert. It was nice to be able to understand everything that Miku was saying in between songs. Although I wish I knew the setlist better, they played some of the classic songs that I really loved, and it gave me visions for what an EDM Miku concert could be like. There were pauses between songs, and I thought it could be a seamless experience. I had visualizations in my head but didn’t know how to make it a reality.
During the concert, I found myself pondering on the authenticity of virtual idols. Sure, they are digital beings and not tangible in the physical world, but the fans’ love and devotion towards them are real. The connection and emotion they evoke are genuine, despite being mediated through technology. It made me realize that authenticity is not only confined to the physical realm but can be found in the virtual world as well.
Finding authenticity in virtual idols: Shibuya Station with New Friends
After the concert, I went with my new friends to Shibuya where we drank and ate. It was nice to enjoy people’s company as I had come alone. Walking around Shibuya that night was a mental rollercoaster. I got a lot of compliments, high fives, and smiles. And because it was so easy to recognize and stand out, I was able to run into a friend who I didn’t think I’d see again. But it was also hard because a whole group of people made fun of me when I went to the bathroom, and I did get some strange looks, and I could hear people talking about me. But I decided to focus on the positives. After I made my way back to Akihabara, I stopped at a bar before returning to the hostel.
To my surprise, people talked to me because of the cosplay, I wasn’t the awkward invisible foreigner. We drank and chatted about where I was from and various things. And after some talking and chatting I called it a night and went back to the hostel.
What I knew but learn through experience that night is that you should lean into what you like and what makes you interesting. although you might get some pushback, it’s the only way to make authentic connections and great experiences come out of that. Finding authenticity in virtual idols is possible, and attending a Hatsune Miku concert in Japan was a perfect example of that. Although it may be hard and not everyone will like what you do, it’s best to share who you are with the world and not shave off those things that make you unique to fit in. I also learned that living closer to the city would be better for me.
