Doppelgangers Quote by Jaron Lanier
““The most effective young Facebook users, however — the ones who will probably be winners if Facebook turns out to be a model of the future they will inhabit as adults — are the ones who create successful online fictions about themselves. They tend their doppelgängers fastidiously. They must manage offhand remarks and track candid snapshots at parties as carefully as a politician. Insincerity is rewarded, while sincerity creates a lifelong taint. Certainly, some version of this principle existed in the lives of teenagers before the web came along, but not with such unyielding, clinical precision.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Wired Magazine, 2014
Young people who craft curated online personas succeed, as they treat their image like a political brand, rewarding insincerity over authenticity.
In simple terms: Curated online selves win over genuine ones.
Key Takeaway
Focus on authentic self‑presentation.
Themes
identity
media
authenticity
image management
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
observational
critical
When to use this quote
- career building
- social networking
- personal branding
- online reputation management
Key Concepts
social media
persona construction
self‑branding
Questions to Reflect On
- How does curation affect real‑world relationships?
- Can authenticity be strategic?
A Different Perspective
Insincerity may backfire when real interactions demand trust.
![“We [Facebook] really believe in enabling people to be their authentic selves on the web, and enabling people to communicate directly with each other in a very personal way.” quote by Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c55/sheryl-sandberg-439_authentic-self_we-facebook-really-believe-in-enabling-p_75190.jpg)
