analog

I've been having fun, watching people go nuts over the words of a few, and the way people act when the rules are removed- but then, social psychology is of great interest to me.

Losing respect for someone because of how they act in a consequence-free environment, when you know them from a place where there are rules of decorum, is a little ridiculous and judgmental. How a person chooses to spend their "play time" is not really for you to judge when you're back working under the rules, unless they spend their time doing things that are truly outside ethical bounds. The actions people are complaining about are not unethical or immoral, they just don't like them. It also doesn't mean you "didn't know them" because this particular facet of their personality hadn't been seen. You also don't know how they do a lot of other things, but that never bothered you until you were faced with what you believe is a contradictory set of personality traits.

Like has been said, no one just suddenly becomes mean. If you see a side of a person you've never seen before under different conditions than you normally see that person, that's just called "life". You can't impose character judgments on a person and then have disdain for them when you realize your judgment was based on your observation of them in one social setting.

This is like going out to drink with your boss. I know that for myself, my professional persona is way different than my normal everyday self- because it needs to be, it must be. I don't understand the thought process of then calling a person "untrue" because another facet of their personality shines under another type of social situation.