Are you in the RPG closet?

OnlineDM · Aug 17, 2010

I've put up a blog post on this same topic, but since I'm genuinely interested in community input and I don't see all that much traffic on my blog, I wanted to ask the EN World community as well.

Do your friends, family and work colleagues know that you play role-playing games? Obviously the people you live with and game with will know, but what about casual acquaintances or family members you only see a couple of times per year? More to the point in my case, what about colleagues from work?

I work for a big financial services company in a well-respected position. Yet I've never talked to anyone at work about my hobby (let alone the fact that I blog about it). It's a big chunk of how I spend my free time, but I never bring it up.

Granted, I'm not close friends with any of my colleagues, but I know about some of their hobbies and they at least know that I enjoy bowling and that my wife and I take care of foster kittens for the local shelter (and to be clear, I do get some gentle teasing about both of these things). My colleagues don't know that I play D&D.

At work, I'm in the RPG closet. Are you? Is it wrong to hide your hobby if you think people will look down on you for it?

radmod · Aug 17, 2010

Nope, I never hide it (except I don't talk about it around my wife's colleagues). Of course, I'm in computers so it's no big deal.

One of my wife's colleagues, OTH, was hugely in the closet. Whenever we were together in public it was absolute taboo to talk gaming.

Stormonu · Aug 17, 2010

Nope, I don't hide it, but I don't generally bring it up in conversation unless I'm asked. I've been bored too many times by others who feel they must induct me into their hobby or pastime so I don't like to push mine. I'll happily talk about it to those who likewise share an interest, however.

Derulbaskul · Aug 17, 2010

Yes, I generally hide it.

My businesses are too important for me to have someone form a wrong opinion based on one of my hobbies (which they will if they know it's D&D).

Philosopher · Aug 17, 2010

I'm out about it. My family and my wife's family know about. I've mentioned it to several colleagues, and I sometimes have RPG-related material on my desk. Some colleagues chuckle, some find it interesting even if it's not their thing, and others smile and say they used to play.

Most of the people I've played with don't care who knows, although a couple of guys seemed ashamed of it. One guy goes to some lengths to make sure no one at work ever finds out.

megamania · Aug 17, 2010

I don't hide it but I sometimes avoid bringing it up if the person(s) involved strike me as close minded.

Nexilis · Aug 17, 2010

I don't really have a choice about hiding it, about 2 years ago I got a set of polyhedral dice tattooed on my forearm. So basically if I'm in a short sleeve shirt people can find out about it.

McTreble · Aug 17, 2010

The responses here make me feel terrible. I too feel a bit ashamed about the game I love. I'm not one to broadcast it, but as soon as I'm asked I say. "Yea, I play. Go ahead and make fun of me." In my job as a high school teacher, they do make fun. Then I give them detention.

However, in doing so I have managed to teach a few kids and passing the game on is the best thing I can do.

jaerdaph · Aug 17, 2010

I'm out to my family and friends. I worked most of my life at arts organizations, and it was easier to be out to my coworkers and colleagues at a nonprofit than it was when I worked on Wall Street (although there were a handful of us that knew each other and hung out outside of the office.)

And I just read what I wrote and realized that could totally be taken a couple of different ways...

We're still allowed to get married though, right?

B-)

Philosopher · Aug 17, 2010

McTreble said:
In my job as a high school teacher, they do make fun. Then I give them detention.

I've never mentioned it to my students, although I believe a friend of mine has (we're college instructors, so the context is a little different than yours). I have, however, once revealed that I read fantasy (and that I favour Conan over LotR), and the only response I got (from one of the best students in that class) was a recommendation to read Song of Ice and Fire.