I want to create/coin the word “paraletheia” to describe the feeling you get when you meet online friends in-person for the first time. Social media, starting a new job remotely, dating apps, etc.—This is a uniquely 21st century phenomenon. Para = beyond/alongside Aletheia = disclosure of what’s real and true So paraletheia would mean something like “that which is parallel to yet beyond what you already know is real [about a person].” You can learn about someone (exhaustively) just through their socials and by chatting virtually, but there’s nothing that imitates the feeling of being inches away from their face irl. That’s why even when you feel like you know everything about someone you befriended online, things FEEL different when you meet them for the first time. Their scents, body language, height, fidgets, etc. all contribute to your overall impression of who they really are. @MerriamWebster how do I coin a word?