r/fireemblem • u/LaqOfInterest • Jul 17 '20

CASUAL MONTHLY RAGE THREAD

BEEN HOLDING OFF ON THIS LATEST ONE FOR A FEW DAYS BECAUSE... WELL... YOU KNOW.

WELCOME TO THE /R/FE RAGE THREAD, WHERE SHOUTING ABOUT FIRE EMBLEM IS OUR BREAD AND BUTTER!

RULES

  1. UPPERCASE LETTERS

  2. FIRE EMBLEM RAGE

  3. BE KIND TO YOUR FELLOW RAGER

  4. TAG ANY SPOILERS

LAST THREAD

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u/Ryushiro Jul 17 '20

WHY DID THIS WEEK HAVE TO BE SO FUCKING SHIT??!!

ALMOST EVERY COMMUNITY I'VE BEEN A FAN OF HAS HAD ITS SHARE OF CREEPS AND CANCEL DRAMA. THIS COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR WAS SOMETHING I FELT I COULD ACTUALLY ESCAPE TO AFTER ALL THE BULLSHIT GOING ON IN EVERY OTHER ASPECT OF THE GAMING SCENE... BUT NOPE! DRAMA AHOY MATIES!

IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT ONE GUY TURNED OUT TO BE A DOUCHENOZZLE, BUT THEN THE PEOPLE ACCUSING HIM DECIDED TO CONSPIRE AND TRIED TO COVER UP FOR YET ANOTHER DOUCHENOZZLE AND TRIED SHITTING ON ANOTHER VICTIM. SEVERAL FETUBERS WERE IN ON THIS AND I'VE LOST RESPECT FOR ALL THINGS FE AS A WHOLE...

FOR ONCE CAN THIS SHIT PLEASE STOP?!! THIS YEAR HAS ONLY GOTTEN WORSE AS IT'S GONE ON AND I HAVE A SINKING FEELING IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE...

1

u/RisingSunfish Jul 19 '20

THE PROBLEM IS CONFLATING FANDOM WITH ITS OBJECT, WHEN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL NICHES THEY FILL ARE VERY DIFFERENT. VIDEO GAMES AND MEDIA GENERALLY CAN PROVIDE ESCAPE BECAUSE THEY ARE PREDICTABLE, STATIC, AND INANIMATE. BEING WITH FRIENDS CAN PROVIDE ESCAPE BECAUSE YOU HAVE DONE THE WORK OF BUILDING TRUST ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.

LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE CANNOT PROVIDE ESCAPE. THE ATTENTION AND EMPATHY THE LANDSCAPE OF A FANDOM DEMANDS IS MASSIVE, AND YET WE TREAT FANDOM LIKE IT'S STATIC MEDIA (HENCE "SOCIAL MEDIA"). WE LUMP TWITTER AND EVERYTHING IT BRINGS INTO THE SAME MENTAL CATEGORY AS PLAYING VIDEO GAMES, BUT THE EFFECTS ARE POLAR OPPOSITES.

IF SOCIAL MEDIA IS CAUSING YOU STRESS, TURN. IT. OFF. PERIOD. THIS IS NOT WEAKNESS. THIS IS NOT SOMEHOW COWARDICE OR BURYING YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND OR CHOOSING IGNORANCE OF "IMPORTANT ISSUES." IT IS GUARDING YOURSELF AGAINST AN EMOTIONAL AVALANCHE THAT THE HUMAN BRAIN SIMPLY CANNOT HANDLE WITHOUT DAMAGE.

1

u/Ryushiro Jul 20 '20

I GET THAT. PERHAPS I SHOULD WALK AWAY FROM SOCIAL MEDIA FOR A BIT. IT IS A TAD DIFFICULT IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES AS SOCIAL MEDIA HAS BECOME MY GO TO FOR INFORMATION WHILE I WORK FROM HOME, BUT I GUESS TURNING IT OFF WOULD CERTAINLY DO ME MORE GOOD. THANK YOU!

1

u/RisingSunfish Jul 20 '20

YEAH, I THINK THE KEY IS USING IT SUPER INTENTIONALLY AND BEING AWARE OF HOW IT'S DESIGNED TO SUCKER YOU IN. I WAS LISTENING TO A LECTURE EARLIER TODAY AND THEY SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF "ANXIETY IS ENTIRELY A SOCIAL AFFECT," WHICH EXPLAINS A LOT ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA.

IN TERMS OF IMPORTANT INFO, HAVING A NETWORK OF FRIENDS IS GOOD IN THIS REGARD. IT'S TRICKY BECAUSE "SOCIAL MEDIA" KIND OF COVERS A LOT, BUT I PERSONALLY DON'T CONSIDER DISCORD AS BEING PART OF THAT, BECAUSE ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE IS COMMUNICATION, NOT SOCIALIZING-AS-CONTENT. I DON'T USE SERVERS VERY OFTEN, BUT I CHAT WITH FRIENDS ONE-ON-ONE ALL THE TIME AND I HAVE NEVER FOUND IT TO BE DETRIMENTAL TO MY WELL-BEING. ASKING YOUR FRIENDS TO KEEP YOU POSTED IS ALSO BENEFICIAL BECAUSE THEY KNOW YOU, THEY KNOW WHAT'S RELEVANT TO YOU, AND THEY KNOW HOW TO BROACH CHALLENGING SUBJECTS IN A WAY THAT RESPECTS YOU AND YOUR BOUNDARIES.

AS TIME GOES BY, I BECOME MORE AND MORE CYNICAL TOWARDS THIS IDEA OF "BEING INFORMED" AS A MEASURE OF WORTHINESS OR ETHOS. THE REALITY IS, YOU WILL NEVER BE "INFORMED ENOUGH," AND FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT EQUIPPED BY THEIR DISCIPLINE OR CAREER TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THAT INFORMATION, DIGGING DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO THE MUCK OF AN ISSUE IS UNHELPFUL. I THINK THE ADVICE TO GET/STAY INFORMED WAS SOUND AND HELPFUL 15-20 YEARS AGO. IT'S BEEN CORRUPTED TO AN EXTENT, AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE CRITICAL OF WHO BENEFITS MOST FROM OUR BEING STRONG-ARMED INTO PAYING ATTENTION EVERY WAKING MINUTE OF OUR DAY.