#but it’s a fascinating position

[nateconnolly]

The gods are not aware of us. That’s what I like most about Aristotle’s cosmology. The gods are perfect, and therefore they only think about perfect things (themselves). We are imperfect, therefore we are not worth thinking about. They don’t know that they caused us. 

You’re probably more familiar with the Olympians—figures like Zeus, Athena, and Poseidon, the sort of Greek gods that appear in Percy Jackson or Disney’s Hercules. Those gods are deeply invested in human affairs. Homer portrays the gods sponsoring armies, and making alliances with humans. Aeschylus has Athena begin democracy. They have children with us, they accept offerings from us, they even lash out at us in judgment. But Ancient Greece was a huge civilization that lasted an incredibly long time. Sometimes they disagreed with each other.

For Aristotle, praying to the gods can’t ensure a good harvest or military success. It can’t even get their attention. We are able to relate to the gods, but it is a completely one-sided relationship. If your motivation for practicing religion is purely transactional, then there is no reason to care about these solipsistic prime movers. But for Aristotle, the gods can help us achieve virtue. 

We can imitate them. We will never win their favor, we will never have their love, but we can follow their example. Although we will never be perfect, we can observe perfection and try to learn from it. We can be a little better than we are today. Perhaps that is enough. 

#Im NOT saying this is better than religions with a personal or devotional or transactional god #but it’s a fascinating position #if your religion is important to you then one way to nurture your religiosity #is to compare and contrast with the alternative religions and spirituality #so if you have a devotional religious practice #then this is good to know about #this is NOT a knock on Percy Jackson #shoutout to rick riordan fr #gotta be one of my favorite young adult authors #I’m just saying he didn’t have time to cover every single theological position ever held by an Ancient Greek #nate's writing #philosophy #greek philosophy #classical theism #god #aristotle #original post

[goldensunset]

did you know? if you do your laundry you can get your clothes back

#fascinating stuff. let’s see if i (person with the worst executive dysfunction when it comes to doing laundry) remember it #i literally have this issue where i’ll let dirty clothes pile up in the laundry basket for an entire month #like it takes me that long to get around to it #and then- who would’ve thought- i find that i don’t have anything good to wear. strange! #finally did it last night and i’m like ohhh that was so difficult but the payoff finally #augh #peach rambles #hall of fame i guess #shut up about socks. idc. #this was a fun positivity post of sorts it’s about overcoming executive dysfunction #derailing into jokes about losing socks is. it’s not horrible but just boring and annoying #it was supposed to be celebration!! and encouragement!!!

[puppyeared]

aughg

#hahaha.... oh no............... #u know i hit rock bottom when i pull out detco art <- is crumpling under assignments lying on the floor fetal position #i dont think im ever gonna be normal abt thse idiots. im sorry gang i got curious and i dont even fucking go here #ive never watched nor plan to watch dcmk im just fascinated by thief/detective enemies to lovers and i have a crush on kaito kid. thats it #its literally platos allegory blorbos. also gave shinichi a beauty mark bc i learned his moms an actress and thats such a missed opportunit #ill probably be embarrassed when i find this later. ughhh #myart #my art #doodles #detective conan #dcmk #magic kaito #case closed #shinichi kudo #kuroba kaito #kaito kid #hattori heiji #hakuba saguru #gosho boys #? is that the tag? #detective conan case closed #detco

[creepfactors]

a doodle bc the prohibitedwish slowburn potential goes crazy when you consider prismo, whos been refusing to deal with his own issues, got scarab as a personal fix-him project

so much to get wrong but they do got an eternity to get it right

#fionna and cake spoilers #prohibitedwish #instead of confronting your feelings on your one sided situationship with a dead dog get a sexy roommate who needs mental help #theres many a positives and negatives to this situation im fascinated #the skribble factor

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The girls are plottinggggg

[First] Prev <–-> Next

#poorly drawn mdzs #mdzs #wen chao #wang lingjiao #Realizing she was supposed to have an upper lip mole was a cold slap in the face. So sorry ma'am. I won't forget again. #They are evil dumbass 4 evil dumbass and I think we are all missing out on the sheer potential of the comedy between these two. #They have way too much power and are using it for the wrong reasons - which makes them truly great villains. #And when things don't go their way they become piles of whining sludge. #Wang Lingjiao is forever fascinating to me even though we only get crumbs about her. #She's a servant girl who's greatest asset is her beauty and her attractiveness. #Meaning she's had a life being in the gaze of people with significant positions of power over her. #I can't help but read her childishness and petty tantrums as someone who has finally been given the chance to not feel powerless. #If she was a more virtuous type we might 'like' her more but honestly...I don't think she would have survived to this point. #WLJ has only known power hierarchies her whole life. Probably accused of seduction before she even understood what that meant. #I love contrasting her with mianmian because they have similar(ish) backgrounds but different approaches to moving forwards #But WLJ's story is about flying too close to the sun and mianmian's is about going too close to the water. #Like the sea mist dragging her down into complacency - all the sect powerplays are mandatory to 'go along with' if she wants to climb- #-the social ladder. Yet she is the cautionary tale (and a foil to JGY as well) she leaves before sacrificing her own morals. #Mianmian flies away with her wings only slightly plucked while those who sacrificed everything to reach for the top crash and burn.

[arctic-bookclub]

something about how phil has missa’s volume turned up because of the time missa was playing on a laptop at a hotel with a low volume mic, something about how despite his mic being normal now phil hasn’t turned his volume down not even one bit despite always changing everyone else’s volumes when needed, something about how regardless of how many people are in the room missa is always the loudest in phil’s pov, always the easiest to hear, something about how you can always hear missa over everyone else from phil’s pov, something about how that doesn’t bother phil in the slightest, something about this never being aknowledged by phil and something about it not needing to be, for it’s how it’s supposed to be

#qsmp #death duo #deathduo #qsmp philza #qsmp missa #pissa #every time phil and missa are in the same room with others #you can always hear missa over everyone else phil’s pov #in phil’s pov* #and i find it so fascinating #like it’s so obvious and i’m always surprised phil does nothing about it #he’s adjusted volumes while missa is talking and yet he never even touches missa’s volume slider #doesn’t even glance at it #like it feels purposeful almost and that drives me insane /positive #also the potential implications in character drive me insane even further #it’s like qphil sees qmissa as the persob in the room he never wants to miss a single word from #person* #he always wants to hear what he has to say over everyone else #goddd #anyway #this post was prompted by me seeing clip of the deathduo hug before they got yeeted into purgatory #and it feeling so off that missa’s ’hug me’ wasn’t loud and clear #because the clip was from missa’s pov and not phil’s #anyway ignore the typos it’s such an ungodly hour that i refuse to say it and i’m on mobile

[javelinbk]

John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in EMI studio 2 during recording sessions for A Hard Day’s Night, 27th February 1964. Photos by Dezo Hoffman.

#more goodies for the ringo girls #fascinated by john and paul’s microphone positions here #side by side but turned to face each other #I’m sure it’s just to help with the harmonies or whatever #but also it’s because they’re singing the love songs they wrote for each other because they’re in lurrrrve #it was sixty years ago today #a hard day's night #john lennon #paul mccartney #ringo starr #the beatles #john and paul #february 1964

[crowskullls]

Thinking about Minute’s insane morals and how he doesn’t have a single genuinely bad bone in his body. He gets confused when he’s betrayed, he begs for explanations when people are cruel. He would rather make amends than hold onto grudges. He forgives and forgets. He teams with the same guy (Wemmbu) that’s betrayed him countless of times, and still trusts him anyways. Even if a bit reluctant at first. Even if he knows he’ll still end up betrayed.

Like this guy has PROBLEMS. He so morally… Good. He can stoop down to other people’s level, he can play dirty, he can be intimidating. He doesn’t really let himself get walked all over. But he’d MUCH rather just hang out and have peace. He gets upset when people are negative because he’s just SO optimistic. He always has to see the Good side of things, even when it’s a horrendous situation.

Even when he has reasons to be angry and upset and spiteful, he still chooses to hold his head high and STICK to his morals. He’s Stubborn. He tries so hard to see Why people are evil and hurtful, but he can’t personally understand. He needs to be the hero. He needs to save others. Because who else is going to do it? Who else has the resources, the strength, the backbone, the reputation? He gives items out to people with no expectation for reimbursement. He’s always saving other server members, even his enemies, from tricky situations.

He tries hard to remain all mysterious and brooding. He tries to seem calm and collected. But he wears his heart on his sleeve. You can hear every emotion in his voice, in the glint in his eyes. The way his smile upturns when he finds something amusing, or how his eyebrows furrow when he’s trying to piece something together. He’s an incredibly emotional guy, and he’s not good at hiding it. He’s notoriously a bad liar. He gives himself away every time he opens his mouth. It’s WHY he’s so genuine, so easy to trust.

It’s easy to get under his skin, but he still holds his ground. Because he has to. Because the world is cruel and brutal, and everyone is out to get him. Killing is second nature on most SMPs, especially on Lifesteal. But he can defend himself. Most other people can’t. He’s paranoid, and watches events from the sidelines (even if it annoys other players.) He always has extra food and fireworks to give out. Despite covering himself in dark colors, and hiding from large groups, he’s still looking out for others. He’s still the beacon of hope people need. He’s so annoyingly optimistic and cheerful that it’s sickening to most. He refuses to let himself become bitter and pessimistic.

Anyways bro thinks he’s Batman.

#I do NOT want to see a minutetech villain arc I want him to suffer through always playing the Hero #minutetech #PLEASE CAN ANYONE HEAR ME #DOES THIS MAKE SENSE #His hero complex is so fascinating to me #he isn’t doing any of this out of personal gain either #he’s just Genuinely trying to be a good guy #dare I say #In Over My Head by Grandson #I associate that song with him a Lot #he gets overwhelmed with this position he’s put himself into but he can HANDLE it #he HAS to #he has to endure it because nobody else is insane enough to be so stupidly Good and Optimistic #this is inspired mainly by the aftermath of the election results stream #and also the recent Nations event he was in #because wow he really can’t comprehend people Genuinely being evil JUST to be evil #basically Minute has to help people out all of the time or he dies #lifesteal #lifesteal smp

[charmwasjess]

It’s always confused me how Sifo-Dyas had visions of a horrible doom future and came up independently with this idea that the only way to prevent it was ordering up a clone army. And yes, I understand “see Order 66/the Republic attacked by an army, decide they need an army TOO” but it just doesn’t logically flow very smoothly. When have the Jedi used an army? Why leap to that as a Plan A?

But it makes a lot more sense if he had visions of the Clone Wars. Visions that specifically included the partnership between the Jedi and the clones. 

So he would have seen brave, intelligent clones working alongside Jedi, collaborating on a thousand different worlds. He would have seen them covering each other’s back, fighting side by side against literal and figurative monsters. He would have seen the Jedi Order fundamentally changing and growing alongside these people, perhaps even the future that never came to pass after winning the war. And the connections during it: Jedi wearing armor, forming bonds of respect and camaraderie, clones attached to “their” Jedi. Family units developing. Friendships, romances, sibling relationships... 

He would have seen Cody throwing Obi-Wan his dropped lightsaber for the dozenth time. And as a lifelong Jedi, he would have deeply understood the significance of that act. The trust.

If Sifo-Dyas truly believed the battle for the end of their world was coming, maybe for him, it wasn’t about just getting an army, it was about making that army. One built on mutual respect and absolute trust. It was seeing those exact people and the connections that would bloom there, and working backwards from that conclusion to make it exist. 

#Sifo-Dyas just watching the Clone Wars 2008 series in his head but missing the last season #he’s like Dooku I only have one question why is your bed so big two questions what the fuck is up with your monogrammed pajamas #but really this question fascinates me about what exactly Sifo-Dyas saw and what he thought he was doing #especially because the war would have been won without direct sabotage from the Sith the clones never would have betrayed the Jedi otherwis #the jedi and clone after a won war peacetime AU kills me #the clone wars #projedi #clones #jedi order #sifo-dyas #I realize I tend to view Sifo-Dyas positively #and there could be much more cynical readings of the Clone Wars #but I'm just talking this out

[apotelesmaa]

I don’t think ppl give enough credit to rui for his dedication to fucking with people (outside of tsukasa of course) like. Knowing & acknowledging that nene wants nothing to do with him and Tsukasa on her first day of second year and deliberately following tsukasa to loudly ask if she’s getting along with people (just to be a jackass)? Implying his gift to akito will explode even though it won’t bc he wants to bug akito? Like I think rui at his core is full of love and a desire to make ppl smile but I also think he’s 200% committed to the bit first and foremost. If something will be funny he’s going to do it regardless of the consequences. Guy filled with zero social anxiety & a never ending desire to embarrass his friends.

#‘he’s insecure’ is very fanon. like I think he has hang ups over that obviously as one does when one is excluded from their peers for being #odd. but he’s never had that issue w the general public. w friends? a little. but he’s kinda moved past that #gestures towards the Halloween wxs story and (heavy sigh) rmd. #project sekai #in general I will die on the hill of rui and Tsukasa having so much more self assurance and confidence than ppl give them credit for #if u want a fail girl nene is right there. open ur eyes. #consequences of ppl only viewing him thru a shipping lense… #*nene* is socially anxious #rui canonically trespassed on ppls property to put on solo shows for several years. #i could go on a rant abt tsukasa & the portrayal of him w social anxiety despite the ample evidence against it but I don’t feel like doing #it in the tags bc it is entirely unrelated. rui and Tsukasa (handshake emoji) horrifically misrepresented by fanon. #2 end on a more positive note: everyone think abt the comic where rui is perfectly capable of understanding emu #and he has the ‘all perfect’ text after comprehending her fascinating vocabulary. beautiful. perfect wxs relationship moment. #read curtain call again. & the other rui focuses. main story in general. etc.

[nouverx]

just imagine charlie being the only other character in the hotel to understand Alastor's sayings and gripes about the modern world. She's even older than he is, those two could have so much to talk about. I'm still fairly young but I have plenty of gripes about the modern world, I just know those two old ladies could find something to share lol.

I adore Charlie and Alastor as characters, and I adore your art! All of your art is damn cute to me, it's great! I need more of charlie and alastor interacting and being silly in my life, romantic or platonic doesn't matter to me lmao.

You are just like me for real 😭 when the pilot came out I was so intrigued with Alastor and Charlie they immediately clicked for me and became my favourite pair of the show (tho now that the first season is out all of Alastor's other relationships stole my heart lmao but I still love them a lot) the "big bad villain who initially wanted to manipulate the sunshine character ends up accidently getting attached to them" trope is like one of my favourite tropes ever and they have the potential to become just that so I'm really invested in what their storyline will be I'M SO EXCITED

AND YEAH the fact that the hotel was already so has-been looking before Alastor showed up makes me think Charlie is similar to him, she's more up to date than him regarding new technologies ofc but I just know my girl loves vintage stuff ahah

(Also I want them to have a duo song in the next seasons SO BAD no offense to Heaven 2 Hell I love this song but I need something new it's been 4 years lol)

#ask #answered #hazbin hotel #hazbin alastor #charlie morningstar #charlastor #<- as like the weird platonic thing they have going on #I could rant about them like a rabbid madman for hours idk if I'll ever make post about them but it's fascinating to me #LIKE they have a positive influence on each other while also being unhealthy because of Alastor's whole manipulation plan?? #but they also get along well and trust each other a lot and believing in each other's potential but also there's something sinister going on #IT'S SO GOOD SO INTERESTING AAAAAHHH HELP ME #I'M SORRY FOR HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TOO ANSWER FORGIVE MEEEE #I originally wanted to draw smth for it but couldnt find the motivation and I felt bad about taking that long- #sorry for being so late with the asks in general ajajaj

[otaku553]

The eventual kazuha and sanemi dynamic

#kny crossover #genshin impact #kaedehara kazuha #shinazugawa sanemi #one day I’ll finish writing the first chapter. one day #anyways I love thinking about these two #i think platonic relationships are so fascinating #like you could definitely construe so many different friendships as romantic ships but to me these two as friends has so much potential #sanemi canonically dislikes Giyuu because he gives off a ‘better than everyone else there’ vibe that is purely unintentional #and canonically is friends with Iguro for reasons I still cannot figure out #sanemi’s so interesting because it’s not like he’s a purely chaotic character despite what his first appearance would suggest #the manga and genya’s memories clearly show that he has a lot of respect for oyakata-sama because oyakata-sama is not high and mighty and- #does in fact understand every sacrifice that goes into the battles that they fight that he must sit on the back lines for #sanemi is a very loyal person I think once someone has earned his loyalty even though he owes about showing this in very aggressive ways #I think he goes off against genya especially because genya fighting as a demon slayer goes against everything that sanemi has fought for #since they lost their happy lives sanemi has been fighting for at least one of them to still be able to live normally and he probably thinks #that Genya spat on that sentiment by becoming a demon slayer anyways #anyways I think sanemi and kazuha would have such an interesting dynamic #sanemi has the authoritative upper hand as a pillar but kazuha isn’t even a demon slayer which means sanemi’s position doesn’t do much #beyond acting as an indicator that he is one of the strongest of the corps anyways. #they’ve both lost a lot but sanemi still has someone to fight for whereas kazuha is holding onto the last embers of a corpse’s wishes #and I think them having a talk about their motivations would be very good #because I don’t think at this point that kazuha has very much reason to live beyond carrying on Tomo’s wishes #if the swords are parallels to visions I think Kazuha’s turning point will be when he receives his own nichirin sword #sorry for the long tags lmao

[human-facts]

Fun fact, humans! The aliens are proud of you. Extremely confused on wtf you are doing half the time, but proud nonetheless!

#humans are fascinating #humans are space orcs #humans are strange #humans are terrifying #positivity

[uncanny-tranny]

I love giving advice, apparently, so if you are a newly pierced person or are planning on being pierced, here are some of the things I found helpful, as somebody who isn't a professional piercer but has had six plus piercings on my face and body, and multiple ear piercings (which I don't count, since I DIY'd them):

Normal bath towels are your enemy, proceed with caution after bathing. NEVER wipe moisture away from a fresh piercing, always pat it dry

You will hit a new piercing and it will hurt. This is inevitable, just know that you likely haven't destroyed it. Feel free to cry, though, it hurts like hell.

If your piercer gives you instructions, heed them. If you're on restrictions, please take it as seriously as possible

When you're going in for a piercing, please eat or drink something - at least what constitutes as a snack for your body. It really helps

If you're getting an oral piercing, make sure you size down after the healing period - I hadn't sized down for my last oral piercing when I first had the chance, and it was... so annoying to have too-large of jewelry

Not all jewelry is made equally. Do your research on materials, threading, and sizing. I've found that titanium jewelry is really nice for me, and I like it, but that isn't the only option. Make sure you think about your body and its needs and preferences

Close your eyes while being pierced (I found this really helps me)

Don't over-clean a new piercing, twice per day is usually a good place to start

The completed healing period is a very average suggestion - you may heal slower or faster. Try to adhere to that suggestion, though, especially if you do not feel you're healed enough

Personally, I have found that I am completely healed when my piercing feels like just another part of my body, even when it is touched. When my piercings start to feel as though they are foreign when they never do before, I know I likely need to clean them

While I have DIY'd piercings, I personally do not recommend it, especially if you are either not using sterilized equipment, or are piercing a very dangerous place (like the tongue). If you are absolutely positive about committing to the DIY mindset, please try to do due diligence in research at least

Tip your piercer. Body mods are a luxury service, and it takes years to even become a piercer, much less to be proficient at it. Tip your piercer, ESPECIALLY if their prices feel too good to be true - they likely are. Unless you are directed otherwise by your piercer, just assume that you will be tipping them for their services and budget accordingly

Make sure you understand how your piercer wants you to take care of your piercing, and ask questions. There is no question too "dumb"

If you are getting a body part pierced you are insecure about, realize your piercer has most likely seen HUNDREDS of different body parts of various sizes, shapes, and oddities. Your body is not uniquely bad, nor would a good piercer make you feel unwelcome or uncomfortable with your body. If they do, however, DO NOT go through with the piercing. You should feel safe being pierced by somebody, and, indeed, that is the bare minimum.

If you use saline wash to clean piercings, you can DIY it. You will go through NeilMed like no other, and with it being $5USD a bottle, that price can rack up quickly. Make sure you use distilled water and non-iodized salt, though

If your piercing is infected, please don't be too ashamed to seek help. It's in your best interest to make sure you don't get ill or your site gets nasty ("nasty" as in painful)

These are just some of the things I've learned being a pierced person! My piercings are something I absolutely needed, and I do not for a minute regret having them. I want that same happiness to befall you, and that happens when you are able to understand a bit more what goes into piercings. You are, essentially, getting a new body part installed by a pro, and so I don't want you to not be ready for that.

Again, I am not a professional piercer, but am rather a body piercing enthusiast with many different types of piercings. I don't have every piercing, though, so please look at this critically for the piercing(s) that you want or have. At least, treat this like a soft suggestion or ways to help you brainstorm what you will find helpful.

More tips are obviously welcomed, especially if you yourself have more insight or expertise. Good luck to every pierced person or future pierced person reading this💛

#body modification #body mods #piercings #body piercing #long post #honestly i love having a professional relationship with my piercer and i feel so happy to be pierced by her #i think the client and piercer relationship is a very important aspect of getting a piercing #and i don't think people talk about that part much. you should feel SAFE being around your piercer #they are literally creating a new hole in your body with a needle. that is a very vulnerable position to be in #but i'm honestly shocked at how cheap my piercer is... #...so my last piercing was only $50USD and that included the (nice) jewelry. i feel that in that cast tipping 60% was worth it... #...i know that can rack up the cost of the piercing but especially if you LIKE your piercer (like i do) - try being as generous as possible #i personally LOVE tipping my piercer and it's the best way i can show her that i LOVE her work even when i tell her #love having a personal blog that i can be autistic about piercings!!!!! I LOVE THIS ANCIENT TRADITIONNNN #one of my profs let us write about anything as long as it was an essay and i went Insane writing about historical piercing practices #LOVE ALL TYPES OF PIERCINGS especially ones that are used to 'scare' outsiders <3 #when i was a kid they used to tell us about the Mystical African Tribes that STRETCHED THEIR LIPS (scary!!!!)... #...if it isn't obvious i hate that the lip plate especially practiced by the Mursi and many others have been used for frankly rascist ideas #i brought up the lip thing because i learned a lot about iirc the Mursi practice of lip plating and it's given me more appreciation for it!! #it's ENDLESSLY fascinating and i wish i hadn't been shown the negative bias against them first

[straight-up-dead]

Daniel Fucks is a sex positive Asexual

#mentopolis #mentopolis spoilers #dimension 20 #brought to you by a sex positive asexual #he is fascinated by sex but show no real interest when offered #he gets far more pleasure from little things #and ive found that the people most comfortable with sex jokes are asexuals #aka im projecting

[randomrandy]

Been reading a bunch of humans are space orcs related things and it’s reminded me how much I love the concept.

The base concept, humans are actually really scary/unique to aliens, already has so much world-building built into it ‘cause now you have to figure out what kind of intergalactic society would find humans strange/dangerous. How you go about it all really depends on what aspects of humanity you want to explore, that’s really the heart of the concept. It’s a fun way to write an outsider pov on humanity and very explicitly explore some interesting themes while also getting to fuck around with space sci-fi stuff!

Idk, I’m having writing thoughts and may have binge read too much stuff. I just like aliens and contemplations on humanity okay?

#humans are space orcs #I tend to gravitate to the more positive takes on humanity #cause yeah we do war and violence and so so so many terrible things #but we also do so many wonderful kind and amazing things #the duality of the potential for increadable cruelty and increadable love #and some humans choose to be cruel #but some humans choose to love #and isn’t that fascinating?