#history of philosophy without any gaps

[rotationalsymmetry]

I did notice the podcast host didn’t really talk about the power dynamics involved in the famous and highly romanticized Abelard and Heloise love affair. Apparently she insists that she was an active agent in the whole thing and I really don’t want to discount her understanding of the situation.

At the same time. Possibly in her mid to late teens compared to Abelard’s mid-30’s, and he was her teacher (so, in a position of relative authority) and possibly of higher rank and definitely considered a more important intellectual figure even at the time. There’s a certain pattern that could very easily be read into that. And he claims he actively seduced her. And while Wikipedia notes that it’s possible he was trying to cover for her, it seems not inconceivable that she might have been trying to cover for him, or otherwise figured there was more dignity in it being her idea than in her being a helpless young girl who got taken advantage of, if so she’d be in good company. Hands clean, and all that.

She named her kid Astrolabe.

#history of philosophy without any gaps

[autonomystic]

I often find the idea of a symptomatic reading to be an interesting way of presenting texts from the history of philosophy. In other words it is sometimes useful, and necessary, to read texts for "problems without solutions" and "answers without questions." Although I must admit that my use of this practice is less in line with the rigor that Althusser defines it in Lire Le Capital, and closer to what he writes in the essay on Rousseau's Social Contract. In that essay the symptom is a matter of certain discrepancies which exist between the theoretical object and its historical, which is to say economic and social, situation.  ...in Locke's Second Treatise of Government right after asserting the condition for any property, the principle of possessive individualism, that is in some sense Locke's theoretical object, writing “The labor of his body, and the work of his hands, we may say are properly his," Locke goes onto include "grass my horse has bit" and, more importantly, "turfs my servant has cut" as examples of this principle. Including disappropriation as an example of appropriation, and doing so before anything like money or the conditions of wage labor are defined. It is an answer without a question, a conclusion without a premise. In some sense this is Locke's preemptive strike of a sort, rushing ahead of himself to reassure his readers that the connection he has made between labor and property, between the work of the body and ownership exists to be severed by the institution of money. To take another example from the same class, in Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations we get the following story of technological progress and change made possible by the division of labor: “In the first fire-engines, a boy was constantly employed to open and shut alternately the communication between the boiler and the cylinder, according as the piston either ascended or descended. One of those boys, who loved to play with his companions, observed that, by tying a string from the handle of the valve which opened this communication to another part of the machine, the valve would open and shut without his assistance, and leave him at liberty to divert himself with his playfellows. One of the greatest improvements that has been made upon this machine, since it was first invented, was in this manner the discovery of a boy who wanted to save his own labour.” Smith's story is not only an interesting reversal of where technological change comes from, it is also its own little "autonomist hypothesis," making resistance and the refusal of work the engine of technological change. More importantly its idyllic scene of little boys rushing to join their friends omits an important fact: if this kid was working on a fire engine it was probably because he, or his family, needed the money. Smith does not mention that this kid has invented himself out of a job (as well as others). Whereas Locke rushed ahead, providing a conclusion without premises, or an answer before the question was asked, Smith's is more of an omission, a cause without an effect. In each case the symptom exists in the gap between the idea and its reality.

I remember being infuriated by the Locke passage referred to above when I first read it so it’s sort of vindicating that someone else noticed this specific aspect which is seemingly glossed over a lot

[lovenpeace-pkmn]

Wait hold on, you know N! Way bwtter than most, even! Which might mean, even as a secondary observer, you saw or heard a lot about Reshiram or Zekrom! Is there anything you can tell me about them, preferably the former? How they're summonedz their general temperament?

Well. In our timeline, N summoned Zekrom, so we are far more familiar with it than its sibling. I have only met Reshiram once, and only briefly. However, I am well versed in the history and mythology surrounding both of them. This...may be somewhat long.

The Twin Dragons are not so much summoned as awakened. You cannot just perform a ritual and conjure them to you like Giratina in the movies--you need to have access to their slumbering Stone forms. Legends say that they can only be awakened by one who pursues truth or ideals with pure intent, free from selfishness or greed, and warn of grievous consequences if one who is not pure of heart touches the Stones. (Although there is no concrete historical evidence that anyone has actually been hurt in the attempt to summon the Dragons--falling down the stairs of Dragonspiral Tower aside--and modern archaeologists brought the Light Stone to a museum without dying painfully, so perhaps those stories are exaggerated.)

Touching the Dark Stone with pure intent did work for N. Possibly also for his rival, although N has said he wonders if Reshiram did not awaken in response to the presence of their sibling, instead.

As for temperament...the Dragons have been the companions of kings since the days they were one being, and it shows in their demeanor. When in public, both of them tend to be somber, dignified, and somewhat intimidating--although in private, they are not above stealing snacks. Zekrom takes its role as guardian of ideals very seriously, but also bonds as strongly with its companions as any Pokémon. It misses its old partners quite terribly, apparently.

The Dragons are thought of as moral guides, but the curious nature of their creation has left them with...gaps in their moral compasses. Zekrom fights for those who dream of an ideal world, but cares not whether their ideals are founded in truth as long as they are sincerely held. I am not privy to Reshiram's inner thoughts, but would imagine they are much the same as their sibling--guiding those who seek truth, but caring not whether they hold to ideals in the process. There is a reason traditional Unovan philosophy calls for one to hold both virtues in balance within their heart, and a reason the Dragons tend to pursue the truths or ideals sought for by their chosen human partner instead of declaring what is right on their own. (Zekrom is apparently quite disconcerted by the nature of its existence as half of a whole.)

As a side note, Reshiram is traditionally considered the patron of all those who seek or share truth--teachers, librarians, judges, scholars, scientists, philosophers, etc.

#connie post #there's no truth more potent than fire that's burning you... #zekrom tag #reshiram tag #//if u ever need quick access to a wall of text ask a unovablogger about the dragons. apparently. #long post

[rhiwdiliel-bsd-edition]

Camellias

An AU, where Soukoku has lived countless lives, in every one of them meeting the other.

Or, a work where I combine canon symbolism of camelias, reincarnation of soulmates trope, and a general adoration for Soukoku's suffering

19th of October, 1906

There came certain times when it seemed a strange aesthetic of gloom fell over humanity’s towns, painting them in the quiet depression, robbing them from the gentle hands of a coloured world. The flickering gaslights yellowed the grey of cracked, worn cobblestones, ones that beheld a history and memory further than that of any mortal. Their every chink, fissure and gap lamented the tragedy of the ichor that had seeped into their rifts, never to fade away till the world was changed. They lamented, and yet also they sung songs of past romance, where the tears of scarlet camelia petals had lodged themselves within the grit, ever to be stepped on by every passerby, as though it had not once burned with flames blessed with a divine intensity.

A dark, leather shoe’s heel stepped across these fragments of archaic history, ignorant of the earth it walked upon. It came to a halt beneath one of those aforementioned gaslights, peering up into its moth clouded glow. The thin wings in their flocks seemed to miraculously block out the brightness, dancing their last, graceful brush against their inevitable death. Why were they ever attracted to the fatal flames, when they only brought them an immeasurable agony? Why did they remain basking in that torment till the curse of life left them to drop uselessly to the ground?

Perhaps they suffered a philosophy not unlike that which Dazai bore, that it was more desirable to experience a worldly pleasure and have it end in despair rather than to let oneself hollow into naught more but a shell of one’s past self. It was for this worldly pleasure that he had walked on history’s veins, and it came bearing fire upon its head, adorned in a casing that made it reminiscent of the gaslight.

As Dazai approached the flame, the darkness of his shadow fell upon it, as though he really was but a moth in the face of such an attraction. He leant forward, and caught a flicker of heat upon his cigarette from the other’s, braving a proximity none dared to tread, for often did they end up amidst the moths’ broken corpses. Yet no harm fell upon him despite his daring, and he moved back, a smile caressing the cigarette between his chapped lips.

“Don’t you own a lighter, dear Detective?” The words were naught more than a low whisper, echoing in the cold stillness of the haunted street, seemingly emptied by the presence of Chuuya alone. Only the aged bloodstains, torn, dry petals, dying moths and Dazai remained. “Oh, but isn’t it so much more fun to do this? Just because I can?” His reply was equally as quiet, almost enchantingly hinted with a childish happiness. Chuuya’s gaze seemed to be foreign to this environment, bearing a blue found within the splashing waves of the sea. It was thoughtful, and his features of an equal nature were disfigured with wisps of smoke. “No, because one of these days, Detective, you’re going to miscalculate, and you’re going to pay the rather costly price in full.”

“No, I won’t. My suffering pains you, Boss.” The last word on Dazai’s tongue was a stretched, mocking drawl of a title he did not bear obligation to use, but often wished to employ it for his own amusement. How painfully entertaining, to speak such a word to one’s mortal enemy, to watch how their eyes darkened, and that scoff without laughter left their lips. “Maybe in another life, Detective.”

“Don’t be so certain, Chuuya. It’s possible that we have lived many lives, and all of them have ended with our union.”

19th of October, 1625

That cobblestone street of history seemed ever to have snaked its way across that street, which slept as though neath a blissful spell. From such a spell only two had escaped, dashing about with only the illumination of lightening crackling across the sky. It seemed that with every deafening clap of thunder, there followed that terrible, bright flash, revealing only a solitude from which there was no saviour save one another. The air hung in a cold stillness, and it seemed as though the sky itself held its breath for the two below, peeking through the near invisible sifts within the dark masses holding it hostage.

The pattering of running boots echoed through the silence, followed by two sets of gasping breaths. Still, they remained alone, without the danger of company, even as they trod across the memories of camellia petals, tainting the ground with drops of their maroon blood, shining almost black at the mercy of the heavens. It seeped within the cobblestone cracks, deep to the remnants of a past they had once known.

“Chuuya, I-I can’t, we have to be safe now, I can’t--” The words were gasps more so than they were syllables, and were followed by the dull thud of knees striking the ground, unable to support themselves and the weight upon them any longer. More of that precious lifeblood stained about them, as though marking fate’s random footsteps. There came a heavy pause, one of great hesitance, worry seeming to pierce the fog about them, before another such dull thud followed, this one considerably quieter and more controlled, and a bleeding hand reached out to caress a cold cheek.

“It’s alright, Dazai, we’ll… We’ll rest now. Everything’s going to be alright. We can rest here, they won’t find us.” False reassurances spoken from a throat that had only just reached maturity, formed by lips that had never before known even a dryness, let alone an injury. Though the youthfulness of Chuuya’s features was darker now, it seemed that as Dazai shifted forward to collapse into a breaking embrace, they returned to the age they ought to have been at, revealing the true nature of the lovers upon stone, of two youths who had experienced the fear of a soldier in war, and likewise such injury, who now sat upon the town’s essence, silently begging it for a relief they would not soon know.

“I’m... I’m so tired, Chuuya... I just... I wish, I wish things were like they were supposed to be.” Dazai’s exhausted voice was muffled against the stained fabric of Chuuya’s dress shirt, one that spoke of a peaceful, domestic night that had dwelt upon them in its kindness before any sort of horrors came to pass, before any blade or cruelty of human hand had forced itself upon them, before any such hurt had taken their blood and poured it upon the cobblestones, as though it were decorating the grey with the colour of life.

The sky released its bated breath with the relief of tears now, knowing they had lodged themselves in a temporary pocket of safety, away from life and its countless threats. It seemed each word of Chuuya’s response was punctuated by a splatter of a raindrop upon the ground, which pushed the blood to mix with the grit, till it was the ichor that was fated to remain for centuries onwards.

“I know, Dazai. Maybe in another life, we’re happier, and we have nothing to worry about. Maybe in another life, the only blood we’ll ever bleed is from paper cuts and scratches from thorns. Maybe in another life, the only tears we’ll cry are those of overwhelming happiness.”

19th of October, 25 AD

There had once been a time when the cobblestone was untainted and knew only the kindness of footsteps, be they laden with joy or otherwise. It memorised every imprint upon shoe soles, every line upon a foot, every arch that refused to touch the ground and every one that did. It basked in the warmth of the sun, and watched the travelling galaxies of stars when night fell. The path was young, and yet unrefined by time with its harsh grip. Its stone was tickled now, by the gentle brush of camellia petals that would soon come to disintegrate into a scarlet powder that would litter the ground for centuries to come, reflective of the stars dusting the darkness above.

The petals fell gently from small hands, belonging to children who had not even seen the world for a decade. Their bare feet fell lightly upon the warm stone, curving around the cobblestones. Their skin gleamed in the pale October light, still sun-kissed from the summer months. They picked at camellia flowers, unaware of the poetry falling between their fingers. They did not know that they scattered whispers of noble death, that they beckoned blood to taint those forgotten petals. They did not know that they sowed a deep and intense passion of love, one that would not come to pass till the barriers of society collapsed into insignificant flecks.

“Chuuya? I want to do this forever and ever! To run and play with you, and pick camellias all day!” The words floated upon peals of laughter that rang out across the fields, coming from the smiling mouth of a child that was, in every life, in every other instance, bandaged all over in a desperate attempt to mask the various, scarred lines of both self and world inflicted suffering, yet here, remained unbandaged, pure, unscarred.

Dazai’s eyes were as though pools of darkened sunlight, recalling the flow of sweet honey and the precious jewel of amber formed by millennia that was incomprehensible to the human mind. They shone brightly with an ecstasy that only children could know, and gazed upon the brown and orange gifts of autumn in an awed wonder. He turned to the one beside him, and beamed as he saw a mirror expression on Chuuya’s young features.

“I want to do that too! Then we’d always be happy. Mama says that there’s a story about how best friends can come back to life after they die, and they come back as new people. We’re going to have fun and be happy forever and ever!” The last words were punctuated with a sudden flurry of scarlet, and the petals floated about them as gentle rain. Some fell into locks of Chuuya’s hair, interlacing with the soft, ginger waves that fell into eyes that were reminiscent of a tranquil sea’s breaths upon the sandy shore, knowing only peace, oft highlighted with childish glee, as seashells floating upon the water.

They graced the environment with their blissful joy, and enhanced the air with peals of laughter. They let the world know of their happiness, and squealed gleefully, every drop of their merriness captured in a scarlet petal. They spread it freely, not knowing its value, not knowing the rarity of that which they gave away as though it was the most common thing, as though it was not something they would be greatly deprived of in their years to come. They were innocent, their ignorance brought them an angelic purity that they would forget, never to remember it again, never to even know of it save in dreams that would bless them only upon nights when the moon was particularly fond of them.

“Yes, we’re going to have a hundred thousand lives, and all of them are going to be happy!”

#bsd fanfiction #dazai osamu #nakahara chuuya #osamu dazai #chuuya nakahara #soukoku #bsd dazai osamu #bsd nakahara chuuya #bsd soukoku

[qqueenofhades]

I kinda don’t get how so many people are so blatantly wrong about how our government works. I also went to American public school which yes is not the best quality of education in the slightest but I feel like there comes a time when you become an adult that you need to do your own work to understand how the government actually works and what Biden can do and what he can’t. The amount of people genuinely livid at him for not doing anything about abortion is just…. how are these people so ignorant? And this is usually the online leftists who brag about reading Marx so I wonder why they haven’t cracked open a book to read about the actual system we have. Not the fantasy one that exists in their idealist utopias, the one we actually have to work with.

You and me both, friend. You. And. Me. Both. Yes, the American public education system isn't great, but a) it generally covers at least SOME introduction to history, social studies, and civics, b) at some point you have gotta take responsibility for filling in the gaps, and c) if you're going to spend all your time positioning yourself as the Ultimate Authority, just spewing bullshit isn't actually a strategy.

As I have likewise said during my many, many posts on the subject: what many Online Leftists want is a left-wing Trump. Aka, someone who just bullies ahead on magically imposing their own way of doing things without consulting anyone else and completely ignoring the rules (Which, by the way, doesn't actually work!) Except America is a (deeply flawed) constitutional republic, not an absolutist monarchy, and it would be terrible for any number of reasons if it was. Plenty of people have decided that what they want is the moral gratification of acting like they're doing something about The Issues, and that they know better than absolutely everybody else (including those who have dedicated their whole lives to working for that change), but that isn't actually doing something. In fact, it is actively and destructively useless, but you gotta get those social media cred points?

(Also, I suspect that they haven't actually read Marx, just the excerpted parts that people post on Twitter, because that's the only way they seem to learn anything. Even if they have, they certainly have never once considered how that philosophy has been actually historically applied and embodied, the legacy of 20th-century old-school communism, and why anybody today might be leery of using those terms, for any number of reasons. So yeah.)

#anonymous #ask #politics for ts

[goldkirk]

Top 10 mental health/similar books you've read in the past year? (or documentaries, or podcasts, anything is cool!)

this is gonna be all over the place and way more than just 10, sorry, but i'd say my top most impactful things-of-any-type I've encountered in the past year are the following.

Books:

The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog

Reparenting the Child Who Hurts

Take Back Your Life

Zak George's Dog Training Revolution

When the Body Says No

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents

The Case Against Conversion "Therapy": Evidence, Ethics, and Alternatives

On Tyranny

Random:

Plato's allegory of the cave

How Tax Brackets Actually Work

UV Camera Reveals The Best Way to Apply Sunscreen to Your Face

Rhett's story of his personal religious deconstruction timeline

This guy's gut wrenchingly honest, timeline-jumping, clearly articulated, and wryly humorous series explaining his long and truly wild journey to atheism

This 6 minute interview with Liz Hunter where she talks about growing up in a cult without realizing it

Church Services Are Designed to Influence You. Here's How.

Former Evangelical leader Josh Harris on renouncing Christianity

therapist talking about the lies purity culture tells women

a therapist's take on religions and emotional manipulation

Polygamist Cult Founder’s Daughter, Rachel Jeffs, Gives Her First TV Interview

Evangelical blinders/guarding your heart

Big Joel's video on anti-abortion propaganda (large focus on the movie Unplanned)

I fantasized about martyrdom too

Omnipotence paradox & laws of logic

"Cults Inside Out" with Rick Alan Ross

An analysis of the Christian martyr complex via the first three God's Not Dead movies

Raised in a cult and finding her voice (an interview with Liz Hunter)

No True Joy Outside the Church?

Pray Away: A Therapist's Take on Conversion Therapy

Nothing Fails Like Bible History - Episode 1

Personal Autonomy Post-Religion

WHAT do you do after LEAVING a cult? (life after the moonies) (this girl is SO FUNNY)

TheraminTrees's (therapist) YouTube videos, especially:

betting on infinity

rebuttals to 'betting on infinity'

false equivalence | qualiasoup and theramintrees

punishing doubt | religious condemnation of thought

'science' of the gaps

commanded to love | performing false emotions for tyrants

grooming minds | the abuse of child indoctrination

degrading love -- part one | how religions distort the meaning of 'love'

degrading love -- part two | how religions distort the meaning of 'love'

living with abusers

imaginary defects | when dogmas label us flawed

creating sickness | recovering from religion

Philosophy Tube's YouTube videos, especially:

Abortion & Ben Shapiro (you might need to pause this one a few times just to mull things over on your own time)

Ignorance & Censorship

Queer✨

Logic

Who's afraid of experts?

Identity: A Trans Coming Out Story

Social Constructs

The Hidden Rules of Modern Society

FundieFriday's YouTube videos, especially:

FOCUS ON THE FAMILY

THE CREATION MUSEUM & ARK ENCOUNTER

RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS

The post 9/11 Evangelical fever dream that is Jesus Camp

MICHAEL & DEBI PEARL

THE MARTYRS OF COLUMBINE

iilluminaughtii's youtube videos, especially:

The Abusive Practices of Focus on the Family

The IBLP & ATI

Ex-Fundie Diaries' YouTube videos, especially:

Christian Nationalist Child Indoctrination Cult: AWANA

Christian Nationalist Propaganda | Inside My Homeschool "Science" Binder

Christian fundamentalism doesn't always look like the Duggars

Anxiety & Anger Are a Sin in Christian Fundamentalism | Emotional Child Abuse

Child Abuse | Spanking, Neglect, & Psychological Punishments in Christian Fundamentalism

Documentaries:

Scientology and the Aftermath

Pray Away

Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult

Lots of others on YouTube and Netflix I'm sorry it's just hard to dig them all up lol, if I have energy some other time I will

Hope this helps someone!

#thanks anon!! #i always love a chance to talk about things that made a difference in my own views or growth #reference #2022 #2021 #resources #undoing indoctrination #trauma #trauma recovery

[hungwy]

do u have any favorite podcasts ?

History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps, Popular Front, New Books Network, BBC In Our Time

#General philosophy. War journalism. Literally anything. Also literally anything

[katyspersonal]

3 for Aldrich, Aldia, Willem & Laurence

9 for Maria

11 for Micolash & Aldrich

24 for Laurence

(Asks from this ( x ) meme)

3) What first drew you to this character?

As for Aldrich, I vaguely recall finding out that he checks the traits I like the most? He was one of the characters I've learned about through fandom and not on my own, and I think this ancient meme about summarises it:

Also:

@val-of-the-north SHUDDUP you're basically so horny for Laurence/Logarius/Snatchers that you can't even picture them in your mind in any way but being naked!!!!!!! *casts the stone back at u*

With Laurence, like with Mico, it was the very first glance at the character in Youtube compilation with boss themes and concept art image. I did not know the lore yet, but the design and the music made me imagine Laurence as sort of aged, sagely librarian. I could not imagine back then that his boss fight would be him being a "helpless abhorrent little mewmew" as kids call it! Heck, I thought he'd have dialogue despite the monster form x) In a way, my first impression was not wrong, with the cut content of him actually talking even in a beast form, and implication of him being a son of Cainhurst cut content librarian NPC! I have intuition for cut content before having information, hahaha!

I have nothing to say about Willem. It might be a memory gap thing, but I swear at some point I feel I was turned off and then booted back up with liking this character already installed in my system x) As for Aldia.... ugh for fuck's sake... yeah, it was this legend:

I was absolutely floored by this stupid vid even without knowing any context, but I also instantly liked this character. I didn't even know his name yet, but the voice acting and long yapping about philosophy already pulled me in XD (Also unironically, this video is precisely how I give relationship advice fhfhdds)

9) Does this character remind you of anyone you know? Does that affect how you see them?

Yeah, I know this person. I know them very well. I know them more than anyone else. Someone who was misguided (by their destructive influence mentor figure, by their own foolishness and past history, or combination of both, who can tell anymore?) into committing awful things, then despaired over their sins and attempted redemption but also failed in some way? This person is me. At some point I've found myself in front of horrible truth about my past life and personality, and knew I was guilty and sullied forever. That it was over for me as a human being, but that didn't matter, and I could only keep people safe by locking myself away and trying to serve something better.

......annnnd it took a few years of more informed people to (metaphorically) shake me and slap my face into lucidity, explaining to me that I've fallen for the "BPD demonization" that was going far beyond than my individual failure as a friend, and we are always accused of abuse and causing irreversible harm when the worst we do is being emotionally overbearing. I kept losing trust to those friends, telling them that they were enablers who tried to gaslight me into thinking I was not 'that much of a monster', until it was other people with BPD who 'shook me and slapped my face into lucidity'. xd Nonetheless, even though now I know the truth about how society treats BPDs, I remember the feeling of being so monstrous and harmful that I was not even allowed to "touch" people with my dirty hands, how my reality used to be. So, I could write Maria going through this effortlessly, especially considering what she did was more plain and tangible!

In fact... thank you for asking me about this, because I kept wondering why I had such frequent dreams about being Maria, and why the Maria in my dreams acts like abused child that took back control against Gehrman despite my portrayal of the guy being so different. And now the puzzle is solved! That part of me still lives inside, it seems.

11) How did you “fall in love” with this character?

Already answered this for Micolash here: ( x )! As for Aldrich, it was through properly analysing the bigger picture and context of his actions. I've figured that his madness was, in fact, being informed on what was far too ahead of everyone else around him! He, like the rest of the cast, is trapped in the rotting, doomed world in which the only choices are 1) "die with dignity" or 2) commit something unthinkable from moral standpoint for a chance to escape. And will morality of the rotting world will matter in the new world anyways? Won't it all be left behind and be forgiven?

The guy also tried to take everyone else he could with him, like sort of a fucked up Noah's Arc! I can tell that they reused the concept with Rykard, at least, I am glad they know what works xD I'd say that the sadism he experienced upon eating people was either result of insanity (he understood a thing no one should understand), or still didn't exclude the bigger purpose (egotistically revelling in how holy he is helping everyone and doing what no one else dared, which would be like my Laurence). In any case, I have the strongest respect to the courage it takes to transcend the bonds of morality and compassion in order to to greater good. Being burdened with the knowledge of how the world really works, and choosing to push through instead of still being bound... This is why I also like Fauxsefka; learning how this world works, she chose to turn people into Kin so they can't ever become beasts. I am weak for this trope, you don't understand.

24) Do you ever dream about this character? If so, describe a dream you once had about them.

Laurence appears in my dreams only in two contexts: 1) Micolaurence or 2) dreams about finding secret files in Bloodborne that reveal his canonical appearance before beasthood! I can tell the latter comes from my everlasting unsatisfaction with my design for him, because I love it but it doesn't feel "fitting" and I can't identify why!

The former, I think, fandom rubbing onto me x) In two of these dreams, I was Laurence. In other two, I was Micolash. In one of Laurence dreams it was mutual, in the second one I was in love unrequited. In one of Micolash dreams, it was mutual, and in another it was not.. Basically, my dreams allows me to experience this ship from every possible angle. o_o Waiting for more I guess fhhdfsfd

______________

Thank you for asking! And.. without exaggeration, you've just done quite a psychological work on me by just asking the right thing. I need to think about that, hahaha

#bloodborne #dark souls 3 #aldrich devourer of gods #laurence the first vicar #soulsborne #ask replies #personal #memories #dreams #honestly I remember Maria in my dreams hiding in the closet like an abused bullied child.. that big strong woman reduced to this #and I finally know why it was this way #I'd rather not sully Gehrman with something as dirty as my stepdad of course he deserves so much more and he is his own man #I just don't like the approach of turning characters with their own stories and personality into vessels for my trauma #it feels like frenzied flame: you got infected by it and you have unending need to spread it. to scorch the world in your pain. #I don't think this approach would help my healing but instead make me feel worse by nourishing the trauma #I am keeping it sealed away from the world forever now </3 #see this is why it hurts me so much when gehrman haters accuse me of being insensitive to people that want to project their negative- #-experiences with men and misogyny onto him even if that means twisting the actual story and character. I do have a reason to do it myself #I just choose not to because I personally dislike the idea of making fandomry about myself more and about source material less #I don't want to bring the pain and horrors inside me into something that doesn't have them. some things can stay clean! #the passive aggression between canon worshippers and fanon enforcers is something that cannot be avoided in the fandoms #and I disapprove of the lie about 100% peace and mutual respect between the 'camps'. we will never FULLY like each other #each thinks their approach is more productive for the community. and that's fine!

[lizbethborden]

Tag 9 people you'd like to get to know better tagged by @beatifiq and @sillybush :)

Last Song: "Red Wine Supernova" by Chappell Roan--I'm trying to listen to her album a lot and get all the songs down before I see her :) I am also listening to a podcast called "History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps" which I'm really enjoying. I'm on Anaxagoras rn.

Favorite color: Red :)

Currently watching: I'm in a perpetual state of rewatching. 30 Rock, Bojack Horseman, Futurama mostly.

Last movie: No clue. Probably a horror movie? It might have been Carrie 2002 with Patricia Clarkson #notimmune

Currently reading: A few things! Papyrus by Irene Vallejo, Weird Realism: Lovecraft and Philosophy by Graham Harman, Beloved by Toni Morrison, ummm. Probably others.

Sweet/spicy/savory: Savory :)

Relation status: Single.

Current obsession(s): Hmmm... Not sure. I have certain specific areas of interest that I tend to return to.

Last thing I Googled: "Havahart trap" (I have a mouse problem rn)

Currently working on: Decompressing. This is the "Sunday" of my weekend, so I'm trying to get in a good chill headspace. I'm having a Brooklyn Cider House cider called "Raw" that tastes just like a dry white wine, which is fun. The beastie creature is playing with his toys (an empty seltzer can) (I can spend like $60 on toys and he'll still just want to play with empty seltzer cans and bottles) rn.

Not going to tag anyone because I'm #shy but feel free to do this. :)

[hoursofreading]

For the identity asks: 1, 17, 39

would you say my tumblr is a fair representation of the "real you"? i think my tumblr is the most accurate, most fair representation of my true self than anything i have ever found or created.

if someone wanted to really understand you, what would they read, watch, and listen to?

good question.

the bolded books in my reading page is a fair start.

what to read: some books here and here and here

what to listen: ezra klein's podcast, conversations with tyler podcast, cal newport podcast, history of philosophy without any gaps, bbc in our time

what to watch: first 5 min of booksmart

#personal

[sabakos]

Okay it's a good sign that the person who wrote this is the person who is writing the episodes for History of Classical Chinese Philosophy Without Any Gaps. I mean not that I was worried that she would agree with Fung Yu-lan, he's kind of the prime mover of history of chinese philosophy which means everyone disagrees with him. But the two popular directions to take that within contemporary academia are "Daoism as such is mostly a later post-Han tradition" and "Daoism, along with I Ching is the hidden volksiche of the People who live in China" so it's a relief that Adamson has found someone willing to work with him who isn't going to trot out nonsense.

#unlike *ahem* certain previous and more credulous guest writers #maybe i'll actually buy this book she wrote idk

[rotationalsymmetry]

Apparently Abelard is also wrong about everything.

Whether an action is good or bad depends on its consequences, and the intentions of the person acting is irrelevant. What makes a person good or bad, if that is even a meaningful concept, is different. Intention and effect are different things.

Fucking Christians.

#history of philosophy without any gaps

[willknightauthor]

Star Wars Head Canon Retcon: The Dark Side

Watching Andor has gotten me back into Star Wars, and going back through the original trilogy I'm realizing again how much potential there is in what's implied about the past. But then the prequels lock that potential into a very disappointing, fixed answer, which everything now has to work around. There are some workable things in the prequels, but they only work if you fill in the gaps with head canon, or refer to questionably-canon side works. So I've constructed my own head canon based on the original trilogy about what really happened in the prequels. Since George Lucas operated as though only the original movies were canon, and any of the novels were fair game to retcon, I'll do the same (although I'll at least try to keep the good modern shows like Andor and Rebels viable).

The Light and Dark Sides of the Force:

One of the problems I see in a lot of Star Wars works is that the light side is portrayed as simplistically good, and the dark side as simplistically evil. Sith ideology and personalities get smoothed over or ignored, and any story that tries to explain how someone "falls to the dark side" while staying in canon has a lot of trouble not being facile (looking at you, Anakin). This comes from the original trilogy, but everyone leaned into the simplistic binary when there were ways to lean out of it without retconning the original movies. Basically, the Sith are extremely underdeveloped and badly structured to be anything other than villains, which makes them terrible primary character material.

So how can we fix it? Clarify the philosophies of both the Jedi and the Sith, so that they represent not good and evil, but opposing views on life and society. The Jedi are inspired by Asian religions, like Daoism and Buddhism, but in a simplistic way; these religions have multiple schools and have changed throughout history. So I say, lean into the East Asian side of things. The dark side of the force presumably exists even without the Sith, so what is it? The force is life: what is the dark side of life? In my head canon, the light side is birth, growth, life, peace, and order, and the dark side is death, decay, passion, and disruption. Both sides are inevitable parts of the universe. They're unavoidable.

Now the dark side isn't evil, it's just dangerous--and it's easy to see how the Jedi could conflate danger with evil. These two views on the force have implications for the philosophies and structures of the Jedi and Sith. The light side of the force is cultivated by developing inner tranquility, self-discipline, and a detachment from the chaotic affairs of the world. The more they develop that, the stronger they become in the force, which is consistent with the original trilogy. The dark side is cultivated through passion, direct connection with people and things around you, and force of will. The more emotionally intense and fiery they become, the more they connect with the force--which is also consistent with the original trilogy. This vaguely corresponds to the "masculine" and "feminine" paths in mysticism, one side seeking to deconstruct the mind and reality to reach ultimate truth, the other side seeking to transcend the rational to understand that which cannot be spoken.

This has implications for the Sith, because someone can be passionate and invested in the world around them in ways other than hate, fear, and ambition. There are so many ways to experience the world through passion, like sorrow, joy, and love. You could have a Sith lord literally crushing armies with the power of friendship. The stereotypical Sith, at their best, wouldn't be Palpatine, it would be someone laughing while playing music in a graveyard. Someone who understands the painful impermanence of life, but chooses to embrace the ups and downs anyway. Someone who finds the tragedy in joy, and the joy in tragedy.

But as their emotions wax and wane, so would their connection to the force, which means the most powerful Sith would also have the most inner turmoil. The Jedi have the opposite problem: disruption to their inner equilibrium weakens their connection to the force, so they must constantly discipline themselves and control their environment to ensure their inner state isn't disrupted.

This means that the Jedi would have to live mostly secluded, monastic lives, while the Sith could live among everyday people normally. This reflects a distinction in actual world religions between monastic-oriented religions and lay-oriented religions, and Buddhism has had many movements to democratize Buddhist philosophy and practice for the masses. Some of these movements have even inspired anti-aristocratic revolutions. So in this division of the force, the Jedi are the old-school conservative monks, while the Sith are the fiery populists.

But of course there is a danger with relying on intense emotions for your power. Any emotion can become destructive at very high intensity, but certain emotions are more dangerous than others... like fear and hate. While some Sith would base their power on things like joy, others would base their power on hate, and it's totally reasonable for people to not want superpowered genocidal maniacs walking around.

The other danger is the dark side itself. The light side, being focused on life and stability, extends the life of the practitioner as they grow in their force connection; their body and mind become more stable. The dark side does the opposite, corroding the body and mind of the practitioner. Some Sith masters would live shorter lives, and those who live long, live long enough to go insane and devolve into the most extreme version of whatever they were.

This is how I explain Vader and Palpatine: they were not originally like that, the dark side warped their bodies and minds further in the direction of hate and fear. Palpatine doesn't look grotesque because he was injured, but just because he lived so long with such an intense connection to the dark side. And that's why he's comically evil: no-one like that could've taken power, but he wasn't always like that. He used to be unassuming and charming, now he's a decaying husk who says evil things with no filter. Similarly, Vader's body is decaying, and his wounds won't heal, so he's had to supplement his flesh with more and more machinery to survive.

So what would a good Sith look like? One who derives their power from their passionate commitment to justice and love of their friends? Ezra and Kanan, from Rebels.

And what would a good Sith look like, once the dark side has corroded their mind? Saw Gerrera from Rogue One.

#Star Wars #Original Trilogy #Star Wars Prequels #Jedi #Sith #the force #the dark side of the force #Darth Vader #Anakin #Palpatine #Retcon #Headcannon #Star Wars Rebels #Rogue One #Kanan and Ezra #Kanan Jarrus #Ezra Bridger #Saw Gerrera #Buddhism #Souhei #Ikko-Ikki #warrior monk #worldbuilding #scifi #religion

[dailycharacteroption]

Races Among the Stars 6: Grippli

We’ve got another blast from the past today in the form of everyone’s favorite tree frogs, the grippli!

Much like other species from lost Golarion, we don’t know much the grippli adapted to the industrial age and space age of Golarion, to say nothing of how they might have been during the Gap. However, evidence suggests that they retained many aspects of their hunter-gatherer society up to that point.

Regardless of where they were, grippli certainly know where they are going, adapting readily to new technologies and eager to explore the galaxy.

I imagine that most Grippli in the Pact Worlds are found on Castrovel, since it is after all one giant rainforest, but anywhere it is warm and wet seems a likely place to find them, despite their relative rarity.

 Grippli haven’t changed much from the days of yore, still being a small race of frog-folk resembling tree frogs of all sorts of colors and description, though a few resemble the brightly-colored poisonous frogs also found in some rainforests (and might be just as toxic, though the alternate racial trait for that hasn’t been officially published yet). I imagine that grippli armor and clothing would be lightweight and breathable so that their skin can breathe, having tiny holes that close or are plugged by force fields when environmental protections are needed.

 Not much details are given on Grippli culture in the far future, but given their history as hunter gatherers that lived in harmony with nature, their culture in the far future likely falls heavily in line with the philosophy of the Xenowardens, and many likely work as xenowardens or with them as part of survey or colonist teams. Others may find value in work as garden caretakers, guides, and the like, though obviously other career paths are possible.

 Gripplis are typically agile and insightful, but their small size makes them rather weak.

They are adept at concealing themselves in vegetation, however, letting them strike from ambush.

Much like the tree frogs they resemble, grippli are adept climbers and jumpers, giving them highly vertical movement options.

They also can move through the muck and foliage of marshes without hinderance, knowing where to step and their webbed feet to distribute their body weight.

They also have a long history of using nets in combat, which carries over to the modern nyfiber designs.

 With their dexterity and sneakiness, these grippli make very good operatives or commando-esque soldiers, not to mention ranged nanocytes, solarians or vanguards. Those seeking personal perfection may become evolutionists of the vital niche, representing a desire to become one with nature in a very literal way. Their knowledge of biology and poisons also comes in handy if they choose the path of the biohacker. Meanwhile, those eager to explore new worlds and meet new people might become envoys for that purpose. While not traditionally technologically oriented, grippli mechanics and technomancers are unafraid to use any trick to gain an advantage, and any drones they might use are likely equipped to be as stealthy and low-impact as possible. Mystic is a natural choice due to their history of shamanism and occult magics, but precog, and witchwarper are also viable. Indeed, the only thing that really hurts them is their strength penalty, but that can be overcome, either through boosting ability scores or replacing them with a handy suit of power armor, should you choose such a build.

 That does it for this week, and that’s another species from the alien character deck done too. Look forward to more of these species entries in the future, and more archetypes next week!

#starfinder #race #grippli #Alien Character Deck

[skrunklybf-archived]

summary: you come from a polished home, and an even more polished family. armin makes an impression during tea time.

tags: established relationship, family fic, toxic family dynamics, age gap (armin is in his early 20s, reader is almost 30), misogynistic comments, a lil hurt/comfort, fluffy fluff at the end, stylized lowercase

wc: 1.7k

note: this started out as something completely different and sat in my drafts for ages so..... i reworked it ((: hope you enjoy my lovelies xoxo

part of my welcome to the family series

✨ masterlist & tip jar ✨

you had a way of making armin feel like a man.

clutching the crook of his elbow as you walked together; searching to hold his gaze after large claps of thunder; calling him late at night to soothe your anxieties after hearing some mysterious noises in the deep dark of your rather empty home.

you made him feel more than wanted, you made him feel needed. made him feel strong, important, chivalrous.

but for a few fleeting moments, adjusting himself in the confines of a plastic-lined armchair, armin felt juvenile. simply a boy, nervously twitching away under scrutinizing eyes that didn't include your own honeyed gaze.

the sound of ceramic clacking together broke the seal of quiet. "so, you're a waiter." the suck of teeth, a small chuckle.

and armin stiffened. his back was ramrod straight, afraid that if he wrinkled the plastic any further he'd simply be disintegrated on the spot, those laser-like stares hard on his generally soft person. "while i finish school, yes." he replied, hashing out simple words and holding the bite.

before him, perched along a similarly wrapped loveseat, your parents sat with a considerable distance between them. your mother's leg was crossed delicately over her knee. she arched a finely plucked brow. "school? what are you studying?"

before armin could reply for himself, yet another chuckle sounded from against the bookshelf-lined wall opposite of him.

"i'm sure it's something very useful and productive, like philosophy," clad in a suit a size or two too big for him, your brother fiddled with some little cherub trinket that laid among the droves of untouched literature. armin watched his profile for a moment, eyeing the smirk that played over his features.

the blonde released a sound, something between a sigh and a chuckle. this was the longest bathroom break in the history of bathroom breaks. normally, he'd be fine socializing without you at his side, but this felt more like a bleach scented interrogation, tinged with distaste over everyone's tongues.

"library science, actually. i've always loved books, ever since i was young." he could have asked your brother about the decaying law firm he had opened up and subsequently abandoned after a few messy dui charges landed him in a fit of hot water, but he didn't. armin knew just how messy this eerily prim herd of a family was, under carefully folded wraps. he was dating the black sheep, after all.

and your brother returned the cherub to a shelf it didn't originate from, turning his back to armin without a reply. his mother, your mother, took the helm of conversation once more. "a librarian? how interesting. do you enjoy working with the less fortunate?"

"mom," a savior in glowing light, a beacon, an angel -- you descended upon them with feverish taps of your shoes against the polished wood, looking unamused under your meticulous makeup. armin's face perked up, his eyes training to you as soon as your body passed the threshold into this stuffy powder room he found himself trapped in.

"easy, darling, your mother's just curious." a baritone armin was not prepared for dripped into the space between you all. your father, wrapped up in a rather crisp looking sweater, uttered his first words of the evening, leaving your eyes rolling to the back of your head. it took only a few seconds for you to rejoin your clammy boyfriend, poised on the arm of his chair like some trophy wife. your parents watched with tight expressions as you combed a delicate hand through armins golden strands. "i must admit, i'm also curious, but not much about public libraries," your father cleared his throat, blinking through thin rimmed glasses at the object of your affections, "how old are you, armin? being a college student slash waiter and all."

you shot him your best even-eyed stare, one that went unheeded as armin coughed beside you. "he's a few years younger than me." you said, short and curt. as your parents glanced across that wide expanse between them, your brother chortled away.

"robbing the cradle are we?" he mused. "just as well," your mother chirped, smiling at her son behind her, "you can train them better that way!" despite the underlying playfulness in her tone, you still sat still, unamused. armin shuffled again in the hot seat of the evening and watched you throw your family a look of disgust. "he's twenty-two. i'm only twenty-nine." your body felt much too rigid perched on what should've been a throne, but ended up more like a bed of needles.

but your brother held his hands up, looking defensive as he moseyed over to the back of your parents loveseat. "i don't blame you! that clock is ticking--"

"clock? you can't be serious." you gaped.

"you can't argue with science. and once the factory shuts down, what's left?" he turned those hands into kitten paws, clawing at the air and feigning a pout. "cat lady."

"okay, we're leaving." armin stood, offering an eerily squeaky clean smile to the three gawping at him. you faced him in a look of awe. but he only offered you an arm, extending his other toward the rather ornate front door wrapped in silver accents. "are you ready, angel?" voice smooth, tone so even you could glide on it, you watched armin with eyes the size of moons.

the car ride to your home was quiet, deafeningly so. words tipped themselves over in your mouth, stumbling and messy and incoherent enough that you had to work to keep your lips shut, try your hardest to keep any nonsense from spilling out. armin held your thigh. his hand was warm, soft, as always, and so incredibly loud with unspoken affections. he fanned his thumb over your flesh in soothing semicircles, his other hand remained tight on the wheel and cerulean eyes stayed steady under passing lamp heads.

you dripped with embarrassment bordering on grief. one could only imagine what had been said when you weren't present, but the exchange you were privy to burned a nasty little hole in your brain, sour like cigarettes.

not a word was spoken until armin pulled into your empty driveway.

"i'm so sorry."

"are you alright?"

your mouths fell shut just as synchronized as when they'd opened. armin, so gentle the way he always had been with you, offered your leg a squeeze. he searched your eyes much like he did when you were first getting to know each other over steaming coffees and the smell of old book glue. "you don't need to be sorry. i just want to know if you're okay."

a breath you didn't know you were holding leaked from your nose as you drew your lips tight. they quivered anyway, despite your best efforts.

"oh, baby," if there were a collected sort of panic, armin embodied it in that moment -- he deftly unbuckled your seatbelt and made his way around the car to retrieve you from the seat you began to puddle in. hot, prickly tears gathered across your waterline as he, in turn, gathered you in his arms.

armin smelled nice. he smelled like clean clothes and something warm, like vanilla. he smelled familiar and kind and so, so comforting.

you allowed him to hold you in the relative darkness of your driveway, let him pet fingers across the back of your neck, careful not to mess your hair.

"i'm sorry. i knew they'd be awful, and i took you there anyway," you hiccuped into his shoulder, cringing away from the little wet patch that quickly formed under you. "i just... i love you, so much. i'm so proud of you. i just wanted them to be proud of me, of us."

"sweetheart," armin smoothed into your ear, tucking you even further into his torso, "i love you, too. more than anything. that's why i couldn't just sit there and let them talk to you like that. i'm sorry if i upset you," he began to sway, taking you with him in a little lazy, unpracticed waltz.

your hands gripped at the back of his dress shirt, the one he wore just for the night at hand. "you didn't upset me. i'm sorry my family is so..."

"esteemed?"

"i was gonna say snobby, but, sure." you giggled weakly. "let's go with that."

and armin, in all his golden glory, pulled away just enough to swipe the fat globs of salty tears that trickled down your warmed cheeks. he offered a grin and kissed your forehead. "c'mon, let's get inside. i think we both earned a little desert."

obediently, you trailed behind him as he let himself into your home with the extra key you gave him. "y'know, for being such a sweet young thing, you sure sound like an old man sometimes."

the blonde scoffed. "some would say i'm wise beyond my years." but in your doorway, he caught you with a hand on your lower back, dipping you down in a backward curve to pepper kisses over your face. "i don't think such a refined young woman like yourself would go for just any naive college boy."

"alright, alright," came out amid a fit of giggles, "get me some ice cream before i crumble to dust in your arms."

"yes, ma'am. anything for you."

armin felt most like a man when he could take care of you. maybe he couldn't financially -- not yet, anyway, and not like you needed it -- but he marveled at the way you'd melt into his hold, relax into his soft words, make a home in his presence. that's all he wanted for you, for you both. he wanted to be the man you wanted. and as you gazed at him over matching bowls of ice cream, glowing under the dimmed kitchen lighting, he never felt more at ease.

#attack on titan #aot #aot x reader #armin arlert #armin x reader

[enyafans4communism]

I'm 16 and idk how to get into philosophy, my school doesn't offer it

honestly you do not need to go to school for philosophy, it’s a difficult subject no doubt and the first step feels massive but uni is not necessary in my opinion. my advice would be to try to get a decent overview of the history of philosophy in general because this will allow you to specialise your reading and like, actually understanding what’s going on. i like ac graylings history of philosophy. i’m sure you can also find good stuff on youtube if that feels like a more compacted and approachable medium. i’ve also listened to the podcast history of philosophy without any gaps, if you like podcasts. stanford encyclopaedia of philosophy, an online database, is also a good resource. the philosophers i consider the most important for understanding other thinkers are probably plato, aristotle, descartes, hobbes, kant, hegel, marx… other than that just look into what you’re interested in, most texts can be found online one way or the other. secondary literature or youtube videos can be useful for understanding harder material.