u/ARenewedSecondChance

Just learned that today.

Whenever I get into situations, not even necessarily argumentative ones, where different opinions and beliefs get discussed (even online), I feel like I always have to give up whatever preferences or opinions I hold so that I can fit in with others.

If I don’t, I feel like I am a fraud or even just lying to myself; I don’t feel that whatever I think is true is valid, unless it’s in agreement with others.

This is driving me insane, because I don’t see anyone else I know struggle with this, and I have no idea how to really get rid of this.

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/hatethissmug/s/BoZ7n1Tj9C where the OP calls out right wing propaganda against Sweden.

The drama is literally everywhere throughout the post, so here are some highlights:

https://www.reddit.com/r/hatethissmug/s/YT2LcEEjDp

https://www.reddit.com/r/hatethissmug/s/eAgmElAxx2

https://www.reddit.com/r/hatethissmug/s/QXQxnYZ6pu

https://www.reddit.com/r/hatethissmug/s/QFkNRPUyoq

https://www.reddit.com/r/hatethissmug/s/TaKWylxlpq

https://www.reddit.com/r/hatethissmug/s/e0W2pKg19t

https://www.reddit.com/r/hatethissmug/s/3XlwaRg0J3

https://www.reddit.com/r/hatethissmug/s/mtBa2P4hTY

The original post was about how the book series Dungeon Crawler Carl lost its magic on OOP. Even though it’s now deleted, it’s ok, because the main drama is in the comments.

It starts with one user stating that while they admit DCC isn’t high literature, it is still enjoyable:

> Hah! I’m totally not the DCC demographic (60s non gamer woman) but I thought these were fun and recommended them to my 30 year old son, who said all his friends are reading these.

The DCC series isn’t great art/literature but it’s a fun, light read. Kind of like why everyone in my generation read all those repetitive Janet Evanovich books. Sometimes you just want the easy escapism.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/s/xSKv0KWEM9

One user, the subject of this slap fight, weighs in on their opinions on “high Art vs McDonald’s”:

> The moment I grew out of my performative, pretentious 16-20 year old years, I realized there's no inherent better value in art that is considered "high art" compared to "mcdonalds products"

I enjoyed DCC and Golden son more than Jane Eyre and The Great Gatsby

I enjoyed East of Eden and Blood Meridian more than DCC

I enjoyed Golden Son more than Blood Meridian

Art should be rated based off personal enjoyment, not some performative arbitrary pretentiousness/seriousness scale.

I'm convinced nobody actually likes Gravity's Rainbow, but since it's "difficult" and "complex" people hold it in high regard and pretend to love it to appear cultured or whatever.

Also as far as this "high art" vs "mcdonalds" debate is concerned - eating Mcdonalds is inherently and objectively forgettable, it always fades from memory, it's unimpressive, safe, boring mush meat product that is objectively tasteless.

I've read The Great Gatsby 4 months ago and I've already forgotten most of it.

I've read Mistborn 4 years ago once and I still remember all of it vividly.

By this metric Great Gatbsy is Mcdonalds and Mistborn is a perfectly cooked wagyu steak with expensive wine, right?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/s/Wxmw8R9EQ4

Several people disagree with them:

> Wow, I think you’ve accomplished the impossible and are more pretentious now with your views on high art v. low art.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/s/Rhpt5eGWmc

> >art should be rated based off personal enjoyment

Ah so you didn’t learn anything during the time you were 16-20 then

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/s/ZWyhmLucKD

> You didn't grow out of your teenager phase, you doubled down of it by learning all the wrong lessons.

This isn't about "performative" vs "enjoyment". There's no sides here. There's plenty to learn and appreciate from art across all mediums.

It's great to love DCC (and I for example love Mistborn or Red Rising), but it's also great to recognize they're not as ambitious artistically as other works. People who love Gravity's Rainbow aren't "pretending", they engage with an artwork honestly and arrive at that conclusion when not looking it through a childish "how much pure fun did I have?" lens. Your take on "no work is ever better than any other work" or on Persona's quality are just horrifically shallow.

My advice is to worry less about forming opinions that allow you to project your desired personal image and just enjoy art in a honest manner. Stop reading books or watching movies to feel smart about being bored and ask yourself why those works are revered.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/s/Ixrfds5aNR

I feel like that none of my perceptions about reality (and so by extension my opinions and worldview) are valid until someone else tells me it is.

This has been the biggest driver of anxiety for me, because I genuinely feel like I am completely lost at sea so to speak, and when it comes time for me to actually think for myself I have no idea what to do.

Like the amount of people taking (clearly marked) shitposts seriously and/or giving an actual judgement in the comments of the cross post is funny.

In a different way, I notice that some people unironically do the very same crap as what this sub usually makes fun of AITA for, for example pulling the “as an autistic/mentally ill adult I would NEVER act that way” (I’ve seen that a few times recently) or just doing engaging in pointless snark behavior (yes, I know what sub I’m in, I guess it takes one to know one) like this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/AmITheAngel/s/3sSQPh8zZD

What I do like about this sub though, is that it’s nice to see different viewpoints on posts that may be hidden by whatever BS is happening on AITA.

I had this wonderful (read: not at all) conversation with a supposed expert on policing a different forum on here in which they insisted there was no proof that police don’t take urgent action in DV against women because of misogyny.

Is what they are saying true?

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/s/C3Iy6gzF1Y

I saw this post blow up a long time ago, and if I had to suffer through it, you should too.

Besides the linked threads, there is drama all over the place (and is even locked, so no possibility of brigading….).

As a lesbian, I think you should never talk about your sexuality (and even relationships?) at school: https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/s/Nabhw4S8QD

(The original comment has been removed, but I remember that it involved a supposedly gay man [they aren’t actually, their history was full of barely legal straight porn] saying that Pride flags need to be kept out of school. The linked thread is one of the responses): https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/s/9F4rRFXlQ8

Someone compares it to the Gadsden flag: https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/s/PM3CshcASn

…. and the confederate flag: https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/s/evnW556Nvo

“Elementary School is not the place to talk about sexuality”: https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/s/lkCQ4SQHoD

Enjoy.