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Friendships blooming since 2014.

Ice Princess Silky <3

Entry posted by Ice Princess Silky <3 in Life Stuffs

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WARNING: The Ice Breaker Silky Blog Series May Contain Darker Themed Details Not Suitable For The Highly Sensitive Person. Because of the nature of these discussions, these blogs posts shall be rated R for Restricted. Please read at your own discretion as I am simply trying to keep things authentic and communicate my head space on these more personal matters.

I have seen so many friendships bloom on this platform since 2014. The quality kind. It's always so gratifying to witness and so I am heavily protective of something new, with that potential, falling apart with the newer folk.

I see friendships from different walks of life, different countries, different political or religious views... and .. it has been so fascinating to me. Just like in the MLP-fim show. They did not have to be 100% the same in order to mindlessly agree and be called "friends." It was the genuine bond that they had. Even as Rainbow Dash found Fluttershy annoying at first -- later on, they discovered new aspects of themselves through each other. Rainbow Dash learning to become more kind and gentle. Fluttershy learning to be loyal and defend her friends! Differences should not divide, guys. Remember the principle of the show. The show that this platform is originally based on. 

The friendships that I have made here that strike me the most -- which are in the complete opposite spectrum to my views in life, even religiously -- have proven to be some of the most precious and enriching. And it is such a perplexing paradox. How can people be friends despite political views being different? Religious views, even? How?

Because we are not friends due to our political or religious agreement -- but due to the intense level of compatibility as people. The good will and sincerity that we have towards each other. They're good people. Regardless of whatever personal beliefs they may hold. I enjoy their company. Their humor. Who they are as people. How they contribute to the community and real life. In fact, one of said friends I refer to, I am incredibly fond of and our dynamic is one of like a delicate waltz. Quite opposites! Yet we respect each other as people and know each other's minds and hearts. So, we tread delicately not to hurt the other when it comes to delicate topics. Eventually, we did manage to discuss those topics and differences with an open mind and that only further enhanced our friendship because there was no hatred, argument or malice. No need for petty jabs or aggressive statements, etc. It is such a beautiful thing. And all of that other stuff need not apply.

Ironically, these people did have a friend who was 100% politically aligned to them. And that person did not have good intentions at all. So unpleasant and malicious that most of you requested his profile to be a PSA to warn and assure others.

He did have an interesting trait, though. Seeking to force political division, anger, hatred on anyone he met, etc. He hated seeing groups being happy (you remember) and he was fully aware that forcing politics was a guaranteed slice of division. And boy is it an effective first-bloom friendship slayer.

In the end, he was not even compatible with the good people that I speak to here who are aligned with him politically. So, what makes a friendship? That you guys agree on politics or that you are genuinely compatible as people? I see so many people bonding together with timeless friendships despite any of those silly differences. If people are seeking an echo-chamber of mindless agreement towards angry rants, I can see why those things might matter. But other than that, I am proud to witness so many people bonding over genuine connections and not just mindless hatred.

I have also seen good people practically lose their minds over the topic of politics. And it is such a shame because, ultimately, who are you attacking? You think making jabs will make the world a better place? It will either hurt someone's feelings or provoke a similar response and the world will not become a better place but only worse. And it changes nothing of the bigger system. It brings out the worst in all of us.

The rage, the anger and jabs at innocent people who sincerely believe they are doing the right thing? Ephemeral and pointless.

Either way, keep blooming, guys. Focus on what matters. Your humanity. Your personal growth. And the personal growth of people who matter in your life. These are things that you can control. And they are much healthier to focus on in the long run. If you wish to discuss politics in private or in DMs -- by all means. But it is not something to be forced into the public eye by people who do not ask for it. 

 Twilight's Soap Box

But you don't need me to tell you that. Those of you who are OGs have been blooming meaningful friendships for a long time now. :grin: Keep doing that! 

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VKH17

Friendships arise (I believe) as people get interested with each other, but for that friendship to actually sustain long term, both need good morals/ethics, a capitalist and Communist, although having radically different views, may be friends if they have good morals and ethics and that their following of said capitalism/communism are exploitive or oppressive but rather the other way around, same with Christians and Muslims or many other differing groups... Unfortunately, not everyone is like this and so problems/issues arise, and it simply brings pains (as you've stated around mid message, there are people who are miserable/aggressive and spread that toxicity/negative energy towards others, I feel rather sad and depressed for such people, the way they are, nonetheless... I hope that the site so far is going relatively positively/cheerfully, I hope you have a better day than yesterday? :pinkiesmile:

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Samurai Equine

It's amazing to me how so many people miss the most obvious, most powerful message from the ponies that brought us all here in the first place.

Seriously, think about it.
Twilight Sparkle is the studious dork, Rainbow Dash is the jock, Pinkie Pie is a party animal, Rarity is a fashionista, Applejack is a work-focused country girl, and Fluttershy is a shy nature lover. Such characters should have little to no reason to be friends; in some cases, these character types would have nothing to do with each other, yet they are friends just the same. Sure they might have been united because of the Elements of Harmony, but they were all ready learning to like each other before they learned their destiny. Soon they accepted each other and became the tightest of friends. And it's not because they always share the same interests or the same path in life. Nope. It's because they see and appreciate each other for who they really are.

When I was just a tiny little kid, I saw another example of this decades earlier.
I grew up watching Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The main five teenagers also represented character types that normally wouldn't spend time together if they could avoid it. There was a jock, a nerd, a party animal, a valley girl, and a de facto ambassador. Jocks are usually bullies; nerds would never willingly hang out with them. A valley girl (or the popular girl) would normally only hang out with someone very similar. Yet they became friends anyways. They did not give in to stereotypes; they became something more. Sure, they were united under the shared cause of saving the world, but they didn't hate being around each other. And soon, they saw each other for the souls they really were. They became real friends; with an ironclad sense of friendship.

I've wanted friends for so many years of my life. For the first half of my life, it felt like I was denied friends. I also fell into the idea that I should only try to find people just like me if I want to make friends. But it's not about finding an echo chamber. It's about finding people that will treat you like a decent human being. It's about natural compatibility. It's about being willing to learn from each other, and celebrate each other. We might not always be united under a shared goal, like saving the world. But friendship should be its own sacred goal worth reaching for.

But if you're manipulating people and situations to only get what you want, if you are tricking people into "friendship" for your own selfish agenda... That's not true friendship.
True friendship is two-sided. Both sides have to learn to care about each other. To learn from each other. To better each other equally. Friendship can lead to great growth and amazing discoveries. Those who are too proud of themselves and who they currently are? They will only rob themselves of the wonderful experiences and the wonderful friendships they could have. :coco:

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ExplosionMare

I'm sure politics come into play in some instances, but if that's all a person can bond over, then they need to find some hobbies. Politics is such a tricky subject and unless you can discuss it without things getting too heated, it is not worth discussing.

I was tricked by you-know-who that it was "us vs them" and "you have to pick a side" but now that I have the true freedom to have my own beliefs, I have learned (or perhaps re-learned) to be nuanced about most political things, since I don't really sway towards one side more than the other. I do like to look at views that person doesn't like, though, just cause I can :grin-Misty It's very satisfactory to realize I could've had my own opinion on things this whole time!

Thinking back to my current friends, most share my religious views to some degree, and some might share the same political views (to what degree I'm not sure since I don't really care to talk politics much). Some are quite different in terms of religion and/or politics though, and that's perfectly fine too! You don't truly learn about the world unless you interact with those that are different than you.

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Ice Princess Silky <3
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1 hour ago, ExplosionMare said:

I was tricked by you-know-who that it was "us vs them" and "you have to pick a side"

The more I hear about that guy the more I keep seeing how he used politics to divide people. "Us vs Them" -- yup, that's the poison. If only life were so simple. But it was the perfect sabotage. Even a few days ago, someone was telling me how he terrified her into running away from us and I really like this person! I'm glad she came back. D:

He was addicted to forcing division and politics into the public in such an angry and hostile way. He also tried to sabotage some friendships with me by defining me to them as "uh librul." (LOL!!!) Which is funny because my views are not that simple. But since those friends are on the opposite side of that, they were disgusted by that "intel" about me that he presented in such a travesty of a way-- without my consent! Ahahah 

Meeting up with those friends because they needed something from me and I had the power to grant it, we initially began our introductions with something along the lines of having to "tolerate" each other. Formalities and all of that. And then.. I have no idea what happened. They asked me a question. I answered it. They realized I was not the simple-minded person he presented me to be and things just "clicked" and we were all just laughing and enjoying scenarios that would later entail together. He hated this so much!!! ^_^

Haha I would say it has been a pleasant victory since I am seeing more people come together and bloom despite that sabotage. A little too well, in fact! Some people have flown to meet each other because their friendships have bloomed that beautifully. Some people are actually couples! None of those political differences matter because it's not that simple. 

Spoiler

There is this one couple he tried to sabotage from getting together and they're just the most wholesome and beautiful thing -- oh my gosh! Despite those attempts, they realize how madly in love they are due to compatibilities and memories shared as friends! One of them later said "We should make love even more just to spite him!" And I almost spat my drink out because that is NOT why they're together haahaha but I can totally get why they'd say that since he nearly succeeded in making them hate each other. ^_^

I think that is the main reason why seeing division and conflict over petty things breaks my heart. I have seen the beautiful potentials when those ephemeral illusions fall away.  And I am willing to protect those potentials. I wish more and more people could discover such beauty and if that means my taking the hits as a guardian -- then so be it. I just really wish people put forward what really matters. Not hatred, not anger, not things that just make people suffer so needlessly when what most people need is the opposite thing. 

10 hours ago, VKH17 said:

I hope that the site so far is going relatively positively/cheerfully, I hope you have a better day than yesterday? :pinkiesmile:

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment and your question. Yesterday was good. I relaxed at the pool as a form of therapy. I think my problem is caring too much about friends and people in the community. Hearing some people "needing a break" over politics when this is supposed to be a safe space they once felt happy in, made me sad.

But I'm not allowed to be upset. I have to hear everyone else's story and listen as if I were a statue or saint made of stone. So, I put my feelings on pause, comfort them, then realize I have to call the shots.

Spoiler


That's how this whole mess started. I got messages justifying why sneaking in politics was perfectly okay. I allowed it. "To keep things chill," I stepped away to not deal with it. Their justification was coming from a place of victimhood, resentment and hate..(disguised as "reasonable logic") and I was not in the mood to argue but as other people started feeding into it -- it turned into a giant bubble that would later blow up and so I realized too late "any seed that is planted from those feelings will bloom and spread those feelings! What have I done? o.o;;"

Yesterday I was worried about a friend who fell into the hospital because of stress. It sure does not help that the people who refuse to take responsibility for their actions are playing victim and have only escalated the matter from 0-100 (as politically obsessed people tend to do) ... so I am just facepalming and hoping that adults can just try to be adults.

I suppose we should just be more strict with the Guidelines. They're there to help people to connect. Not randomly made up "for the lols." 

8 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

It's amazing to me how so many people miss the most obvious, most powerful message from the ponies that brought us all here in the first place.

Seriously, think about it.
Twilight Sparkle is the studious dork, Rainbow Dash is the jock, Pinkie Pie is a party animal, Rarity is a fashionista, Applejack is a work-focused country girl, and Fluttershy is a shy nature lover. Such characters should have little to no reason to be friends; in some cases, these character types would have nothing to do with each other, yet they are friends just the same. Sure they might have been united because of the Elements of Harmony, but they were all ready learning to like each other before they learned their destiny. Soon they accepted each other and became the tightest of friends. And it's not because they always share the same interests or the same path in life. Nope. It's because they see and appreciate each other for who they really are.

When I was just a tiny little kid, I saw another example of this decades earlier.
I grew up watching Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The main five teenagers also represented character types that normally wouldn't spend time together if they could avoid it. There was a jock, a nerd, a party animal, a valley girl, and a de facto ambassador. Jocks are usually bullies; nerds would never willingly hang out with them. A valley girl (or the popular girl) would normally only hang out with someone very similar. Yet they became friends anyways. They did not give in to stereotypes; they became something more. Sure, they were united under the shared cause of saving the world, but they didn't hate being around each other. And soon, they saw each other for the souls they really were. They became real friends; with an ironclad sense of friendship.

I've wanted friends for so many years of my life. For the first half of my life, it felt like I was denied friends. I also fell into the idea that I should only try to find people just like me if I want to make friends. But it's not about finding an echo chamber. It's about finding people that will treat you like a decent human being. It's about natural compatibility. It's about being willing to learn from each other, and celebrate each other. We might not always be united under a shared goal, like saving the world. But friendship should be its own sacred goal worth reaching for.

But if you're manipulating people and situations to only get what you want, if you are tricking people into "friendship" for your own selfish agenda... That's not true friendship.
True friendship is two-sided. Both sides have to learn to care about each other. To learn from each other. To better each other equally. Friendship can lead to great growth and amazing discoveries. Those who are too proud of themselves and who they currently are? They will only rob themselves of the wonderful experiences and the wonderful friendships they could have. :coco:

This was very endearing to read, Samurai. I never actually made that connection before but there seems to be a recurring pattern. So long as you're all working towards the greater good, which can be symbolic of a common cause of humanity - elements of harmony - etc -- then all of the other details fall away. I never noticed how diverse the power rangers were until now haha you're right. They're quite the unlikely group! Just like the mane 6.

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ZiggWheelsManning

As unfortunate that something happened lately, we cannot give into anger about certain topics (things we can't control) and take it out an online community (pinning blame).  We need to keep walking the path to be positive and be loyal to our principles.  Understanding matters and help friends out anytime we can to better the friendships.  

 

BTW, you've actually watched Power Rangers episodes @Ice Princess Silky <3?  

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Ice Princess Silky <3
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32 minutes ago, ZiggWheelsManning said:

 

As unfortunate that something happened lately, we cannot give into anger about certain topics (things we can't control) and take it out an online community (pinning blame).  We need to keep walking the path to be positive and be loyal to our principles.  Understanding matters and help friends out anytime we can to better the friendships

 

Very much agreed. But I am also a cheeky bugger and react with humor which people might not appreciate but my friends get me. I use it for levity and to self soothe ^_^

33 minutes ago, ZiggWheelsManning said:

BTW, you've actually watched Power Rangers episodes @Ice Princess Silky <3?

Are you kidding me?? Heck yeah!! My older siblings got me into the original ones, in fact. I remember favoring the intelligent one. Billy, I think his name was? I always appreciated the unassuming intellectuals :3

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ComanderZhabikKlavik

That's why I don't like to talk about politics, even in Twilight's Soapbox I don't participate in discussions. Sometimes talking about it can ruin a friendship. I once talked a little about politics with a friend, we have different political views but some similarities. I talked to him about political views only because we knew that we would not quarrel with each other over this nonsense. We just shared our points of view and listened to each other without judgment. 

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Ice Princess Silky <3
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10 minutes ago, ComanderZhabikKlavik said:

That's why I don't like to talk about politics, even in Twilight's Soapbox I don't participate in discussions. Sometimes talking about it can ruin a friendship. I once talked a little about politics with a friend, we have different political views but some similarities. I talked to him about political views only because we knew that we would not quarrel with each other over this nonsense. We just shared our points of view and listened to each other without judgment. 

It's really good to talk about things without feeling judged. Everybody has their story behind why they believe what they do on their political stance. And it's totally valid. :heart:

I actually wanted to thank you for being a lovely member of this community. I treasure the kind words and the lovely art you have gifted to me and the people who just want to heal from this crazy world and enjoy good memories together. The internet can sometimes be a cesspool and random anger. Everyone has something to be angry about but you keep the cool vibes and I appreciate you.

I remember you had a friend who was very political and aggressive about it. She and I got along until I made a rule where we won't be judging people who fall under the LGBTQ+ community as "political." She instantly hated me after that but I didn't hate her. I remembered her as someone who had nothing but nice things to say about you and some other people. ^_^ 

So, I like her for that reason. So long as people are not being mean and disrespecting other people for no reason, I like them. They can curse me out all they want because I am trying to keep this place peaceful. But so long as they're nice to everyone else who deserves nice things - I'm chill.

I don't even hate or resent those people who get angry over politics. I just want them to not be mean to other people about it. My standards are pretty low here, I think. 

23 minutes ago, ComanderZhabikKlavik said:

even in Twilight's Soapbox I don't participate in discussions.

Omg this happened to me, too! LOL I knew someone I was super cordial with and he stopped liking/talking to me after I made a post there because he took it to mean something it did not. I think the problem with politics is that it's never so simple and people make massive assumptions based on symbols or sentences. It's a real pity. So you're smart not to really engage unless you have a really developed friendship you're willing to go nuanced and respectful about. 

Luckily, in the end he realized what I meant and we're chill now. But yeah, it's never fun to clash in that way or restrict yourself to a certain type of group/friends.

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Street Light

What a lovely post!! ^~^ And an important one, to boot :3

I believe I am fortunate enough to have never been acquainted with the individual mentioned, but the fact I am familiar with others who fit the same description is worrisome. Enough to lend relevance for this post beyond its intended reach!!

This serves as a disclaimer for those who are trusting of others who portray a guise of friendliness and openness; but in reality are anything but. Friendship is a beautiful thing to cherish and nurture over time, but everyone's motives are not always so equally kosher...

This also builds upon something I was intending to post about! In any case, thank you for your insight into this! 

 

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Ice Princess Silky <3
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33 minutes ago, Street Light said:

What a lovely post!! ^~^ And an important one, to boot :3

I believe I am fortunate enough to have never been acquainted with the individual mentioned, but the fact I am familiar with others who fit the same description is worrisome. Enough to lend relevance for this post beyond its intended reach!!

This serves as a disclaimer for those who are trusting of others who portray a guise of friendliness and openness; but in reality are anything but. Friendship is a beautiful thing to cherish and nurture over time, but everyone's motives are not always so equally kosher..

 

Yes! I am happy that you came at a time when we were clearing out the impostors. But I am sad to know you get the reference of what we mean. This is why we try to clear the airs of politics in the public eye. It is not to censor or have people "walk on eggshells," heck.. if anyone feel like they are "walking on egg shells" because we ask them to not throw aggressive politics into people's faces.. then... this place is definitely not for them. @.@   

The place is a spot of compassion due to community effort. Not because we like to clean up after people's messes like janitors. x3

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This also builds upon something I was intending to post about! In any case, thank you for your insight into this! 

Awww jynx! Definitely post about it! 

I was dubious about making this post since -- no politics -- but then I was like "O, wait, it's about how friendship should surpass that nonsense. Not be the center focal pont of discussion and who is wrong and who is right." ^_^

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Felis Amafeles

I feel that people today are easily swayed by concepts and the names of concepts,
and are unwilling to spend more time understanding what truly belongs to humanity.  
In this regard, ancient people did better than modern people.
Ancient philosophers, theologians, and poets observed the inner workings of humanity with far greater subtlety than modern people.
When you read their works, you will find that even though nations and ethnicities differ, the similarities among humanity far outweigh the differences. :flutter-squee:

I think people of this era need to learn to control their desire to express themselves. Before expressing yourself, first understand the meaning of every word you want to express, and understand what you support and what you oppose.
I also think that people need to understand themselves through others. So sometimes, when you encounter someone who opposes all your views, you might as well ask that person why they say that and see if you can understand them.

After all, we are all Homo sapiens, so why should Homo sapiens dislike Homo sapiens? :heynow:

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