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Anneal

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  1. Anneal

    Pragmatism > Morals

    By Anneal,

    Another topic that I don't really touch on, but I feel like it's important to state to take my ideas into perspective. It's generally towards politics, economics, and social ideas but really, it can apply over anything.
     
    I'm talking about being pragmatic vs. being moralistic. And if you haven't noticed the title by now, clearly I favor the former.
     
    Now I am not niilistic or amoral or cynical in any way, but I sinply believe that practicality supersedes morals in any way. Morals help us establish ideas when we need them. Sexism is wrong. Racism is wrong. Homophobia is wrong. But when it comes to execution, I believe it's much better to be practical than be moralistic, and there are plenty of historical examples where that is the case (how Lincoln acted during the American Civil War, Frederick the Great and much later on Bismarck, and even back in ancient times with the ruthless Qin and Sun Tzu's strategies).
     
    Of course, pragmatism doesn't ensure success or whether other people view you positively. But then again, I argue that pragmatism generally tries to avoid negative perspective as well. After all, people forget the sentence after Machiavelli's "far safer to be feared than loved", which is "Nevertheless a prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win love, he avoids hatred". So yes, The Prince justifies pragmatism, not how to be a no-approval and hated leader. (If you want to actually be the latter, the Book of Lord Shang is a better book.)
     
    I may be rambling a bit too much, though.
     
    I always feel the issue with people debating about politics or social and economic issues is that it's tied too much with morality when it shouldn't be. Politics is the process of where decisions are made: who gets what, where, when, and how, in short. Morals should not play the main role here. Sociology is the study of human society in general. Economics is the study of production and transfer of wealth and dealing with scarcity. Morals should not play a major role in any of these.
     
    Americans and some Europeans are too concerned with connecting laws to morality. If something is illegal it must be because it is immoral, and so our laws reflect what is right or wrong. I believe that should not be the case. Law is simple public policy and rules, and does not need to be inherently enforced. For example, possessing and growing marijuana is illegal in Amsterdam...but they use policies of non-enforcement to actually control whatever negative effects it would have, because they realized it was far too impractical to enforce it anyways. And it worked. The city government had better approval ratings, citizens complained less, and there were no significant negative effects.
     
    Compare that to our War on Drugs, which tried far too hard to crack down on illegal drug trade. The result was that there was a massive spike in incarceration, destabilization in Latin America, and negatively affected millions of both Latin Americans and Americans themselves. This really isn't a left or right wing issue; instead of treating the whole thing as a moral issue we should be looking for more practical approaches, like maybe just helping drug offenders, or at least go more for rehabilitation, not more punishment.
     
    I can't really blame American sentiment, but I don't believe it's going the right way. Too many of us believe that breaking the law is "immoral", and if we're allowing exceptions or non-enforcement it is outright hypocrisy. We're letting criminals go unpunished, after all. But we don't consider what happens next. This is a strong case where being practical is far better than being moral.
     
    And then we try too much to perceive what we think is "right". How many people have you heard say "We should have free healthcare because healthcare is a human right"? Replace that with "minimum wage", "free education", "abortion", "religion", "guns", "have sex"...the list goes on. Yet I don't see that many go beyond solid evidence besides "we don't have it, and it's a right and it's the right thing to do!" Which basically proves nothing.
     
    While during this election I have initially gone for Sanders before switching to Trump, I have certain disapprovals for both strictly because they play too much on morals, not practicality. Sanders talks too much about how "we should do this because it's right". It sounds good, but there is hardly any plan behind it, and whatever plan he does have usually just suggests he is economically incompetent. At the same time, Trump plays too much on serving justice rather than actual practicality at times; a wall may actually end some Mexican cartels, but create more professional ways to go past it. It will always happen. Same thing goes for immigration, which won't reduce much of anything, just throw it to another angle and not bothering to reduce the harm. I approve more of his "hammer to crush a gnat" mindset for dealing with ISIS, but he still has several ideas which I am against. (I'm not willing to go on the "screw the U.S." bus, ever.)
     
    Now that I have said all that I do admit that I may have a bias due to a slight leaning onto the conservative end (and being raised by an Asian family, which also means potentially different philosophies ). I don't want to hear promises, I want to hear solid plans. If you want to tell me how you're going to give everything free crap, give me good evidence why (that being said, I don't want the government to be giving free crap anyways, but set regulations so each person gets somewhat fair opportunities).
     
    And don't plaster morals onto things that don't concern it.
  2. Anneal
    So I didn't have that much time to do a weekly blog yesterday, so I'm rushing today to do it now. Anyway, this is probably going to another "top X rants". Comments are still open, so feel free to give feedback. I might get a bit more fierce on this blog post, especially since I'm touching onto something I always had in my mind.




     
    "Humans are genocidal bastards." "The world is cruel and horrible." "Everything's gone to waste." "We deserve to die."
     
    Really, it's this kind of sentiment that just infuriates me. I'm not always a person that's half glass full, but pessimism is just...how about I just make reasons on why I just dislike pessimism? (To be fair, I don't completely dislike pessimism, but I dislike how it's become to modern society.) That's something that people might understand more easily.
     
    10. It paints idealism or optimism as reactionary, delusional, or childish.
     
    It's pretty much part of the philosophy itself; pessimism deliberately shuts off anything that is the slightest bit positive and assumes that anyone who is willing to be positive is stupid and evidently ignorant, which is hardly the case. Now, I know that optimism likes the paint pessimists as edgy, whiny teenagers who do nothing but complain, but really pessimism will tend to stand to their point while optimism...hardly as much.
     
    9. It's become more emotional than philosophical.
     
    As it mostly turns out, pessimists usually happen to be the people that are battling disillusionment, depression, or stress. It's a reasonable sentiment to have, but it's turned from something that is addressing future views into practically the only way to cope with their problems. This is not saying that people should stop being depressed or stressed – both work out well as long as they do not prolong – but they should actually attempt to seek help.
     
    Honestly, what's more exhausting to listen to pessimistic talk online and in real life is the realization that they are doing nothing to help their problems. It's not hard to call for a counselor, psychologist, teacher, or even family and friends. If you're deliberately locking yourself from these people and not trying to push away the problem, and rather use pessimism as a coping device, it's only going to get worse.
     
    8. It further pushes people away.
     
    As much as pessimism may have some basis in it, being pessimistic just discourages others to stay away from you and it might just worsen your situation even more, especially if you're trying to actually trying to feel better. The truth is that other people aren't going to readily understand why you act the way you are, and if you're acting depressed and angered and hateful, you're more likely to repel people away instead of people asking you what's wrong. And if you don't repel them away, they'll become as negative as you are.
     
    The world does not revolve around you. If you want people to actually help you, you search for help yourself, not wait for it. People will like you more if you act a bit more pleasant instead of dismissive. Emotions really can spread if you put in the effort.
     



     
    7. It becomes increasingly close-minded (in some cases).
     
    When everything sucks from your perspective, it becomes harder to pay attention to the world outside, possibly more so than optimism does. This is a case I have frequent seen with certain forum posters, mostly when they're talking about something outside of MLP, whether it's the Debate Pit, General Discussion, or Life Advice. Rather than take time to delve into those ideas or mindsets, they jump into negativity by default instead of asking questions or finding solutions.
     
    People should stop and take a few minutes to think before they post, so at the very least your pessimism (or optimism) doesn't completely get in the way of your reasoning or logic.
     
    6. It's just as likely to turn into a "not my fault" mindset.
     
    People like to say how optimism always see the best even after a problem has hit, believing it can be better and that it isn't necessarily their fault. Well, pessimism does the same thing through a different process: you paint yourself as somehow better than all these other scumbags, so something that happens that doesn't go your way is automatically not your fault either. It's just...ironic.
     
    5. It's become an excuse to give up rather than stay determined.
     
    No, that's not an Undertale reference there. I really mean it. Pessimism makes it more likely for people to stop risk-taking or persist for a problem and just give up not long after they have started. You'll likely push off the solution while others would work harder and possibly gain more success. I don't think "work hard and you will succeed" completely holds true all the time and even to every person, but it's certainly not a reason to stop trying.
     
    4. It's become a way to complain.
     
    While pessimism and other philosophies were meant for people to critically think for themselves, it has mostly degenerated into a way for people to just complain about things rather than actually address the problems. There are probably better ways to spend your time whining – hard work might not guarantee you success but it is always better than doing nothing and possibly getting fired for complaining around.
     



     
    3. It's "intellectual".
     
    Pessimism has just become a way for people to claim that they're automatically more "intellectual" than others. Because being negative somehow makes you smarter than all these bigoted dumbasses out there. This is something I can hardly put up with from some pessimists; they place themselves on a higher pedestal with their edgy, put-down statements, and probably don't need to show that much evidence or proof of their intellect. After all, they are pessimistic.
     
    2. It's become a put-down strategy.
     
    Pessimism had turned from expressing negative ideas into shoving people's throats for not following it, going as far as becoming a bullying technique and pointing out how "X won't work" or "Y is useless", and many more put-down phrases. This is completely unacceptable in my books; there's a difference between putting down someone else's ideas and insulting them and offering constructive criticism. Some "pessimists" even find doing this fun. Really, it's very jarring to me to see how so many of them like to complain about their lives or society or whatever, when they're being part of the problem as well.
     
    And finally...
     
    1. It's being plastered as "realism".
     
    No, it's not realism.
     
    Placing your negative sentiments onto things is not realism. Realism doesn't automatically jump to the negative nor the positive; it searches for reasons...in a logical way, with evidence to back it up. This site gives a good justification why the two are completely different. There's even a nice quote that concludes it: "The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails".
     
    Claiming that drinking and driving will get you killed because you can't focus on the road is not pessimism, it's realism. Likewise, saying that humanity deserves to die is not realism, it's pessimism.
     
    BONUS: Pessimism is basically connected to defeatism.
     
    Because you practically place no hope in anything. The former is based off being negative; the other is complete resignation and saying "screw it, I'll let it happen". Over the years, some Americans, especially the younger ones, have been so deeply ingrained into the two they have turned apathetic and dismissive. I mean, if you're not intending to improve the situation, how are you going to expect things to get better?
     
    Really, if people stagnate, it's not because they're cruel and war-mongering, it'll be because of extreme pessimism itself and the apathy that spawns from it.
     
    Screw it.
     
    I rather be the one that says "the glass has water" or even "the glass is half full" rather than the one that says "the glass is half empty".
  3. Anneal
    Alright, so this would be a blog I will (attempt to) post every week on Thursday or Friday. I'm mostly a member that stays around the RP and Everfree sections (and sometimes on the heated Debate Pits), though occasionally you might see me mingling around on other sections as well. This blog would focus on certain ideas I would like to throw out but are usually too narrow to place onto certain topics. I might voice unpopular opinions or act a bit more spiteful, so if you don't like the content of this blog you should stay away from it. That being said, on to the main topic!
     
    Everyday I usually hear the same statements over and over again, and honestly it annoys me at times. Well, to be more exact, it's statements I really want people to stop repeating and I wish to deconstruct. Not very "free speech" and all, but it's just so...overused. And it is an opinion blog.
     
    So, starting off...
     
    10. I live in a society where I'm the only sane and intelligent person.
     
    This statement implies so much "special snowflake", sounds whiny, and is usually used to avoid actually bothering to search for actual, real life friends or partners. If you actually have nothing to do because you live in some remote town, I can still accept that, but you have no reason to generalize your entire local population as ignorant xenophobic bigots. Or...you could just go to other nearby town or city rather than periodically complain about how you feel so left out.
     
    9. We should do XXX because it's 2016.
     
    Usually used as a way to justify something or complain about something that is missing because...um, it's the current year? I really don't see the logic in this. Rather than try to actually list reasons why you should do XXX, it's supported by an irrelevant fact that really serves nothing.
     
    8. My proof is scientific.
     
    This statement is generally used to basically claim that their point is infallible because the sole, sheer power of science backs it up. That's not the case. While empirical proof is great, empirical proof does not equal reliable proof. It's also used as a cheap cop out from actually citing or linking sources. Saying that "science backs my point" is really no different than saying "my point is right because God".
     
    7. Meh.
     
    Horribly rude, annoying, adds nothing to the discussion, and overused. I really don't have much to say about this. It's pretty stupid.
     
    6. The system is rigged.
     
    This statement might actually have some truth to it given certain circumstances, but it's generally used to blame another organization or entity for your own faults and problems. Forgot to pay your taxes? "It's the government's fault and it's rigged against me!" Your car has to go through repair bills. "The economy is rigged and extorting me!" Scapegoating is bad no matter who it is targeting in my books. Don't do it.
     
    5. XXX should be supported because it's morally correct!
     
    It's really irritating when morals get into issues which have absolutely nothing to do with them. If you're addressing morals you're making the topic irrelevant and turning it from voicing opinions into "this thing is right and you're wrong and heartless for going against it!"
     
    4. Any sentence that compares something to Hitler, fascism, or Nazis.
     
    Seriously, if you're connecting something to a genocidal totalitarian dictator, then it really indicates that you have nothing besides ad hominem and that you're already losing the debate. Godwin's Law prevails.
     
    3. There is nothing I can convince you to reveal that you're wrong.
     
    Because you don't bother to convince people in a polite and constructive way? This is just really rude, especially in a debate, and people should avoid demonizing the other side. The point of a debate is to exchange ideas in a civilized manner, even though you might not convince many to switch. Don't turn it into a flame war.
     
    2. Don't ask me how to deal with this problem.
     
    Especially annoying when someone is trying to inform you of something yet absolutely resign yourself when asked how to deal with it, or shove the responsibility to someone else. People are expecting you to come up with a solution, not evade the question and continue complaining. The other scenario where it is used is no better and simply implies dimissal of the other person's ideas and just speaks ignorance and arrogance.
     
    1. I have lost my faith in humanity.
     
    Ugh. This one irritates me to the death.
     
    People use this so much...to complain about their mounting pessimism by getting anecdotal evidence of a few people, a few hundred or thousand at most, to represent the entire 7.2 billion people on the planet as scum of the earth that deserves to die. Except, for course, yourself, because you're excluded from that wipeout.
     
    Generalizing is bad no matter how you put it and just because you dislike a certain trait that some people have or a certain group that hardly gives enough justification to hate the whole world and hope it dies. That being said, why don't you bother to actually put in the effort to help the oh so destructive and hateful humanity get better? It speaks hypocrisy to me.
     
    Bonus: I'M MOVING TO CANADA!
     
    More recently a lot of us has been preparing for the great Exodus towards the promised land of Canada...to evade dealing with problems in the U.S. and deliberately ignore positive traits at the same time while ignoring the negative traits of another country. Sounds like self-hate bias to me. That being said, moving to Canada isn't even all that easy and the border stations aren't going to approve you in because "this election sucks and the US sucks". You need a real legitimate reason like work or family to actually move to another country.
     
    But hey, let's continue the tradition of threatening to go to Canada like we have for the last 200 hears!
  4. Anneal
    So I've been looking at OCs, and often, I see people misuse disorders that do not reflect how it actually is in reality. This made me a bit disappointed and angry, since these disorders are being seen in a stereotypical light.
     
    Don't do it.
     
    Of course, some people justify it by using it as a way to prevent their OCs from becoming Mary Sues; you need some flaws to balance out the pros, right? While this is true, also noted that if your OC has flaws, play it right. I've seen many people disregard their "negative" traits, play it incorrectly, or exploit it.
     
    Playing disorders inaccurately is the one that enrages me the most, considering I have one myself (Asperger syndrome).
     
    Let's start with the disorders most often misused...
     
    OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
     
    This disorder is the most overused one in roleplaying. People often compare this to perfectionism; it is not. It is an anxiety disorder of doing repetitive, unreasonable behaviors that is likely to affect the victim's personal life, caused by repeated, unwanted thoughts; their rituals are a continuous attempt to rid of these thoughts.
     
    A typical example is continuous hand washing, though several other rituals can be considered a symptom of this; repeatedly opening doors to ensure they're locked, driving or walking around a block for no discernible reason, showering multiple times, deliberately flicking the light switch, and compulsive hoarding. They can do this for an excessive amount of time, making it time consuming. This can also apply with mental tasks as well, not just physical.
     
    A good deal of people with OCD may be aware that these behaviors may be caused by irrational thoughts, though they continue to do this because they inexplicably want to. They may appear paranoid, though this is not necessarily a symptom of OCD itself.
     
    Of course, OCD is often misdiagnosed or under-diagnosed. Though actions caused by OCD itself can be time-consuming, it can still potentially be controlled and doesn't always affect the person's life. The disorder is also confused with OCPD – Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, which include symptoms of perfectionism, orderliness, and a need for control of his or her environment that may cause negative suffering and stress.
     
    Schizophrenia
     
    The second most overused and most misused disorder in roleplay existence.
     
    First of all, it's not Dissociative Identity Disorder (previously called Multiple Personality Disorder), or as you may know it, split personality. People often confuse DID with schizophrenia (though technically, it means "split mind" in Greek).
     
    Second, it does not associate itself with insanity. Simply put, schizophrenic people simply have auditory and visual hallucinations and delusions, and disorganized speech. Contrary to popular belief, people with schizophrenia rarely commit any serious crime or violence; if they do, usually this is caused by drug use or the environment they live in.
     
    Simply acting like you're a crazy person (or OC) and justifying with schizophrenia would be considered, in my opinion, a new kind of "lowlife". You're not acting schizophrenic; you're acting stupid.
     
    Dissociative Identity Disorder
     
    This isn't just contrasting personalities, and they're not the type you see on TV.
     
    First of all, people with DID almost never show any explicit change when they "switch" personalities; the difference in actions may be subtle and others may pass off their changing personalities as simply being moody or erratic. Their contrasting personalities are rarely aggressive or "crazy".
     
    It is thought that DID is caused by trauma or abuse; the person will dissociate herself or himself (most people with DID are females, as female cases occur ten times more than male cases), technically creating another personality. Dissociative amnesia and fugue, as well as memory loss, can happen in people with DID. Some people with DID also experience body pain, such as head aches, sometimes depression, insomnia, phobias, and "personality" hallucinations. Derealization and depersonalization, and in severe occasions, suicidal thoughts, can be a result of this.
     
    Also, DID almost never occurs in children or teenagers, though a severely traumatic event from that time can cause DID itself. It usually appears in adults, usually of parent age. Different identities can exist, though DID personalities can exist with having the same identity.
     
    Most people aren't aware they even have DID, as they are commonly misdiagnosed for other disorders (such as borderline personality disorder) or none at all.
     
    And most roleplayers misuse this. A lot. Don't use this one unless you're good at it and can pull it off.
  5. Anneal
    The continued version of the previous entry.
     
    Previously on the last entry, we have covered three overused disorders: OCD, schizophrenia, and Dissociative Identity Disorder. On this entry, we're covering ADHD, autism, and bipolar disorder.
     
    ADHD - No excuse for randomness
     
    Having a number of friends with ADHD, or Attention deficit hyperactive disorder, as well as taking classes in Psychology, I'll list the symptoms of ADHD:
     
    - Easily distracted and have difficult on paying attention or focus on one task
    - Easily bored with tasks
    - Trouble with completing tasks
    - Often losing things (one of my friends, which I will classify only as "J.D.", usually forgets his pencils and pens a lot, sometimes even his pencil box and folder)
    - Have trouble listening to directions
    - Blurt out inappropriate comments (the friend "J.D." I previously mentioned regularly blurts out comments relating to gaming in P.E. or such)
    - Interrupt conversations (though I don't have ADHD myself, I often do this)
    - Talk nonstop (I also do this, as well as a number of my friends, in topics we're interested of; TF2, Half Life, Fallout, Borderlands, occasionally CoD hate)
     
    More indirect symptoms are:
    - Poor handwriting (honestly, one friend of mine has this >.>)
    - Poor social skills (one of my other friends can sometimes be a jerk, and pushes me aside, though it's not intended)
     
    ADHD isn't random speech or thoughts at all. It's difficult with paying attention and listening. If your OC doesn't accurately portray most of the traits shown here, then it's not a representative of an "animal" with ADHD, it's just someone acting stupid.
     
    Bipolar Disorder - Not just crazy mood swings
     
    Bipolar disorder a.k.a manic depression is where people experience episodes of explicitly changing mood states a.k.a manic episodes. Mania, the period of elevated and irritable mood, does not just last for a few hours; they almost always remain for several days. Symptoms can include decrease of sleep – people with severe episodes can go days without going back to bed. Sometimes, they can going into a break in reality with their thinking is eventually affected by their mood.
     
    Of course, not everyone with bipolar disorder has mania episodes. Sometimes, they have a less severe "hypomania" episodes, where they do not experience hallucinations or delusions (NOT to be confused with schizophrenia), and have a milder episode of elevated mood, though sleep may still be affected.
     
    There are also depression episode, where people with bipolar disorder undergo a stage of anxiety, sadness, and, of course, depression, and for severe cases, also experience hallucinations and delusions like the mania episode, only in an unpleasant state.
     
    Take note that this is NOT dissociative identity disorder, where people have split personalities, nor is this not madness/insanity, it is simply a series of episodic mood swings from increased energy to a depressive state. Do not confuse it with any either disorder; though in a some cases they may be associated with other disorders, such as people with ADHD.
     
    This disorder is less played, though I would like people to take note of this, as bipolar disorder is sometimes misused.
     
    Autism - Let the tirade begin
     
    I can't believe how pissed I am when I'm explaining this to people.
     
    Really, I'm just that angry that I'll probably use profanity to show it. But I won't, of course.
     
    It is not mental retardation.
     
    It is not craziness.
     
    And it is not a baby in an adult's body.
     
    While being one of the most hated disorders ("autistic" is a commonplace insult both in the cyber-world and real world), it's also one of the most liked (stereotypically, people see these autistic people as geniuses).
     
    Let's just say both of them aren't always right.
     
    People with autism aren't really stupid or retarded (note that this is not at all an insult) at all, but they often lack social development and communication skills. They may lack empathy or the skill to look from other people's point of view/making inferences.
     
    An example of this: if Andrew placed a handful of coins into the bag after returning from the grocery store, and several minutes later, Matt comes in and notices the bag, what will he expect will be in the bag? Unaffected people would answer "food"; autistic people would answer "coins".
     
    Another type of autism is the Asperger Syndrome; where I land. It is a "less severe" autism, and may simply have issues with social skills and minor issues with communication (autistic people may have some trouble expressing their thoughts or even talking). They may also have a peaked interest in something, sometimes to an extreme (Ex: I have an interest with mathematics, physics, chemistry, chess, collecting stuff from the early to mid 20th century, MLP, and gaming).
     
    Stereotypically, people with Asperser's = genius.
     
    Another type of autism is PDD-NOS, which is a disorder that does not fit into the Asperger syndrome or regular autism category, which means they may have traits that are similar to Aspies (the nickname for people with Asperger), or autism. Females with autism, Aspergers, or PDD-NOS are less common, though they do exist. Most cases, however, are males.
     
    I, as a person technically with autism, will explain how it feels like.
     
    First of all, I have an addiction to MLP. And TF2. And Assassin's Creed. And Half Life. And psychology. And astronomy. And physics. The list goes on. I can basically do anything I'm highly interested in for several hours non-stop. One blink of an eye, two hours have passed. It affects my life sometimes; in class, I read ahead of the class because I'm bored with the lesson. I talk for an excessive amount of time on the things I'm addicted with. And despite my interest in science, I have a B in it now; I'm not sure if anyone thinks that bad, but it's bad for me (probably because I'm Asian [stereotype]), mostly because I don't turn in classwork or homework; I'm doing something else. I sure wished someone would have helped me and say, "Now Cartophile, let's read about Napoleon the Third and his war with Prussia later and go back to reading about how Louis XVI got his head chopped off in page 152."
     
    I also have trouble of comprehending sarcasm or making inferences and decisions. True, I can guess what's going to come out of Andrew's paper bag if he came back from the grocery store, but I might have problems in coming up with a compromise if, say, your friend is loitering at someone else's store to hang out. I can get panicked if these situations happen in real life.
     
    I have some problems making real friends. It's easier on the Internet, where you can actually think what you're going to say. Not so much in real life, where I usually blurt out answers or sentences, interrupt teaches and classmates, or just talk about stuff nobody wants to hear, like how the Pakfront tactic from WWII applies the flying wedge tactic in a larger scale and with tanks seen in this 17th century encyclopedia, or how the Sentry Gun in TF2 is most likely based off the M2 Browning or the M134 Minigun. You get what I mean?
     
    I haven't had any friends when I was in grade school, and I often got into fights and breakdowns. Yeah...I had a pretty unpopular reputation in the unified school district, so I was given IQ tests and was soon diagnosed with Asperger syndrome when I was eight.
     
    They may have considered me a savant back then; I had an IQ of 142 in the third grade; I was able to solve square units, x squared, x cubed, and areas of triangles, parallelograms, and trapezoids - not to be a braggart. It's 139 now, as in June 2012.
     
    Honestly, IQ is nothing to me. It's just a number. It can be 70 or 180, I don't really care. It doesn't even measure intellect at all, nor does it make you smart; that insignificant number, like all numbers, is a representation that tells you how much potential knowledge can you absorb; getting that knowledge is a different story. It doesn't measure social intellect, artistic intellect, programming intellect, or business intellect.
     
    I have once gone through a stage of depression when I was twelve. It feels like everything in the whole world is useless; I skipped sleep for almost a week and had suicidal thoughts. It's not a feeling of sadness, as people who haven't experienced it think. It's more than that.
     
    I hate how people say Asperger syndrome is high functioning autism. There is no such thing as "functioning" in people, nor do their value decrease by that. Even people with autism can succeed.
     
    But I also hate it when people say autists are geniuses. To be honest, that's unfair. What about the neurotypical people who are exceedingly talent? Don't they count too? Is that what intelligence is: how easy it is to solve a bunch of equations and learn vocabulary words?
     
    That's why autism is the hardest to pull off. Making them look like geniuses is denying that you can be one too; making them look like anti-social people or stupid is simply being ignorant. It isn't about being the center of attention or making a model of your "better" self. If you want to become better, then get up and do something productive.
     
    Like roleplaying how everyone should do it.
  6. Anneal
    Now before you criticize me for being a such a grammar complainer, I'm going to state why I made this blog, right here, on the first entry.
     
    This is a guide. Don't take anything here seriously; it's just advice and techniques to improve your roleplaying skills, for anyone who choose to do so in the first place.
     
    Also, I think someone else has done this before.
     
    So! Let's get started.
     
    1. Misuse of quotation paragraphing.
     
    A fairly common error, especially from people who are controlling more than one OC in a roleplay.
     
    There is one simple rule to paragraphing quotations: If a new thought is being expressed or there is a new speaker, then create a new paragraph.
     
    This also goes for thoughts, which are italicized or also placed in quotation marks, depending on your preference. Quotations, however, can exist together with a thought if they are relevant, as if it was two sections of a quotation cut.
     
    EX: "Wind speed is approximately six miles per hour, ten point five driver, and we are ready to go," Long Drive declared. Damn it, if I don't land this shot, I'm going to lose my opportunity of getting an eagle.
     
    Also, if the dialogue is going to be multi-paragraphed, you do not need to add an ending quotation mark unless that dialogue paragraph is the last one.
     
    2. Capitalization.
     
    Fairly self-explanatory. I don't think I need to comment much on this, but I strongly advise you, if you're going to roleplay, please take some effort to use basic grammar and spelling skills. When you start a sentence, capitalize the first letter. When you mention a proper noun, press the "Shift" key and capitalize every first letter of the proper noun (with only a few exceptions, such as iPod or eBay). Also capitalize "I" and names of relationships, such as "Mom" or "Dad".
     
    3. Run-on sentences/Comma splicing.
     
    Yet another common mistake in roleplaying. People sometimes get a bit rushed as they type their roleplay posts.
     
    Most of the time, it's usually something small as forgetting to place a conjunction, creating a comma splice. Remember that a comma isn't a fix everything solution.
     
    There are several ways to fix a comma splice or a run-on sentence. The first, as previously mentioned, is to simply add a conjunction after the comma. In some cases where you are mentioning multiple, usually two, actions or subjects, you do not need the comma (though you still need the conjunction to connect these actions or subjects).
     
    Another way is to add a semicolon. This punctuation mark can make it possible for two independent clauses to exist in one sentence; be wary, however, that you can not overuse this, as writing needs variety and this problem can be solved in multiple ways.
     
    Colons can also be used, though it is rarely seen in roleplaying. There is a reason for this: the two clauses must have some direct connection, and this is usually used for adding a clause that emphasizes the other, designate a speak in a play, the opening of a letter, listing, or to connect it with a quotation. Conjunctions generally replace the colon.
     
    Ellipses shouldn't be used very often. Ellipses are usually misused as tools of suspense and can be very annoying. I recommend to only use this when a character's voice is trailing off, but not in narration.
     
    Dashes like this is the easiest way to deal with a run-on or comma splice, though it is not the best. Like all other punctuation marks, it should not be overused. There are two types that can been as correct: The en dash – (Alt+0150) and em dash—(Alt+0151). Space en dashes, don't space em dashes.
     
    4. Ending a sentence with more than one of the same mark.
     
    If you don't know what I mean, it's doing something like this!!! Or that!!!!!!! How about this one????? Yeah, don't do that. Not only is the punctuation incorrect, it looks childish and irritating. One is enough.
     
    5. Tense shifting.
     
    Be careful of not accidentally switching to another tense when writing. If you're writing in the past tense, keep it that way in narration. If you're writing in present tense, don't switch to past tense. Determine which tense you are writing in when roleplaying, and occasionally reread your posts.
     
    This one is less severe than the others; I honestly do this sometimes when I get carried away with my typing.
     
    Speaking of such, I might need to check my blog entry again.
     
    6. Vague pronoun reference.
     
    This is when you use a pronoun to refer to a person; only you don't know who that person is. If you don't get what I mean, look at this example:
     
    Derpy and Colgate simultaneously grabbed the muffins sitting on the counter. She promptly swallowed a muffin in one bite.
     
    The pronoun doesn't clearly state who is "she". In this case, it is better to just replace the pronoun with a proper noun.
     
    Sometimes the unclear pronoun reference is less obvious:
     
    Lyra was a highly intellectual theoretical physicist. This is why she was able to justify the possibility of multiple dimensions and therefore prove that humans exist.
     
    Though it may look like the "she" is implying Lyra, pretend that these sentences were in a paragraph where another mare was introduced. This would be confusing, and replacing the pronoun with Lyra would sound awkward. There is a way to fix this, however:
     
    Lyra, who was a highly intellectual theoretical physicist, used her persuasive words and profound scientific knowledge to justify the possibility of multiple dimensions and therefore prove that humans exist.
     
    Because the pronoun and the proper noun Lyra now exist in the same sentence, the pronoun is clearly referring to Lyra and not some other pony who may be a female in that same paragraph.
     
    7. Dangling participles.
     
    This is when the participle somehow does not fit with the main sentence. For example:
     
    Slipping awkwardly from a B flat to a B natural, the audience gasped in shock.
     
    Since the audience is the only apparent subject, the audience is (incorrectly) associated with the piano playing. The best way to solve this is to add another subject.
     
    Slipping awkwardly from a B flat to a B natural, Frederick glanced at the shocked faces of the audience.
     
    Now the sentence is clear; you now know that Frederick is evidently playing the piano in front of the audience. Alternatively, you can merge the participle with the sentence.
     
    Frederick slipped awkwardly from a B flat to a B natural; the event caused the audience to gasp in shock.
     
    That's about it!
     
    If you believe that I have done a good job on creating my first guide, please press the like button on this blog entry!
     
    Now to check for tense shifting...
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