If harmony means something to you, please read this...and help.

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

I'm so scared to post this...but it won't get out of my mind until I do. Here goes.

 

So a guy made a thread saying he was leaving MLP, and I replied to it. I should have known better. The fact that he had only ten posts to begin with, and was starting a topic about it instead of just disappearing, should have told me that something was amiss.

 

Right after my reply, I watched the Discord episodes for the first time. Well, leave it to MLP to show me how wrong I had been. I realized that by responding to mock the guy's stated reasons for "leaving," I was just playing into a disjointed debate that would only get bigger.

 

I was wrong. Anyone who supported that post has my blessing--no, my plea--to unhoof it. And to anyone reading this I also ask for your help.

 

If you have ever felt sick of the debates about what it means to be an MLP fan or whatever, if you're tired of seeing all these divisions between a bunch of people who love a show based on harmony and friendship, there's hope. I have found my answer.

 

The answer is to not argue about it! Don't get me wrong, differences over the show itself, video games, toilet paper up or down and such are fine. But about the community itself...have you ever wished we could all just take a break from those discussions? I may be new here, but seven years of forum battles have taught me that they don't go anywhere and they don't leave me feeling any better. I said a few things about that before, but it was hypocritical, because I gave in to my itchy fingers and added my own words of "wisdom" to those topics anyway. And every time, it just left me feeling...gray. Like the ponies.

 

So this is my promise. As long as I am a part of MLP, I will never bring discord (lowercase) into a thread about the community or the fandom again. Grimdark writers, Trixie fans, critics, cloppers...from now on you are just other fans to me, and I embrace all of you. I will not argue about the My Little Pony fandom itself, or slice it up to fit my own values, ever again.

 

*extremely red face* So, er...that's just me. If it sounds good to you, you can do it too. I am sealing my vow with the word "harmony" in my sig; so can you. It's not a command, because that would be wrong and I have no right. It's just the most genuine advice that I've ever offered online. There's a thin line between advice of this sort and backseat modding, and I hope I haven't crossed it because this is so important to me. If one person who read it understands me, it's all been worth it in my mind.

 

So I'll stop preaching now. But my promise still stands. And it's not all about me, it doesn't just have to be my promise. I'm willing to share it.

[Arcanel 3,041]

I'm so scared to post this...but it won't get out of my mind until I do. Here goes.

 

So a guy made a thread saying he was leaving MLP, and I replied to it. I should have known better. The fact that he had only ten posts to begin with, and was starting a topic about it instead of just disappearing, should have told me that something was amiss.

 

Right after my reply, I watched the Discord episodes for the first time. Well, leave it to MLP to show me how wrong I had been. I realized that by responding to mock the guy's stated reasons for "leaving," I was just playing into a disjointed debate that would only get bigger.

 

I was wrong. Anyone who supported that post has my blessing--no, my plea--to unhoof it. And to anyone reading this I also ask for your help.

 

If you have ever felt sick of the debates about what it means to be an MLP fan or whatever, if you're tired of seeing all these divisions between a bunch of people who love a show based on harmony and friendship, there's hope. I have found my answer.

 

The answer is to not argue about it! Don't get me wrong, differences over the show itself, video games, toilet paper up or down and such are fine. But about the community itself...have you ever wished we could all just take a break from those discussions? I may be new here, but seven years of forum battles have taught me that they don't go anywhere and they don't leave me feeling any better. I said a few things about that before, but it was hypocritical, because I gave in to my itchy fingers and added my own words of "wisdom" to those topics anyway. And every time, it just left me feeling...gray. Like the ponies.

 

So this is my promise. As long as I am a part of MLP, I will never bring discord (lowercase) into a thread about the community or the fandom again. Grimdark writers, Trixie fans, critics, cloppers...from now on you are just other fans to me, and I embrace all of you. I will not argue about the My Little Pony fandom itself, or slice it up to fit my own values, ever again.

 

*extremely red face* So, er...that's just me. If it sounds good to you, you can do it too. I am sealing my vow with the word "harmony" in my sig; so can you. It's not a command, because that would be wrong and I have no right. It's just the most genuine advice that I've ever offered online. There's a thin line between advice of this sort and backseat modding, and I hope I haven't crossed it because this is so important to me. If one person who read it understands me, it's all been worth it in my mind.

 

So I'll stop preaching now. But my promise still stands. And it's not all about me, it doesn't just have to be my promise. I'm willing to share it.

 

Wow...that's probably the longest apology/promise I have ever seen online ever done right after a reply.....and it is glorious dude . Still it's nice to see someone so worried about leaving a bad impression in the fandom. And trust me, you're overreacting, it wasn't that bad . Just...do me a favor, as an advice. Don't let your anger bottle itself okay? If you get mad at something, then express it. In the most harmless way, but express it. It's not WRONG to express an opinion, even if it disagrees. You CAN avoid using offensive words against others, but express your anger if anything bothers you. It's just an opinion, and if doesn't cause any harm, then you shouldn't hold it. Because the way you put it, it's like you're never going to get mad at anything of these things again and...hey, you can get mad. Just don't be aggresive about it. It's all a matter of moderation .

[thor9356 540]

Wow...that's probably the longest apology/promise I have ever seen online ever done right after a reply.....and it is glorious dude . Still it's nice to see someone so worried about leaving a bad impression in the fandom. And trust me, you're overreacting, it wasn't that bad . Just...do me a favor, as an advice. Don't let your anger bottle itself okay? If you get mad at something, then express it. In the most harmless way, but express it. It's not WRONG to express an opinion, even if it disagrees. You CAN avoid using offensive words against others, but express your anger if anything bothers you. It's just an opinion, and if doesn't cause any harm, then you shouldn't hold it. Because the way you put it, it's like you're never going to get mad at anything of these things again and...hey, you can get mad. Just don't be aggresive about it. It's all a matter of moderation .

 

I agree. You can get mad you just got to find a harmless way of expressing it. For me its killing raiders, slavers and enclave soldiers in Fallout 3. What? They're bad guys! I don't think love and tolerance will work on them. I've tried it and I ended up getting killed! lol

[AJHunter 265]

I agree. You can get mad you just got to find a harmless way of expressing it. For me its killing raiders, slavers and enclave soldiers in Fallout 3. What? They're bad guys! I don't think love and tolerance will work on them. I've tried it and I ended up getting killed! lol

 

Another great way to vent is to just discuss it with somepony. That's what the "Life Advice" section is for, if it's not too personal.

 

And, Tails, I agree with your new philosophy of not cutting people out of your definition. Almost. No true brony would discriminate against another brony just for liking clop or grimdark or whatever it is punk kids are into nowadays. That's the only cut I'll make.

[Hawk 100]

So a guy made a thread saying he was leaving MLP, and I replied to it. I should have known better. The fact that he had only ten posts to begin with, and was starting a topic about it instead of just disappearing, should have told me that something was amiss.

 

Right after my reply, I watched the Discord episodes for the first time. Well, leave it to MLP to show me how wrong I had been. I realized that by responding to mock the guy's stated reasons for "leaving," I was just playing into a disjointed debate that would only get bigger.

 

I was wrong. Anyone who supported that post has my blessing--no, my plea--to unhoof it. And to anyone reading this I also ask for your help.

 

If you have ever felt sick of the debates about what it means to be an MLP fan or whatever, if you're tired of seeing all these divisions between a bunch of people who love a show based on harmony and friendship, there's hope. I have found my answer.

 

The answer is to not argue about it! Don't get me wrong, differences over the show itself, video games, toilet paper up or down and such are fine. But about the community itself...have you ever wished we could all just take a break from those discussions? I may be new here, but seven years of forum battles have taught me that they don't go anywhere and they don't leave me feeling any better. I said a few things about that before, but it was hypocritical, because I gave in to my itchy fingers and added my own words of "wisdom" to those topics anyway. And every time, it just left me feeling...gray. Like the ponies.

 

So this is my promise. As long as I am a part of MLP, I will never bring discord (lowercase) into a thread about the community or the fandom again. Grimdark writers, Trixie fans, critics, cloppers...from now on you are just other fans to me, and I embrace all of you. I will not argue about the My Little Pony fandom itself, or slice it up to fit my own values, ever again.

 

*extremely red face* So, er...that's just me. If it sounds good to you, you can do it too. I am sealing my vow with the word "harmony" in my sig; so can you. It's not a command, because that would be wrong and I have no right. It's just the most genuine advice that I've ever offered online. There's a thin line between advice of this sort and backseat modding, and I hope I haven't crossed it because this is so important to me. If one person who read it understands me, it's all been worth it in my mind.

 

 

Oh yeah I'm a firm believer that all Bronies are equal regardless of what category they fall under (be it regular Brony, Clopper, Grim Dark lover, etc). I may not agree with most of them on their views and I may not understand them, but the important thing to remember is that they are still Bronies. I do like your attitude on the matter of trying to stay true to the concept of not saying "You are X therefore you are not a real Brony"

 

However, I'd advise you not to feel bad about that topic you mentioned at the start of your post. That guy was a short sighted, insecure fool who used a metaphorical reality distortion field to forget that all fanbases have what some would call "strange fans", especially the one he confessed his undying love for. He deserved any criticism he got and, quite frankly, good riddance to him.

 

It's good to have harmony in the herd but sometimes you need to steel yourself and smack a silly person upside the head with an iron fist. The trick is to make sure that you don't go too far and start openly attacking people without reason.

Edited September 24, 2012 by Hawk

[Kapi 215]

I was gonna reply earlier, but I had to get ready for work, and didn't want to post a rushed reply.

 

Anyway, I think you're over-reacting a bit. I read that thread, and was gonna make a post in it myself but it got locked. Thing is, I didn't see you, or really anyone going overboard. I understand where you're coming from, and respect your choice and decision, but I think you're beating yourself up over something small.

 

We're bronies, yeah, and we're generally pretty peaceful and relaxed. At the same time though, we're humans, we react to things in our on way, and each of us has a unique way of dealing with things. I think you did what you felt was right for your opinions and your beliefs, and I think the OP spoke before thinking, and said what they wanted to say without going back and checking their bases. At the same time, I respect their decision as well, though I may not agree with them, I can only respect their opinions.

 

Discord changed the ponies in a way that made them unlike their true selves. There's a difference between fighting for your beliefs, and changing altogether. For example, let's say a pony was picking on Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash saw this. Being the friend she is, she'd stand up and say what was on her mind to force the bully to go away. While discorded, I don't think she'd really care. Alternatively, she could leave Fluttershy go, knowing that she herself will be able to handle it, and move on.

 

As you can see, there's a way to deal with everything, we choose to do what we feel is right, whether that's arguing for our opinions, or letting them go and moving on. If we were discorded, we wouldn't really care at all, unless you are already an evil person, in which case being discorded might just be a good thing.

 

In all, forgive and forget, move on. There's no reason to beat yourself up over something you felt was right. I think the OP's own beliefs were a bit wacky, but I have my own wacky beliefs.

[SBaby 660]

Here's the thing. We might be bronies. And we might believe in Love and Tolerance. But much like the mane 6, we blow our tops every once in awhile. It happens.

 

I'm not one for speeches or anything like that regarding this subject matter, so I'll just say the best thing to do is let bygones be bygones.

Edited September 25, 2012 by SBaby

[Steel Matt 250]

No problem! We all have our moments, and man, I have a lot of moments.

 

Like some of the above posts said, even the Mane 6 mess up sometimes.

 

That's why MLP is a good show to me: it teaches good values, both morally and in friendship...and it's not about being perfect all the time. It's about recognizing mistakes, having the motivation to learn from them, and striving to be a better pony/person! We all have our talents, personalities, and our own destiny! If we were all perfect and there was nothing to learn, this would be a pretty boring world

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

Wow...that's probably the longest apology/promise I have ever seen online ever done right after a reply.....and it is glorious dude . Still it's nice to see someone so worried about leaving a bad impression in the fandom. And trust me, you're overreacting, it wasn't that bad . Just...do me a favor, as an advice. Don't let your anger bottle itself okay? If you get mad at something, then express it. In the most harmless way, but express it. It's not WRONG to express an opinion, even if it disagrees.

 

Anyway, I think you're over-reacting a bit. I read that thread, and was gonna make a post in it myself but it got locked. Thing is, I didn't see you, or really anyone going overboard. I understand where you're coming from, and respect your choice and decision, but I think you're beating yourself up over something small.

 

Another great way to vent is to just discuss it with somepony. That's what the "Life Advice" section is for, if it's not too personal.

 

And, Tails, I agree with your new philosophy of not cutting people out of your definition. Almost. No true brony would discriminate against another brony just for liking clop or grimdark or whatever it is punk kids are into nowadays. That's the only cut I'll make.

 

Thanks a lot for your help and support, you guys. I'm floored. The thing is, I know I didn't lose it or go overboard in that thread, and neither had anypony else, at least not the last time I looked at it. But I worried that things might get worse and that I had contributed, although I figured a mod would mop it up pretty quick (which they did, so yay staff).

 

It wasn't just about that topic...really, I don't like any discussion where bronies argue about their differences instead of focusing on the really good things we have in common. This guy buys the toys, that's weird. That guy's a clopper, he's sick. You don't understand the show as well as I do, bla bla. Every time I see that stuff it bothers me, especially when I find myself doing it too. So that's why I made this bizarre thread. To promise to avoid that in the future and hope others would do the same. I know this is a mostly nice board so maybe it wasn't necessary...but I was hurting at the time, so there you go.

 

You made me feel a lot better, as did Pinkie's smile song. Thanks again.