Tumblr made me queer and now Mastodon is going to make me a fucking furry.
Seriously. A... Awoo. >.>
It's actually a little funny in the sense that I technically already feel a strong connection to rodents, especially rats; my medieval reenactment name was "the Rat" and I do have, y'know. Big teeth and ears and all that. But I don't know what the sort of cute noise a rat would make - I don't think I could have a proper fursona because I wouldn't want it to be cute and all needy of attention and all; and I wouldn't want to RP as a sort of anthropormophed rat either or any animal either. Especially since I wouldn't exactly be on the cute-and-attention-needy side.
(inb4 "even among furries I wouldn't fit in oh my god")
@seaw *squints* I don't understand the "proper fursona" comment at all
@InspectorCaracal It's more like... from what I've seen of fursonas and all, I'm not sure I could ever fit in. I'm not into sex, I'm not into... the whole fursuits and escapism and RP thing? I do feel a connection, but it's just... I don't know; it's all very confusing for me.
@seaw Two things:
-furries are definitely NOT all cute and clingy affectionate
-have you looked into therians?
@InspectorCaracal I haven't - and I'm sorry for my ignorance, I truly don't know thaaat much about furries. I just sort of rambled out loud again out of anxiety and it got out of hand, as it always does. x) But thank you for educating me, I shall look into therians.
@seaw No no don't apologize I wasn't trying to show you up, I was trying to help *flails*
@InspectorCaracal Oh, it's okay, I should still apologise for being ignorant and all. You did help!
@seaw noooo not knowing things is not a flawwww
@InspectorCaracal It is thouuuugh, it leads to miscommunication and all sorts of problems!
@InspectorCaracal Yes, and it might be becoming obvious to me that your opinions are usually smart and interesting :D So tell me all about it, if you'd like.
@seaw Aww shucks 💛
The short version is we stigmatise ignorance to the point people will rather be wrong than admit they don't know something and that's TERRIBLE. How can people keep learning if they can't admit they don't know something without being mocked or derided??
There's an XKCD comic that illustrates part of the issue pretty well, I think, about how even the things "everyone knows", everyone also has to learn it for the first time at some point.
@InspectorCaracal I'm terrible at making compliments but always making them either way!
Oh, I remember the comic, yes. I can see what you mean. I try never to be afraid to ask... But when it's about people's identities and other important belief/community system, one must be extra careful in not being hurtful; and in SJ circles ignorance = bad, because then you hurt people without realising you are/what you are doing wrong. So one should basically be educated in everything. It's a difficult mindset for me to escape.
@seaw in online SJ- identifying circles, at least. There's a tendency towards witch hunts and a refusal to accept that people can learn from mistakes in them that I really dislike, so I tend to steer clear of the communities. (The people IN said communities are usually fine in other settings.)
I think avoiding assumptions rather than trying to know everything is more effective to avoid unwittingly hurting people, but I'm also notoriously incapable of normal social dynamics... 😅
@InspectorCaracal That's very true! It's part of what drove me away from Tumblr, tbh. Hard to get my dashboard back to acceptable limits of neo-puritanism.
No, it sounds sound enough (ah, it sounds sound!) I'm just... having this layer of "omg I'm going to hurt people I am a BAD person" on top of, err, more rational concerns about my privileges and my assumptions and how to best keep everything in check. So whenever there is but the smallest incertitude whether I am on the Right Side Of the Discourse(tm) I usually shut up. I mean. POC and oppressed people know better than me anyway, you know? Even when I disagree.
@seaw Anxiety and depression suck! 👍
@InspectorCaracal That they do!
@seaw The thing that leads to miscommunication is other people assuming that everyone else knows the things they consider obvious. *huffs* I have Opinions about this, as might be becoming obvious, cough.