(no subject)
Apr. 8th, 2006 09:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nnyA sign of increased confidence, of late, that I'm really rather enjoying: I've started weighing in on discussions. Even in people's journals that I don't even know. I've always been far more likely to avoid discussions altogether, for fear that I'll say something stupid, for fear that I won't argue my point well enough or I won't even understand it. I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that I'm entitled to have an opinion. And I'm entitled to express it.
More than that, though - it's not an embarrassment to admit that you hadn't seen things in a certain way before. It's okay to say that someone has changed your mind about something, or to admit that you don't know/haven't heard of something. It's okay to be wrong, so long as you don't cling to it and start wank just 'cos you're afraid to admit it. *grins*
I don't think I've ever really been afraid of appearing stupid. It's actually something of a defense mechanism at times, to stop people from expecting anything from me. Truth is, I'm not, though. I'm not nearly so well educated as a lot of the people I come across online, not so well as many people on my friendslist; this is something that's largely my fault. I don't learn very well in a lecture environment - I've learned far more reading on my own and scouting about on the internet and browsing my friendslist than I did at University, in some ways. I need to read something to have it sink in, and I need to work on that further and try to advance my own learning.
But I'm not stupid.
It makes me want to take more of an active part in fandom, as a whole. Maybe read Good Omens again, maybe try and write something vaguely coherent about the A-C dynamic and why the Crowley=demon=bad=DOMINANT assumption makes me grit my teeth rather and wonder if people have actually read the book.
If anyone knows of any places I could find discussions, I'd be interested. Most of the communities and such that I'm member of tend to be all-fic, all the time. And I just... don't find myself so interested in fic as I used to be. I've become more discerning in my old age, and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hth_the_first wrote an interesting entry on so-called 'emo porn' that made me start to think about why. But that's a different subject entirely.
More than that, though - it's not an embarrassment to admit that you hadn't seen things in a certain way before. It's okay to say that someone has changed your mind about something, or to admit that you don't know/haven't heard of something. It's okay to be wrong, so long as you don't cling to it and start wank just 'cos you're afraid to admit it. *grins*
I don't think I've ever really been afraid of appearing stupid. It's actually something of a defense mechanism at times, to stop people from expecting anything from me. Truth is, I'm not, though. I'm not nearly so well educated as a lot of the people I come across online, not so well as many people on my friendslist; this is something that's largely my fault. I don't learn very well in a lecture environment - I've learned far more reading on my own and scouting about on the internet and browsing my friendslist than I did at University, in some ways. I need to read something to have it sink in, and I need to work on that further and try to advance my own learning.
But I'm not stupid.
It makes me want to take more of an active part in fandom, as a whole. Maybe read Good Omens again, maybe try and write something vaguely coherent about the A-C dynamic and why the Crowley=demon=bad=DOMINANT assumption makes me grit my teeth rather and wonder if people have actually read the book.
If anyone knows of any places I could find discussions, I'd be interested. Most of the communities and such that I'm member of tend to be all-fic, all the time. And I just... don't find myself so interested in fic as I used to be. I've become more discerning in my old age, and
hth_the_first wrote an interesting entry on so-called 'emo porn' that made me start to think about why. But that's a different subject entirely.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-04-08 01:56 pm (UTC)I'll gladly be the first to agree with you on that count :)
no subject
Date: 2006-04-08 02:09 pm (UTC)Same here, very much. So I know a lot about some very oddball mostly useless things, and not much about some obvious, commmon things, and I know my education has huge gaps...conversationally, I try to step around them.
If it helps, you come off as very smart and well-read to me. :)
Maybe read Good Omens again, maybe try and write something vaguely coherent about the A-C dynamic and why the Crowley=demon=bad=DOMINANT assumption makes me grit my teeth rather and wonder if people have actually read the book.
Oh, please please please do!
don't mind the random person
Date: 2006-04-08 08:29 pm (UTC)If all else fails, you can always start these discussions here or on communities you're part of.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-09 12:28 am (UTC)How am I supposed to have debates with you if I agree with everything you say? STOP THAT.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-09 01:52 pm (UTC)Nonetheless, don't expect any serious discussion in my journal. I haven't progressed past the 'OMG, conflict, run away, run away' attitude. Recently there was someone who was honestly willing to listen to my points on a controversial issue, and I asked to drop the issue rather than get into an argument.
Am such a tremendous coward.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-10 06:27 am (UTC)And, you know, I totally get where that assumption is coming from, so I'm inclined to be charitable on the first go-round -- it's just that where it's coming from is several fallacies, and people ought to get that once it's explained.
Which is part of why I should very much like to see it explained articulately.