I Can't Believe This Username Wasn't Taken

Quinn - they/them - page of rage - Asks are open! Tumblr won't let me change the header lol it's my cat

[classpectingblog]

~General Info~

If you want a quick, clear answer, then this blog probably isn't the one you should ask as I am incapable of being anything other than intensely thorough 😅

I am more interested in the use of classpect system for things outside of the comic itself, like better understanding yourself and others! So while I may talk about these features, I will not be doing asks related to:

God tier powers & fraymotifs

Lands & denizens (tho I'm okay with personal lands if you're willing to dm me with more information about yourself)

Lunar sway (same condition as above)

Sburb sessions

Strife specibus & fetch modus

Things I *will* do:

Classpect analysis obviously

Classpecting characters (as long as they have a decent wiki page lmao. Or if it's an OC, as long as you have plenty of info about them)

Relationship dynamics between classpects

Too much information is always better than too little with me! So don’t worry about being too lengthy or giving too much detail :D

"classpect basics" will be my tag for explaining the system I use and why. So if you're wondering what exactly my definitions are, I'll be posting them there.

[classpectingblog]

Inversion and Roleplay

Definitely a source of contention between the major players of the classpecting community. I believe that both are applicable to some extent, but not to the lengths I’ve seen some people take them to. I view both under the same umbrella and definitely don’t see them as either/or. Roleplay is a simpler concept to understand so that’ll come first.

Thoughts on roleplay.

It makes perfect sense to want, or feel like you need to act as someone else. Doubly so if that person is an adult role model. Trying to force yourself to fit someone else’s behavior is doomed to fail but we keep trying because, well, it sure worked for them didn’t it?

If your life isn’t going well as a prince, an active destroyer, maybe switching it up and emulating your super cool bro that’s a knight, a passive servant, would help. Who knows? (based on @/optimisticduelist2 posts about Dirk rping alpha Dave)

Roleplay is mostly centered on classes rather than aspects, because it’s your class that fuels your actions. Aspects just pertain to your worldview. No one is going to act according to their first impulse 100% of the time, and sometimes finding out where you stand in the world is hard. Life sucks sometimes, it’s really no wonder we all try to mix and match our behaviors when we’re lacking confidence or stressed out.

Neither roleplay nor inversion are game mechanics, just natural habits to try when something isn’t working like you want it too. If you’re going nowhere fast, you can try modeling yourself after someone you look up too or you can try to tweak the things about yourself that seem to be hindering you. Neither of which are good ideas for the long run and they’re gonna wear you down, but that’s not gonna stop us.

Thoughts on inversion.

I think that full, dramatic inversion is only possible with the help of fantasy rules, such as the Horrorterrors with Rose. I don’t think people in real life are capable of such a powerful 180, but I do believe we often take traits from our opposing title to move us along. Ghosting is the term I use when talking about inversion that’s only partial, either only class or aspect inversion with the other in tact, or a full inversion but only half-heartedly.

If you’re put in a situation where you’re repeatedly told that you’re not allowed to act as yourself, that you must change the behavior and thinking that’s innate to you, the easiest and most ingrained way to act is as your inverse. The complete opposite of one’s title is strikingly similar to the point that many people are confused on which they should claim.

If you’re a Witch of Heart and told to tone it down- you’re too emotional, too egocentric, too loud and passionate, etc.- you might try hesitantly acting as a Seer of Mind instead. Your talent lies in turning people to your side, in boosting their self-esteem, in solidifying their sense of identity, but if that’s not an option the next best thing would be to guide their decisions instead.

The external effects are similar- getting others to make choices they might not otherwise, but internally there’s a world of difference. When a witch of heart puts you on a different course it’s because they changed how you feel about something or how you look at yourself. When a seer of mind puts you on a different course it’s because they’ve convinced you that this is actually the right decision.

Basically, if for some reason you feel you can’t act as yourself or how you want to, the next best thing is to act as something that gets the same results and something you already have a vague talent for.

I doubt there’s any true way to predict why someone inverts versus roleplays, but it seems to me that for internal causes, inversion is usually a problem with confidence and self-esteem, either too much or too little, while roleplaying is a response to confusion or conflicting influences. As for external causes, inversion seems to happen with overbearing authority, while roleplaying stems from poor or disappointing outcomes you feel are your fault.

These are hard rules of course, just patterns I’ve noticed, and often a situation has a mix of different causes. Everyone is different so as much as I love patterns and trends, there will always be outliers.

[classpectingblog]

The classpect system and mental illness

Disclaimer- obviously this will be talking about mental illness. There’s nothing explicit or triggering but if you’re not feeling it right now, it’s totally fine to skip. I talk about my experiences with depression, anxiety, and autism, and I also mention ADHD and personality disorders.

Boy, having a solid grasp of one’s identity sure is difficult with several different disorders in the way. But I haven’t seen anyone discussing this with regards to classpecting, so I’m here to talk about it. This is going to differ from person to person, disorder to disorder, so if you’re trying to figure out your title as someone with mental illness, take some time to ponder this.

I think the main question here is: is the mental disorder a core of who you are? Even if you would act different without it, would you be a whole different person?

For me, it’s a bit of both. I don’t define myself with depression and anxiety because I feel that they only affect how I act and what I can do. I’d jump at the chance to be rid of them because I’m sure I could live up to more of my potential without the apathy and fatigue of depression, without the constant second-guessing and nausea of anxiety.

However, I am autistic, and that’s completely different. I was born autistic, I’ll die autistic, and even if there was a cure I wouldn’t take it. I wouldn’t be myself without it because it’s the way I process things, the way I feel things, the way I connect with people, and the way my whole life has been structured.

Are you indecisive and absorbed with making the best choice possible because your aspect is mind? Or is it because anxiety is forcing you to ruminate on that instead of what you’d prefer to be doing?

Are you very concerned with remaining free and untethered because your aspect is breath? Or is it because depression is telling you not to get involved with anyone because they won’t like you anyway?

Are you an active, restless person who prefers to make any decision, including bad ones, over no decision at all because your aspect is time? Or do you have ADHD and need more stimulation than others so impulsivity is the result?

When I was first figuring out my classpect title, I paid attention to filtering out the hopelessness that comes along with depression because I knew that on my good days, that wasn’t a part of who I was, and I didn’t want to be like that. On the other hand, I think my autism actually keyed me into the rage aspect; autistic people often have very strong ideas of right and wrong, and take it very seriously when people don’t feel the same. My morality is a little confusing, to others and sometimes myself, but regardless it’s something that leads my life and I get very intense about it.

Developmental disorders like autism and ADHD are often just a part of who you are regardless of how society treats the more inconvenient symptoms as if they’re choices. Personality disorders can be the same way depending on the person; they’re something you gain during childhood and often can’t be completely “cured” so I’ve heard some people say they wouldn’t want it completely gone and some people say that it’s nothing but a burden to them.

Unfortunately, understanding the way your mental illness reflects on your identity isn’t really something I can walk someone through like I can with classpects.

I just wanted to make this post in case it resonates with anyone else, especially those still trying to understand themselves. I’ve seen a couple people suggest that if you struggle with identity, your aspect is probably heart, but I don’t think it’s that simple for people with disorders that have “lack of stable identity” as an official symptom.

[classpectingblog]

Passivity and Activity

We know classes are either passive or active, we know that lunar sway is tied to being passive or active, and many people suspect aspects also affect passivity and activity.

That's a right jumbled mess depending on what you think the definitions of "passive" and "active" are. I've seen a whole lot of definitions being thrown around, but I finalized my stance after seeing @/theworstpersonintheworld state that for a class to be active, it must fit every definition of active. Except my stance is sorta the opposite.

Your class, aspect, and moon only ascribe to one definition each and they don't stack up to a total level of activity. You should be able to state “I’m passive in X way, active in Y way, and active in Z way” instead of a singular “I’m passive or active”.

Classes

As it relates to classes, my definition of passive means "team-centered" while active means "self-centered". Active classes tend to focus their actions around their own goals while passive classes tend to focus their actions around the goals of everyone else. This is a common one for classes already but most people add other definitions which I do not.

Aspects

As it relates to aspects, my definition of passive means "reactive" while active means "proactive". Passive aspects are usually just living life with what they have until something catches their eye while active aspects are usually on the search for their next interests. This can also go for the definitions of "defensive" and "offensive". Passive aspects wait until something threatens their bubble and active aspects are seeking and preparing against the next threat. I’ve seen people use this definition for both classes and moons but it never seemed to fit quite right with me.

Lunar Sway

As it relates to lunar sway, my definition of passive means "receptive" while active means "unreceptive". Prospit dreamers are more open to new ideas while Derse dreamers are more closed to new ideas. This is pretty explicit within the canon explanations of Prospit and Derse on the Extended Zodiac quiz, but I wanted to make sure that it was linked together within the passive/active dichotomy.

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Myself as an example- I’m a derse-dreamer page of rage. I’m active in that I look out for myself before others, I’m active in that I’m not very receptive to new ideas, but I’m passive in that I usually wait until something comes into my life to react to it.

John as an example- he’s a prospit-dreamer heir of breath. He’s passive in that he looks out for his friends before himself, he’s passive in that he’s open to new ideas, but he’s active in that he’s usually looking out for new subjects and places to explore.

This is why I have put page as the active class of the pair instead of passive. Jake, Tavros, and Horuss are all self-centered people (which is not a bad thing y’all, self-love is important), while Dave, Karkat, and what little we know about Latula are all focused on their teams. If I viewed the classes with the “reactive and proactive” definition then I would be inclined to switch them, but I think the evidence for that is shakier.

Within the aspect wheel shown on the Extended Zodiac page, all of the bottom aspects + space are passive (reactive), while all of the top aspects + time are active (proactive).

[classpectingblog]

This is an overview of my thoughts towards the classes and aspects since I know opinions are so varied! The class section is on this post and I’ll be reblogging with the aspect section. My next post will be detailing my definitions of “passive” and “active” in order to clarify my stance on the great knight/page debate, to clarify what I mean by statements like “third most passive pair”, and to explain the concept of active and passive aspects.

Keep reading

[classpectingblog]

Aspects:

Space (passive) & Time (active)

Space is an aspect about beginnings, creation, physicality, size and location, biology, and ambiguity. Space understands that everything will have its place; there’s no need to rush things or spend too much time fretting about the details.

Time is an aspect about endings, decay, inevitability, precision, repetition, timing, and mechanics. Time understands that you have to make an effort for the results you want; you’re not going to get anywhere by sitting still and if you keep working at it, something’s bound to happen.

Heart (passive) & Mind (active)

Heart is an aspect about emotions, sense of self, identity, desires, impulses, and bias. Heart understands that you are your most important priority; you will have yourself as long as you live so making sure you know who you are and what you want out of life is imperative.

Mind is an aspect about logic, actions, choices, apathy, balance, judgement, and impartiality. Mind understands that the world revolves around the decisions of each and every person on it; in order to get the best outcome, you must hold every option to an equal weight regardless of personal attachment.

Rage (passive) & Hope (active)

Rage is an aspect about doubt, negativity, truth, narrow possibilities, defiance, and righteousness. Rage understands that the truth is hard to come by and hidden under layers of complacency but worth it in the end; there’s no merit in stability if it’s built on lies and vanity.

Hope is an aspect about beliefs, positivity, new possibilities, subjectivity, conviction, and delusions. Hope understands that having faith and imagination is necessary to create a better world; it’s obligatory to follow what you think is right and help anyone who’s experiencing wrong deeds.

Void (passive) & Light (active)

Void is an aspect about secrets, lies, nothingness, misfortune, irrelevance, mystery, and confusion. Void understands that the universe is full of the unexplained and that’s never going to change; to have nothing is much better than just taking what you’re given.

Light is an aspect about information, everything, fortune, relevance, influence, and certainty. Light understands that there’s infinite information out there and the more of it you know, the more of an impact you’ll have on the world; possessing the right knowledge can change a situation for the better.

Blood (passive) & Breath (active)

Blood is an aspect about relationships, bonds, connections, obligations, unity, promises, and groups. Blood understands that whether they’re good or bad, the things that tie you to others make up more of your reputation than anything else; no matter how bad a problem is, there’s always more strength in numbers.

Breath is an aspect about freedom, motivation, drive, movement, disconnect, independence, and indifference. Breath understands that there’s a lot to explore out there and having flexible options can only be a boon; the ability to drift wherever and do whatever is inspiring to a great many people.

Doom (passive) & Life (active)

Doom is an aspect about restriction, systems, suffering, empathy, necessity, rules, and wisdom. Doom understands that there’s a pattern in everything and it’s not so easy to break out of that; no matter which track you’ve been set on, you’re never truly alone or unable to be understood.

Life is an aspect about growth, overcoming, energy, rebellion, strength, and liberation. Life understands that the days will continue to march by so there’s no point in staying stuck; there’s always a way to get out of the situation you’re in and you have a natural right to do what’s best for you.

[classpectingblog]

This is an overview of my thoughts towards the classes and aspects since I know opinions are so varied! The class section is on this post and I’ll be reblogging with the aspect section. My next post will be detailing my definitions of "passive" and "active" in order to clarify my stance on the great knight/page debate, to clarify what I mean by statements like "third most passive pair", and to explain the concept of active and passive aspects.

Classes:

Sylph (passive) & Maid (active) = create, heal, increase

These classes focus on creating their aspect and creating through their aspect. “Create” tends to imply making something from scratch but you can also create from what’s already there, which is healing and increasing. -Sylphs and Maids make up the most passive pair of the classes.

Prince (active) & Bard (passive) = destroy, erode, decrease

These classes focus on destroying their aspect and destroying through their aspect. This is probably the pair everyone agrees on the most. I do want to point out that it’s not an all-or-nothing deal; you can erode something without obliterating it completely and those are both destruction. -Princes and Bards make up the most active pair of the classes.

Seer (passive) & Mage (active) = guide, understand, learn

These classes focus on guiding their aspect and guiding through their aspect. I prefer the keyword “guide” because while “understand” is definitely accurate, it doesn’t get across how the classes actually act. I still use “understand” pretty often because it’s still relevant, as you need to understand something in order to guide someone through it. -Seers and Mages make up the second most passive pair of the classes.

Witch (active) & Heir (passive) = change, inherit, manipulate

These classes focus on changing their aspect and changing through their aspect. “Inherit” is most often used for heir specifically, but both classes have a theme of being given something and having to make it your own, i.e. changing what you inherit. -Witches and Heirs make up the second most active pair of the classes.

Rogue (passive) & Thief (active) = steal, take, distribute

These classes focus on stealing their aspect and stealing through their aspect. This is another easily understood pair. “Distribute” is usually used for rogue because it’s a more passive action, but it’s applicable to both classes. -Rogues and Thieves make up the third most active pair of the classes.

Page (active) & Knight (passive) = serve, give, indulge

These classes focus on serving their aspect and serving through their aspect. As I said at the top of the post, I’ll be explaining why I think page is active and knight is passive in my next post. I’ve not seen the keyword “indulge” used before but I found it fitting. Both classes tend to be at the whims of others and the whims of their aspect, and they deal with that by indulging them, and serving them to the best of their ability. -Pages and Knights make up the third most passive pair of the classes.

Muse (passive) & Lord (active) = ? command, embody, rule ?

These classes focus on commanding their aspect and commanding through their aspect. I’m going to be honest, I don’t focus on these much, partly because we only have a single, unclear example of each, and partly because in the general population they’re not very common. I really only use them when I classpect media, not actual people. -Muses and Lords are the most extreme examples of passive and active classes respectively.