#open-mindness

[diary-of-a-bunny-blog]

Acceptance and tolerance in the community

First, I want to apologize for my bad English here and there. My mother tongue isn't English but I'm giving my best. Thanks for your understanding in advance!

I wanna show you how I see the therianthropy community nowadays. What I say here is personal observation and understanding. If you see it different, that's fine. Actually, am too lazy for fights here so if you wanna bring up the hate towards me cause of my opinion, be it. I won't react. Still wish you all a beautiful day.

The therianthropy community - What was it intended to be originally?

The therianthropy community once was thought to be a safe haven for those who feel and identify as some non-human animal on an integral, personal, non-physical way. It was intended to give love and support, to welcome new folks and to educate newcomers and anti-kin. The community's purpose actually is to support each other as we all are sitting in the same boat. We all have the one or other non-human experience. Doesn't matter if psychological or spiritual, we all identify as something different and sometimes get looked at like we were totally crazy. Maybe we are but we all are lovely crazy beans who stick together. Who're there for each other and always remain that a connection between you and the rest of the community exists. A connection that needs to be taken care of. It's about education, about learning. You learn about yourself and others. Only comfort can give you a feeling of home and that's what the community once meant to be.

Does it fulfill it's purpose?

I myself actually have huge troubles believing this. In some cases, yes. Therianthropes like Ulfrvif who look at therianthropy sceptically but with a huge box of support in mind is one of those examples. She understands what the community should be like. Am proud of you!

However, other circles... and not only a few... tend to ban, hate and scare away newcomers and even old hares. I even saw therians who got banned because they were too euphoric and jumped from conclusion to conclusion cause they didn't know it better and couldn't figure themselves out over a long time. I saw therians who got hated because they aren't a wolf or cat. Saw some who got banned and kind of hunted on social media because they got the facts straight and corrected misinformed beans. I saw groups which only let dogs in. And saw therians who got insulted because "they take their identity too seriously". I could go on and on and on. But I think you lovely beans got my message so far.

What can we do to make it better?

I know it takes a lot of time to change and a lot of effort, too. But it isn't impossible. We all can do it. We all need to learn that every therianthrope in this community started somewhere and that we all have something in common: We are animals in one way or the other and yet still humans. We live in a balance of animal and human, of wilderness and civilization, of instinct and rationality. We are different to most other humans and most other animals. So why do we have to spread so much hate? Why can't we just leave things as they are and accept each other? Not saying we accept it when someone's misinformed or such. We still should teach them as this is, as mentioned, another purpose of this community. Let me find three words that should describe this community: Education, love, support.

Now let's make the first step. Let's be a bit more open to others. I know, some old hares here are tired of the misinformation and all the anti-kin and whatnot. These edgy kids and weird ones. But hey. How aren't we weird? Everyone's weird in some way or the other. Everyone has their quirks. Life would be boring without. And we all were kids once and made mistakes. Forgive those who made these mistakes. Forgive those who changed and give them a second chance. Time heals most wounds. Please remember that. ♡

And I also mean those who get mad cause someone corrects them. As said, this community lives for education. Accept that you made a mistake and thankfully take the advice. Learn!

In love

Nevanthi

[frankie-blue8]

It takes a disciplined person to listen to convictions which are different from their own

Dorothy Fuldheim, American journalist

[zhyly-lebiz]

Счастье — это так легко

17 декабря 2014 года 13:06

Кафетерий университета. Тихий шум вокруг. Едва ли можно найти свободное местечко. Люди живо беседуют за столиками: профессора с коллегами — такие седые большие старички в очках и с седой щетиной, хотя не факт, что типичный препод выглядит так. Студенты самых разных возрастов и наций. Все выглядят довольными и спокойными. Вообще, жизнь тут такая и есть — без лишних ненужных напряжений и стресса. Едва ли отличишь, кто — препод, а кто — студент; кто на какую степень учится. Человеку может быть 40, и он может учиться на бакалавра. Он — легко, без всяких предрассудков и обсуждений со стороны окружающих — может быть моим одногруппником. Разновидность направлений в университете тоже широкая, так же как и национальностей. Но…

Мало, кто зацикливается на этом. Ты житель этой планеты? Ты такой же, как и я! Давай дружить! Давай общаться, говорить обо всем на свете и забыть обо всем плохом и жестоком. Давай находить много общего и хорошего, что нас объединяет, соединяет и сближает. Давай напомним себе еще раз, что счастье — это так легко!

Счастье — это student meal за 7 фунтов на двоих и бесконечная беседа в кафе в дождливую погоду вечером после уроков с твоим одногруппником, соседом или просто новым знакомым, с которым ты познакомился случайно на вечере японской культуры.

Счастье — это когда ты забываешь свой кошелек в книжной полке в библиотеке и, вспомнив через пол часа, возвращаешься, чтобы обнаружить, что он стоит нетронутый.

Счастье — это когда в ходе беседы ты вздрагиваешь от осознования того, что ты согласен с тем, что только что сказал твой собеседник и ты тоже так думаешь! Или что ты тоже так думаешь, но никогда не мог этого объяснить и выразить словами.

Счастье — это когда в магазине со скидкой стоит именно та вещь, которую ты хотела. И размер твой есть, прикинь.

Счастье — это когда в голове крутится песня, и ты хочешь ее послушать, а через некоторое время, включив радио, ты слышишь ту самую песню… Или твой iPod выбирает именно ту песню.

Счастье — это думаешь, что опоздал на лекцию, но все равно идешь на нее с надеждой. Приходишь — а она вот-вот начнется, но еще не началась. Будто все ждали тебя. 

Счастье — это когда у вас музыкальные вкусы с соседом-травокуром в общаге совпадают, а он слушает ее громко и почти каждый день. Но тебе ведь нравится и не мешает. И бывает даже, ты втихаря шазамишь их :)

Счастье, что я отложила телефон с наушниками и решила слушать не музыку, а этот тихий шум вокруг, который несет спокойствие и осознание. 

За окном пасмурно и дождливо. Уже холодная зима. А внутри у меня цветет весна, и так тепло от того, что... Счастье — осознавать всё это.

[thebarrenmind]

Perspectives: Taiwanese girls in a foreigner's eyes

Today I read an article of an American guy working in Taiwan as an English teacher, who attempts to define “Taiwanese Girls”. He illustrated the fact that Taiwanese girls are gold diggers, empty-brained, and relies on material items to feel secure and contentment. He first criticizes the Taiwanese girls on not being open-minded enough to care about world news, economics, and other social matters. Then he contradicts in his righteous attitude in describing Taiwanese girls as only good enough to be sexual tools who submit to foreigners.

This guy may have a point when he is arguing reasonably about the actions and insecurities most Taiwanese people have. However, when he started using vulgar languages to illustrate his point of view, it can’t help but make me feel sorry about his integrity and low moral value. Perhaps he is not in a position to criticize these particular Taiwanese girls he meets, since he seems to be of the same type.

As a Taiwanese girl, I feel insulted that a single person can rudely humiliate and degrade us by stereotyping based on a few choice samples (of Taiwanese girls) he may have met. If I were more emotional, I would have responded “who do you think you are?”, “who gives you the right to insult the whole population?”, “birds of a feather flock together”.

However, stepping back and seeing this as a big picture. This phenomenon isn’t really all that uncommon. Labels, stereotypes, grouping, and insults are part of human nature and what we tend to do. Classifying things and proclaiming them out loud make us feel better about ourselves, the same effect of putting other people down. Isn’t this apparent in how even Taiwanese decide to agree and blame the small group of girls that have given this American guy this impression, then accusing them of deteriorating the image of a country.  

The world has around 7 billion people, each of them individual entity with their own mind, personalities, and characteristics. How can the American believe that the girls he described do not exist in his own country? And maybe in even greater numbers.

I guess what I wanted to say that we can’t control how people think of us. People will be putting labels on you, groups, nation, country. It is how they try to understand their environment. We do that every day too. We can’t expect every single person to be perfect. We have to accept that there will be people with bad morals, lower values, and have undignified thoughts. You can’t get angry at these people who criticize and insult, because they are who they are. By getting angry, they are not going to change what they think and say. Humans are stubborn creatures, and we hung on to our beliefs to reassure ourselves.  

The only lesson we can take from this article, is only to take a chance to examine ourselves. We don’t need to care about what other people think, as long as we know that we are the best that we can be. And the next time we unconsciously label people or do some stereotyping of our own, try to put ourselves in the other person’s shoe. Are you going to be that American guy who is so absorbed in his observation, that he has become unethical in thoughts and speech? Or are you going to be open-minded about what you do and say.

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Another issue that I’ve taken to heart and examine is that some Taiwanese commentators are accusing the girls of adoring the western ways/people, and abandoning/betraying Taiwan. I’m not going to discuss specifically about love/relationship/adoration for foreigners.

“I’m talking about how some of us really are inspired by western ways of thoughts and actions, so much that we begin to question the ways of a Taiwanese”

These thoughts are actually what were in my mind lately, as I explored and learn from many inspirational talks of American entrepreneurs and self-employed people. I had begun to put down the Taiwanese ways, antagonizing what I used to know. Then upon stumbling this article, I took the time to think about this: the labeling, stereotyping. I realize I’ve become closed-minded about Taiwanese people, believing that everyone is as our unreliable media portrays.

Now I evaluate my mindset and decided: me idolizing the inspirational talkers (westerners) is not wrong. They really have amazing insights, but just that they apply to their different culture and habits. I must be less closed-minded about my own country’s people, and should try to meet and learn from those innovative individuals that do exist in Taiwan.

However, I shall not feel guilty about trying to force some of the thoughts and ideals shared by those westerners to my fellow Taiwanese people. If those concepts and ideas are constructive and can help change us/move us toward the better, then I’m willing to take the label of “崇洋媚外” and try to change our world. 

[scienceyquotes-blog]

But the reason I call myself by my childhood name is to remind myself that a scientist must also be absolutely like a child. If he sees a thing, he must say that he sees it, whether it was what he thought he was going to see or not. See first, think later, then test. But always see first. Otherwise you will only see what you were expecting.

Douglas Adams, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish 

[gkchestertonquote]

It is very desirable that such positions should be set forth and tested; that clear conversion or rejection should be substituted for that muddle which we call the modern intellect, and which is not so much a liberty of speech, as rather an anarchy of silence.

G.K. Chesterton in his introduction to Hinduism: The World-Ideal