Simply because everyone turned it into a self-decapitating contest between who thinks they aren’t ‘good enough’ vs. ‘feeling good about it’. There is SO much negativity directed at the roleplayer than attempting to direct some KIND of positivity into their skills as a writer and personal enjoyment. It became its own fucking brooding pot of insecurity and needless anxiety. Apparently being told you’re ‘good’ just increases this unneeded doubt that rested on their shoulders. They go INTO denial and start declining, brushing, whatever off any kind of praise because they think they ‘don’t deserve it’ and it becomes a repeated cycle till the point of feeling stressed out, paranoid, and vexed when it clearly could have been avoided.
But hey, that’s example one.
Let’s move to another one.
People get jealous, people feel hate, people feel admiration or a connection to this certain roleplayer and the portrayal of a character. Which is fine. It’s perfectly okay to have a favorite or someone you dislike but it depends on how you react towards those feelings that causes a damn problem. If you’re jealous of someone and their abilities okay—but if you decide to go into their askbox and send them hate or create a problem then that’s not fucking okay. That makes you an asshole. You wanna do something with that jealousy or admiration? Fucking put it towards improving yourself and how you work a character. Use those feelings as SUPPORT. NOT A METHOD OF BRINGING YOURSELF DOWN OR SPREADING HATE TOWARDS SOMEONE ELSE WHO IS INNOCENT AND HAVING FUN.
The label of ‘quality’ is a fucking problem in itself. It both makes people reflect badly upon themselves thinking if they aren’t called quality they, again, are not ‘good enough’ because they weren’t the ideal form of ‘quality’ and the even MORE downside to it makes people think they have some kind of job to uphold. To keep ‘everyone’s’ attention. When they really don’t have to because why?
Oh, I don’t know: It’s a fucking hobby, not an obligation.
You wanna praise someone? Do it in another manner. It’s real simple. It’s real easy.
Unfortunately—this ‘competition thing’ isn’t just the character; apparently it stretches to everything else; the blog layout, the fonts, the context, the presentation of that character and how they work the account. Someone comes in with a more unique way of playing their game and they get either put down for it or praised for it. Thus returning to that circle of self-doubt once again or maybe depending on the person ‘good thoughts and in those rare cases they ENJOY themselves because this whole roleplaying thing is for FUN not STRESS’. But dude, all of that fancy stuff, the way things look is a CHOICE—NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR ROLEPLAYING. It shouldn’t be a problem if someone does or doesn’t use font textures, gifs or icons, anything really. Fucking-A.
You see the point I’m trying to convey here?
It’s a ferocious cycle of one opinion vs. the other.
When you step into the roleplaying community you better fucking wear armor and ready your sword and shield because whatever you DO, you end up fighting for your right to have FUN and are constantly battling against your own feelings of self-doubt, peer pressure, confrontation of damaged friendships, paranoia, and the spread of hate towards yourself or people you follow.
It almost sounds like roleplaying in all is not worth the extra trouble it brings along with the ones you started with when you entered the door, right?
But here’s an old saying; You take the good with the bad and make the most of it. Because some people here might have had their lives changed when they decided to step in; made friendships, had fun, IMPROVED their skills as a writer from looking at others, had connections, saved a life because they listened. LET me tell you kiddos—if someone takes the fucking time to stay up with you all night talking you out of suicide and telling you people care. Checking up on you, sending you little messages that make you smile. ANYTHING at all that is positive and supportive.
You better fucking listen because they are NOT doing it for their health. You better open your fucking eyes and see there ARE people who will miss you, who CARE about you, who THINK of you, and WANT you here. Stop sticking your head in the sand and closing your ears. Pick yourself up off the ground and stride forward because really, you don’t owe people shit, you have no obligations towards people, YOU ARE NOT PUT ON THIS EARTH FOR SOMEONE’S ENTERTAINMENT, YOU don’t need people who tear you down and make you feel worthless. Those are NOT friends, NOT family and you’ll do WONDERS without them.
You HAVE the ability to do great things and yeah it’s NEVER easy. Who the hell said it was? The survival of anything is never a piece of cake, man.
However, there is only ONE you. You can’t replace you. You can’t go out and buy another you. You are special. You’re fucking unique and you have the ability to have awesome friendships and connections around you. You don’t HAVE to be alone.
And most of all; you can’t please everyone but you can PLEASE yourself.
End of fucking rant because I am so tired of seeing innocent and decent people belittling themselves, deleting because of hate and self-doubt and forgetting the whole OTHER side of spectrum that I just explained.
