I honestly feel this to some extent. I see a lot of people all wrapped up thinking everyone hates them, but if everyone I come across is like that, then I know they're too busy thinking about themselves to think of how much they hate me.

The hard and fast truth I've discovered is that once you're out of someone's sight, they more or less forget you exist. It doesn't take much to learn how to get people to think of you when you're not around, and learning how to be good company is a worthwhile skill for the terminal lonely hearts out there. People can learn on the fly with a simple hi, some people do have no idea what to say so its helpful to think about why you want to know them, and what you like about them. It makes coming up with compliaments and plans so much more easier.

It sounds very old-timer but I feel like that has to be a side effect of the internet age. As somebody on Twitter put it, we weren't supposed to be aware of this many people at once. And now that we are, it's broken our ability to interact and more or less trained us to expect the worst. And I can't say I'm exempt from that, being an American in 2023, I view every single interaction with an unknown as a recon mission in search of Nazism.

But even if we ignore the social element of it or at least, the kind related to making friends and what not, it's things like what I was dealing with during last night's class that really get to me. Teacher says, we're gonna do discussions about the chapter for everyone who doesn't want to write a weekly essay on the chapter. Thus, most people skip the essay (I would have done the essay but I correctly assumed if I didn't talk during the discussion period, nobody else would) but then when it comes time to discuss, it's fucking pulling teeth. She's saying over and over again YOU DON'T GET A GRADE FOR READING THE BOOK IF YOU DON'T WRITE OR DISCUSS and yet all of these people who have had a week to come up with some super basic shit to say, just can't fucking handle it. And the same thing is true for the class in every other aspect. These aren't even social interactions really it's just saying relatively objective things about the material but no, can't do it.

This kind of ties into my overall irritation with say, a lack of feedback. Or even just my personal interactions with friends/acquaintances and all the problems that could have been avoided if somebody would have just said what they were thinking. I guess I'm abnormal in that I'm never at a loss for words so perhaps it's unfair that I'm so impatient with those who are but like...guys, you have thoughts, surely, so just...say them? People just...don't...talk.

And yeah, I feel like to some extent, it's a generational phenomenon.

They don't talk because they want the class to fucking end.

Back in my day we used smileys! >:C

...But seriously though, I stopped using any of that seriously about ten years ago...

I sometimes use emoticons or the occasional emoji for the purpose of driving up the absurdity of a statement. My most frequent one is probably D: which I use when experiencing very unpleasant things such as learning Javascript.

Honestly, dude-I can see where you might be someone who's difficult to talk to. I mean do you attempt to be civil/polite with people or are you always on a rant. It's difficult to tell given this is your platform to say what you want. If you go off on people over the littlest thing like you do here I can see why you struggle to communicate. I talk to a lot of late teen/twenty-somethings and haven't noticed an issue. Some people are just shy and that's nothing new. You're just seeing a lot more of it because of all the different ways we have to communicate but when I was in grade school in the 80's there were plenty of kids who struggled to communicate.

The issue isn't the kids. It's the fact school sucks. Forcing people to either do a huge essay on something OR talk about it isn't how to teach someone something. Out entire school system is structured in a fundamentally fucked up way.

Credit where it's due, I'm literally paralyzed with indecision on how to best make fun of this take. Do I mock the part where you openly admit you're making assumptions based off information you don't have IE my interpersonal interactions in real life? The part where you more or less admit that indeed now that people have modernized, minimalist ways of communicating people just plain refuse to do it for real, as was much of my original point? Or perhaps do I mock the part where you've decided that the analysis of the written word is part of some oppressive, overarching problem with American education, as apparently this practice occurs nowhere else on planet Earth?

See, this 'positive vibes only' shit that people like you do is far more toxic than any of the cynicism a guy like myself could ever put out there. Why don't you just tell me exactly how vacuous I need to be in order to gain the coveted approval of noted dude-on-internet Zidders? Nobody's making you watch this account so you're more than welcome to replace me in your list with whatever the modern equivalent of the classic "pounce-huggles" furry is (Pretty sure it's UwU?).

Dude you know what? Being an asshole isn't a valid personality. My point was maybe instead of applying a negative label to an entire generation you don't? Try not being a prejudiced old man yelling at clouds? The only impression I have to go by is your personality on FA. Maybe you're not a complete asshole. Would you rather me sugarcoat shit and not point out the fact that being a dick to/about people tends to not win you many friends or are you just happy with being a dick? Because if you're perfectly happy being an asshole, fine but if you think that makes you somehow superior to everyone you're kind of full of shit.

And I don't expect everyone to be positive vibes only but holy fuck, dude. You pretty much go out of your way to be a dick to and about everyone.

On the contrary, being an asshole is the only personality which nets tangible results within human society. Of course I do it pro bono, out of passion, if you will.

And I'm happy with the friends I have now, thanks. We get along pretty good. We like making fun of a lot of the same people. I have little onus to fundamentally alter my personality just to make greater quantities newer, shittier, disingenuous ones.

Next time, just bookmark my e621 if you want decent rape porn so bad. Save us both the trouble.

You're not as clever as you think you are and you certainly aren't any better than anyone.

D: