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almondreblogs · 9 months ago

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Birth and Death: Thoughts on the second (yes, second!) Mononoke lore drop

Here is the second story bible page that's been released, along with an auto-translation and analysis provided by @purplealmonds. Check it out!

Here are my thoughts so far on the new concepts:

(1) Taoist Origin

The ideas in this doc are very familiar. They seem, again, to be drawn from foundational Taoist texts. Here's how Zhuangzi describes the Tao, or the Way:

It has reality yet there is no place where it resides - this refers to the dimension of space. It has duration but no beginning or end - this refers to the dimension of time. There is life, there is death, there is a coming out, there is a going back in - yet in the coming out and going back its form is never seen.(16) This is called the Heavenly Gate. The Heavenly Gate is nonbeing. The ten thousand things come forth from nonbeing.

The new doc talks about the "Peak of the Collected Self," and I think it and Zhuangzi are talking about the same thing. It describes this peak as, "The seat from which all things are born, the seat to which all things return. The seat of the origin." This is very close to how Zhuangzi describes the Tao: "There is life, there is death, there is a coming out, there is a going back in... The Heavenly Gate is nonbeing. The ten thousand things come forth from nonbeing."

("The ten thousand things" is a Taoist term meaning, "everything in the universe.")

The doc also describes this "seat" as beyond time:

Time is also folded in, so everything from the beginning to the end of the universe is there.

This is very similar to how the Tao is described:

It has duration but no beginning or end - this refers to the dimension of time.

The doc also equates this "seat" to Buddhist enlightenment and describes it as the goal of meditation.

(I talked about possible links between Buddhist meditation and the first lore that was dropped here, though I referred to the "ultimate truth" as "no self." The doc talks about "knowing the self" while Zhuangzi talks about "nonbeing"; I think we're all referring to the same thing, more or less: The Peak/Tao/origin.)

🧿Continue reading under the cut, because this got really, really long. 🧿

(2) Birth and Death

(a) The Mononoke series

To approach this origin, from which "the ten thousand things come forth," is also to approach death. It is "the seat to which all things return," and where there is "a going back in." The doc equates "sinking into the self" with the approach of death:

"The more the number, the deeper one is sunk into karma, which would be like being deeply dead and in a more decentralized state in human terms (the normal state). When a person approaches death, they embark on a journey that slowly sinks them into the self."

"The self," the origin, the Tao, the Seat of the Collected Self, is also the place "from which all things are born," where there is "coming out." Life and death, according to the Zhuangzi, are one: "Who knows that being and nonbeing, life and death are a single way?"

This union of life and death, yin and yang, could also be the "more decentralized state" the doc refers to. To return to the origin, to approach death, is to simultaneously approach birth. Or, more abstractly, it's to approach transformation.

Mononoke invokes every one of these concepts: birth, death, and transformation. I talked here a little bit about the Medicine Sellers as agents of transformation, but the first lore drop especially makes this clear: the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching all describe states of change (hence the text's use in divination). The Medicine Sellers embody these states of change as well as guide humans through them, to the point where those humans' identities, which have been warped into mononoke, are destroyed. They bring death, but they also bring release from death.

This is clear in nearly every Mononoke arc (skipping over "Zashiki Warashi" because it's kind of its own unique animal, in that the mononoke is exorcised more through birth than death and the Medicine Seller seems to barely have anything to do with it):

(i) The first "Bakeneko":

Killing the bakeneko frees Tamaki and the kitten from the Sakai house, and they return not only from death, but to the state they were in before the Sakais harmed and killed them. They are granted a new beginning.

💫🐈‍⬛spin 🐈‍⬛ 💫

(ii) "Umi Bozu":

The Medicine Seller effectively kills Genkei, an old man approaching death, when he exorcises the mononoke. Through being killed this way, Genkei is reborn into a young man.

(iii) "Nopperabou":

Ochou is in a never-ending, unchanging cycle, at the end of which she is condemned to death. When the Medicine Seller meets her, she wears a white kimono that marks her for death, and the Nopperabou warns her that she is very close to truly dying:

To free Ochou from this cycle, the Medicine Seller has to deconstruct the identity that's been holding her there—which allows him to, again, effectively kill her (and she again wears the white kimono that marks her for death).

And I could get started on the phallic imagery here but I don't think this analysis needs to be any longer.

This death, however, finally brings Ochou rebirth. Like Tamaki and the cat at the close of "Bakeneko," she is able to leave the house where she's been imprisoned. The sky she longed for and the bird that comes to life and flies away just before she finally disappears suggest that she's attained the "new life" she sought in vain with the Nopperabou.

(iv) "Nue":

This is definitely the arc where the death-to-life link is the most obvious, where in particular we see the Medicine Seller act as an agent of death that leads to transformation. As always, he destroys the mononoke, and we see the contrast between the wintery, dead world he enters and the world of spring and life that emerges at the end. But even more explicitly, we see the Medicine Seller, again, effectively kill three men whose endless cycles of death have sustained the mononoke's existence:

And have a fantastic time doing it.

These men not only finally "die" properly but emerge again, with all of their greyed, washed-out color restored, in the world of life that appears after the mononoke is exorcised:

I can never remember their names... angry cat guy, dead monk, nose guy, and hat guy.

(v) The second "Bakeneko":

From the start, this arc carries a theme of rebirth. Its major characters seem to be reincarnations of the characters in the first "Bakeneko," but these people are changed. Most especially, the characters who resemble Tamaki and Sakai are very, very different from their "originals." The extreme imbalance of submission and violence, of virtue and evil, has been corrected, resulting in two people who are neither especially good nor especially evil. Their transformations can be linked back to all of the transformations in the previous arcs, which involve the destruction of divided selves or natures—by returning them to the truth of the "origin,"; that is, to the "Collected Self."

Setsuko, like Tamaki, is ultimately freed from the bakeneko, but the rebirth in this arc is not so much of Setsuko as it is of the people whose lies fueled her revenge. Every person on the train is killed, one after the other, until only the Medicine Seller and Moriya are left standing. But when the bakeneko is exorcised, everyone except Moriya and the mayor returns—now with an understanding of their truths. They accept and make amends for their lies, and a few of them even find new connections with each other.

Interestingly, pretty much just the women and the kid.

Each process of death and rebirth that we see in Mononoke could also be seen as a process of "clearing the mind and seeing one's true nature," which the doc equates with "knowing the self" and "enlightenment." The people behind the mononoke are all trapped in states of delusion that blind them to their true selves: Genkei can't see that his sister is really part of him, his own heart and feelings. Ochou can't see that she lost her true self a long time ago and that the Nopperabou is part of what she lost. The men in "Nue" can't see that they've already died. All of the characters in the first and second "Bakeneko" arcs have been desperately lying to themselves about their roles in creating the bakeneko. These lies sustain the mononoke's existence, because the truths these people hide are the mononoke's truths as well, the ones the Medicine Seller must know in order to exorcise them. Clearing the mind of these delusions, returning knowledge of the true self, and bringing death and rebirth to the mononoke are all part of the same process: the return to the origin or to "the Collected Self."

(b) Karakasa

While the series focuses pretty heavily on death specifically, in the movie we're already seeing both birth and death as powerful themes. @purplealmonds here points out a strong connection between Shingi and death. These connections link Shingi so closely to death that he might even be implied to be a shinigami—in fact, all of the Medicine Sellers may be implied to be shinigami.

But in contrast to the series, the movie may be much more about birth than death. Way back when we were first learning about the movie's setting, I had a crazy theory that the Ōoku could be a metaphor for the womb. It seems now that that theory may not have been so crazy—we're seeing more and more implications that fertility and birth are hugely important here, and even that the Ōoku could be connected to a symbolic birth canal.

@purplealmonds (without whose insights my theories would be far shorter and less interesting) pointed out here that the water priest's two daughters appear to be associated with menstrual blood. Their clothing and body markings prominently feature red, and both have names that translate to "Crescent Moon." But both of these girls are also closely connected with water: they're the children of the water priest, their kimonos are patterned with waves and droplets, and they distribute the well water that the women of the Ōoku consume as part of a sacred ritual.

Their outfits are also very carefully crafted inversions of each other, down to every single detail except the blue cords at their hips.

When daddy makes you dress the same because you're twins but daddy is also a weird creepy priest guy.

So these children may also embody the union of yin and yang, of birth and death: interdependent inversions of each other. Their connection to water connects them to birth and life; their connection to menstrual blood connects them to death—because, as @purplealmonds points out, women go through menstruation when they are not pregnant. Menstruation is a cycle of death without birth, without transformation.

Based on these connections, and on the fact that wells are sometimes written in anime and manga (e.g. in Mushishi and (xXx)Holic) as portals between places or worlds, I think it's plausible that this "sacred well" symbolizes a birth canal leading from and/or to the "womb" of the Ōoku.

I'll... be taking some Dramamine before watching this movie.

Another subtle connection between Karakasa and birth is this image:

GIANT DEMONIC SKY VAGINA

If I'm not mistaken, this manifestation of the mononoke is appearing right above that sacred well.

All of the potential connections between birth and death are here. The mononoke appears in part as a symbol of birth, but it also brings death. Shingi, who must kill the mononoke, appears almost as an embodiment of death, but he co-exists with the Medicine Seller, a contrasting form connected with fertility, sexuality, and life. As with other mononoke, I think we can expect the destruction of the Karakasa to bring about the transformation of whatever truth lies behind it, and I suspect that truth to be the entire world of the Ōoku, which traps the potential for birth in an endlessly unchanging cycle. Exposing this world's truth will mean breaking through the delusions of all the men and women in it who have convinced themselves that they are acting for the good: serving the Shogun, serving the priesthood, serving Japan. When their delusions and the mononoke they created are destroyed, their world will be destroyed as well: returned to the true "Collected Self," and from there allowed to be reborn as a world where birth and death have connected again.

From there, the never-ending process of return to and rebirth from "The Seat of the Collected Self" will continue.

#mononoke #theory #dharmafox #shuuga #jyu-yoku

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almondreblogs · 9 months ago

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so.. I didn’t realise I doodled until this late at night…

#ryuucha #mononoke 2007 #kusuriuri #hyper #fan art

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almondreblogs · 9 months ago

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Hyper is more like a genie in a lamp here.. X,D

Special thanks to @amaryllis14612 for presenting this idea! I hope you like this!

I had fun with this, also I think Itsumade makes quite a formidable mononoke given it’s nature.

Connected to the other doodle I did.

#ryuucha #mononoke 2007 #fan art #kusuriuri #hyper #comic

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almondreblogs · 9 months ago

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“Living weapon” covers a lot and all of it is hot

#living weapon #alignment chart #meme

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almondreblogs · 9 months ago

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happy kusuriuri day here's some scribbles

anw feel free to print/use the last pic for personal use (or mononoke propaganda spreading purposes), just don't resell it

#nacch-an #mononoke #mononoke 2007 #mononoke 2024 #kusuriuri

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almondreblogs · 10 months ago

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Good Traits Gone Bad

Empathy turning into manipulation

Imagine a character who is deeply empathetic, someone who genuinely feels and understands the emotions of others. At first, this makes them incredibly compassionate and kind, always there to lend an ear or offer comfort. But over time, this empathy begins to shift. Instead of just understanding how others feel, they start to use that understanding to manipulate those around them. They know exactly what to say to get people to do what they want, twisting their caring nature into a tool for control. What once was a beautiful gift becomes a weapon, used to bend others to their will without them even realizing it.

Confidence becoming arrogance

Think of someone who exudes confidence—someone who knows their worth and isn’t afraid to go after what they want. This kind of self-assuredness is magnetic and inspiring, drawing people in. But sometimes, this confidence can grow into something darker. The character starts to believe they’re always right, that their way is the best and only way. They dismiss others’ ideas and opinions, thinking they know better than everyone else. What was once a healthy self-esteem turns into arrogance, pushing people away as they start to feel belittled and unappreciated.

Ambition turning into obsession

Picture a character who is ambitious and driven, always striving for the next big achievement. Their dedication is admirable, pushing them to work hard and aim high. But ambition can have a dark side, too. Slowly, their drive becomes an obsession. They start to focus solely on their goals, willing to sacrifice anything or anyone who stands in their way. Friends, family, and even their own health fall by the wayside as they chase success at any cost. What was once an admirable quality turns destructive, consuming them completely.

Loyalty becoming blind devotion

Loyalty is such a beautiful trait. A loyal character is dependable, someone who stands by the people they care about no matter what. But loyalty can also become dangerous if it goes too far. This character might start to overlook red flags or harmful behaviors, sticking by someone or something even when it’s clearly detrimental. They become so blindly devoted that they lose sight of their own well-being and moral compass. What starts as a positive trait turns into a kind of self-destructive stubbornness, harming them more than helping.

Courage turning into recklessness

Imagine someone who’s incredibly brave, always ready to face challenges head-on and stand up for what they believe in. At first, this courage is inspiring, giving them the strength to overcome obstacles and help others. But sometimes, courage can cross a line. It turns into recklessness, making them take unnecessary risks without considering the consequences. They start to believe they’re invincible, putting themselves and others in danger because they’re too focused on proving their bravery. What was once a powerful strength becomes a dangerous flaw.

Determination becoming stubbornness

There’s something admirable about a character who never gives up, no matter how tough things get. Their determination helps them push through difficulties and keep going when others might quit. But when that determination turns into stubbornness, it’s a different story. They refuse to change their minds, even when all the signs point to a different path. They ignore advice, dismiss alternative viewpoints, and stick to their course out of sheer willpower, even when it’s clearly not working. Their once-praiseworthy persistence becomes a source of frustration for those around them.

Optimism becoming naivety

Someone who always looks on the bright side, no matter what. Their optimism is contagious, lifting the spirits of those around them and helping them see the silver lining in every situation. But if they aren’t careful, this optimism can morph into naivety. They might start ignoring real dangers or fail to recognize when they’re being taken advantage of. Their rosy outlook makes them blind to harsh realities, and they become easily deceived or led astray, all because they’re so focused on seeing the good in everything and everyone.

Protectiveness turning into possessiveness

A character who is naturally protective of their loved ones, always looking out for them and ensuring they’re safe and happy. This protectiveness is heartwarming and makes those around them feel cherished. But when protectiveness goes too far, it can become possessiveness. The character starts to feel like they own the people they care about, becoming overly controlling and jealous. They start dictating others' actions, justifying it as care, but it’s really about their need to keep everything under their control. What started as a caring instinct turns into something suffocating and unhealthy.

Altruism becoming self-neglect

Think about a character who is incredibly selfless, always putting others' needs before their own. They’re the kind of person who would give you the shirt off their back, always ready to help, always there for everyone. But this selflessness can go too far. It turns into self-neglect, where they completely disregard their own needs and well-being. They keep giving and giving until they have nothing left, leading to burnout and exhaustion. Their altruism, while beautiful, ends up harming them because they don’t know how to set boundaries or take care of themselves.

Honesty becoming brutal bluntness

There’s a lot to be said for a character who is straightforward and honest, someone who tells it like it is and doesn’t sugarcoat the truth. People appreciate their transparency and trustworthiness. But when honesty turns into brutal bluntness, it’s no longer a positive trait. This character starts to disregard others' feelings, using their honesty as an excuse to be harsh and tactless. Their words cut deep, hurting those around them, all in the name of being truthful. What was once refreshing candor becomes a source of pain, as they lose sight of the importance of kindness in communication.

#character traits #writing #character development #writing advice

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almondreblogs · 10 months ago

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120 ULTIMATE LIST OF CHARACTER FLAWS. Writers save this!

1. Moral Flexibility - Adapts their ethics to fit the situation, often justifying questionable actions as necessary.

2. Cognitive Dissonance - Holds two conflicting beliefs or values and struggles to reconcile them, leading to inner turmoil.

3. Overempathy - Feels others’ emotions too intensely, leading to burnout or an inability to make objective decisions.

4. Intellectual Arrogance - Dismisses others’ ideas as inferior, believing their own intellect is superior.

5. Chronic Overthinking - Analyzes situations to the point of paralysis, unable to take decisive action.

6. Restless Wanderlust - Has a constant desire for change or travel, leading to instability in relationships or careers.

7. Savior Complex - Feels compelled to “save” others, often to the detriment of their own well-being or others’ autonomy.

8. Emotional Vampirism - Drains others emotionally, needing constant validation or attention.

9. Righteous Indignation - Becomes excessively angry over perceived injustices, often alienating others.

10. Altruistic Self-Destruction - Sacrifices themselves for others to an unhealthy degree, often leading to self-neglect.

11. Pathological Modesty - Downplays their own achievements to the point of self-sabotage or invisibility.

12. Incapable of Solitude - Feels an intense fear of being alone, leading to codependent or unhealthy relationships.

13. Over-Rationalization - Justifies every action or decision, even when it’s clearly flawed, to avoid guilt or responsibility.

14. Constant Self-Sabotage - Subconsciously undermines their own success due to deep-seated fears or insecurities.

15. Misplaced Loyalty - Stays loyal to people or causes even when it’s harmful or undeserved.

16. Ethical Rigidity - Follows their moral code to the letter, unable to adapt to complex or gray situations.

17. Need for Obscurity - Prefers to stay unnoticed or in the background, avoiding recognition or responsibility.

18. Involuntary Aloofness - Appears distant or disinterested, often without meaning to, leading to misunderstandings.

19. Fear of Mediocrity - Terrified of being ordinary, they constantly strive for greatness, often leading to burnout.

20. Rejection Sensitivity - Overreacts to criticism or perceived slights, often withdrawing or lashing out.

21. Conflict Avoidance - Avoids confrontation at all costs, leading to unresolved issues and resentment.

22. Over-idealization of Others - Puts people on pedestals, only to be deeply disappointed when they don’t meet expectations.

23. Chronically Unfulfilled - No matter what they achieve, they always feel something is missing, leading to constant searching.

24. Compulsive Truth-Telling - Feels compelled to speak the truth, even when it would be kinder or wiser to remain silent.

25. Overactive Imagination - Sees threats or possibilities where there are none, leading to anxiety or missed opportunities.

26. Faux Humility - Pretends to be humble but secretly craves admiration or validation.

27. Micromanagement - Needs to control every detail, often suffocating others or hindering their own progress.

28. Anachronistic Thinking - Clings to outdated beliefs or practices, struggling to adapt to modern realities.

29. Over-Reliance on Routine - Becomes anxious or lost without their routines, struggling to adapt to change.

30. Selective Memory - Remembers events in a way that suits their narrative, often distorting the truth.

31. Paradoxical Fear of Success - Desires success but subconsciously fears the changes or responsibilities it might bring.

32. Compassion Fatigue - Once empathetic, now numbed or indifferent due to overwhelming exposure to others’ suffering.

33. Overwhelming Nostalgia - Lives in the past, unable to move forward or appreciate the present.

34. Unyielding Perfectionism - So focused on flawlessness that they struggle to complete tasks or accept anything less than perfect.

35. Epistemic Arrogance - Believes they know everything worth knowing, dismissing the possibility of learning from others.

36. Excessive Hedonism - Pursues pleasure to the point of neglecting responsibilities or moral considerations.

37. Over-Cautiousness - So afraid of making mistakes that they rarely take action, leading to missed opportunities.

38. Idealistic Naivety - Believes the world should operate according to their ideals, often clashing with reality.

39. Ambition without Direction - Desires greatness but has no clear path or plan, leading to frustration and failure.

40. Emotional Transference - Projects unresolved emotions onto others, often misinterpreting their intentions or actions.

41. Overdependence on Routine - Becomes anxious or lost without their routines, struggling to adapt to change.

42. Misplaced Guilt - Feels responsible for things outside of their control, leading to unnecessary self-blame.

43. Fear of Being Ordinary - Constantly strives to stand out, often at the expense of authenticity or well-being.

44. Chronic Indecisiveness - Struggles to make even simple decisions, constantly second-guessing themselves.

45. Faux Cynicism - Pretends to be jaded or cynical as a defense mechanism, while secretly caring deeply.

46. Romanticization of Suffering - Believes that suffering is noble or meaningful, often rejecting happiness or comfort.

47. Selective Compassion - Empathetic towards some but completely indifferent or cold to others, often based on biases.

48. Avoidant Optimism - Avoids negative thoughts or situations, clinging to an unrealistic positivity that ignores real problems.

49. Fear of Abandonment - Clings to relationships out of fear of being left alone, often leading to unhealthy dynamics.

50. Overidentification with Work - Sees their job as their entire identity, struggling with self-worth outside of work.

51. Excessive Altruism - Sacrifices their own needs to help others, often to their own detriment.

52. Self-Imposed Isolation - Withdraws from others out of fear of rejection or misunderstanding, leading to loneliness.

53. Over-Analysis Paralysis - Overthinks every situation to the point of being unable to make decisions or take action.

54. Eternal Romantic - Sees the world through a lens of idealized love, often leading to disillusionment or heartbreak.

55. Emotional Incontinence - Struggles to control their emotions, often overwhelming others with their intensity.

56. Fear of Aging - Obsessed with youth, they go to great lengths to deny or hide the aging process.

57. Intellectual Cowardice - Avoids challenging their own beliefs or ideas, sticking to what they know out of fear of change.

58. Emotional Hoarding - Holds onto past hurts or grudges, unable to let go and move on.

59. Unquenchable Curiosity - Always needs to knw more, often prying into others’ lives or crossing boundaries.

60. Romantic Escapism - Uses fantasy or daydreams as a way to avoid dealing with reality, leading to detachment.

61. Masochistic Tendencies - Deliberately seeks out situations that cause them pain or discomfort, believing they deserve it.

62. Incurable Wanderer - Can never settle down, always moving on to the next place or experience, leading to rootlessness.

63. Dependency on Validation - Needs constant approval or praise from others to feel good about themselves.

64. Constant Self-Reinvention - Continuously changes their identity or persona, never settling on who they truly are.

65. Moral Masochism - Finds satisfaction in self-punishment or guilt, often holding themselves to impossible standards.

66. Faux Bravado - Pretends to be fearless or confident to hide deep-seated insecurities or fears.

67. Over-romanticization of the Past - Idealizes past experiences, believing that things were better back then, leading to dissatisfaction with the present.

68. Chronic Hedging - Never fully commits to decisions or actions, always leaving themselves an escape route.

69. Fear of Stagnation - Constantly needs to be doing something or moving forward, fearing they’ll become irrelevant or bored.

70. Over-Attachment to Objects - Places excessive sentimental value on material possessions, struggling to let go.

71. Emotional Stoicism - Refuses to show or acknowledge emotions, leading to repression and eventual breakdowns.

72. Self-Flagellation - Constantly punishes themselves for perceived failures or mistakes, often disproportionate to the actual events.

73. Fear of the Unknown - Terrified of what they can’t predict or control, leading to anxiety or avoidance of new experiences.

74. Romantic Pessimism - Believes that love or relationships are doomed to fail, leading to self-sabotage or cynicism.

75. Intellectual Purism - Believes in the superiority of “pure” intellectual pursuits, often dismissing practical or emotional concerns.

76. Existential Dread - Obsesses over the meaning (or lack thereof) of life, leading to paralysis or despair.

77. Involuntary Nonconformity- Desires to fit in but can’t help standing out or going against the grain, often feeling alienated.

78. Self-Imposed Martyrdom - Puts themselves in a position of suffering or sacrifice, believing it’s their duty or fate.

79. Idealized Self-Image - Clings to an unrealistic self-concept, struggling to accept their flaws or limitations.

80. Compulsive Honesty - Feels compelled to always tell the truth, even when it’s hurtful or inappropriate.

81. Over-Reliance on Technology - Becomes helpless without modern conveniences, struggling to cope with real-world challenges.

82. Moral Exhibitionism - Shows off their ethics or principles to gain admiration or moral superiority, often insincerely.

83. Perpetual Student Syndrome - Always learning but never applying knowledge, avoiding real-world responsibilities.

84. Emotional Osmosis - Absorbs others’ emotions so deeply that they lose track of their own feelings or needs.

85. Pathological Frugality - So obsessed with saving money or resources that they miss out on life’s joys or opportunities.

86. Obsessive Self-Improvement - Never satisfied with themselves, constantly striving for unattainable perfection.

87. False Modesty - Pretends to be humble while fishing for compliments or validation.

88. Uncontrolled Impulsiveness - Acts on whims or impulses without considering the consequences, leading to chaos or regret.

89. Chronic Hedonism - Lives only for pleasure, often to the detriment of their long-term happiness or relationships.

90. Overly Abstract Thinking - So focused on big ideas or concepts that they lose touch with reality or practical concerns.

91. Romantic Idealism - Believes in a perfect love or relationship, often leading to disappointment or disillusionment.

92. Selective Altruism - Only helps others when it suits them, often ignoring those who don’t fit their criteria.

93. Pathological Shyness - So shy or introverted that they struggle to function in social situations, often missing out on opportunities.

94. Moral Superiority - Believes they are more ethical or righteous than others, often looking down on those who don’t share their views.

95. Over-identification with a Role - Sees themselves only as their job, family role, or social identity, losing sight of their true self.

96. Chronic Complaining - Constantly finds something to complain about, often bringing others down or creating a negative atmosphere.

97. Faux Stoicism - Pretends to be emotionally strong or unaffected, while secretly struggling with deep emotional turmoil.

98. Addiction to Drama - Thrives on conflict or chaos, often creating drama where there is none to feel alive or important.

99. Obsessive Collecting - Gathers possessions, knowledge, or experiences obsessively, often unable to let go or move on.

100. Inflexible Optimism - Refuses to acknowledge negative possibilities, often unprepared for setbacks or challenges.

101. Contrarianism - Always takes the opposite stance just to challenge others, often without genuine conviction.

102. Emotional Projection - Attributes their own feelings or issues onto others, often leading to misunderstandings.

103. Compulsive Heroism - Feels the need to be seen as heroic or brave, even in situations that don’t call for it.

104. Spiritual Narcissism - Uses spirituality as a way to feel superior to others or to avoid personal flaws.

105. Self-Defeating Humor - Constantly makes jokes at their own expense, using humor to deflect serious issues.

106. Identity Fluidity - Frequently changes their identity or beliefs to fit in with different groups, losing a sense of true self.

107. Overattachment to the Past - Can’t move on from past successes or failures, allowing them to define their present.

108. Pseudointellectualism - Pretends to know more than they do, using complex language or ideas to impress others.

109. Overidealization of Youth - Places youth on a pedestal, often dismissing the value of experience or aging.

110. Refusal to Accept Help - Rejects assistance from others, believing they must do everything on their own, even to their detriment.

111. Emotional Manipulation - Uses guilt, pity, or other emotions to control or influence others, often without realizing it.

112. Inconsistent Values - Holds contradictory beliefs or morals, leading to confusion or hypocrisy in their actions.

113. Obsession with Legacy - So focused on how they’ll be remembered that they neglect the present or make unwise choices.

114. Excessive Eagerness to Please - Goes out of their way to make others happy, often at the cost of their own needs or principles.

115. Emotionally Guarded - Builds walls around their feelings, making it difficult for others to get close or understand them.

116. Selective Memory - Chooses to remember events in a way that favors them, often distorting the truth.

117. Overattachment to Authority - Relies heavily on rules or leaders, struggling to make decisions independently or question authority.

118. Fear of Vulnerability - Avoids showing weakness or asking for help, leading to isolation or burnout.

119. Intellectual Detachment - Approaches everything with cold logic, often ignoring the emotional or human side of situations.

120. Obsession with Control - Needs to control every aspect of their life and others’, often leading to stress or strained relationships.

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