#but i really do need people to *care* about it! like. idk. the shining oriflamme may be ahead us and above us | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

aeide-thea · 1 year

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having a post make the tumblr rounds really will teach you all sorts of things about yourself that you never previously understood, lmao

like, okay, the notes on the 'masturbatory' post fall into a few distinct categories—plenty of reblogs without any comment at all, of course; a lot of people saying, somewhat tediously but unexceptionably, that in their view the term should really be a compliment; a lot of other people claiming that it's inappropriate to share art they personally deem unappealing, just as it's inappropriate to share unsolicited dick pics (i take strong exception to this argument but it's very popular!); and finally a few people who admit that sex-negative insults aren't really compatible with the sex-positive stance they otherwise nominally concede is correct, and who choose to resolve the issue by gleefully leaning into the inconsistency—like, there are some tags on that post that are just straight up like, 'i love hypocrisy :)'

and like, the 'unwanted dick pics'/'artists i don't want to see naked' camp drives me fucking batty, for sure, but i can at least respect that they're trying to come up with a unifying principle, even if i personally think what they've come up with is pernicious nonsense ('consent' is an idiotic lens through which to contemplate the problem of 'viewing art,' imo); but the people who just—outright reject the idea that they should have consistent values to which they adhere, and that where they encounter resistance in themselves to these values, they ought to interrogate what's motivating that resistance, and attempt to find a consistent throughline? really, really alienating and—frightening to me, if i'm honest!

#anyway yes a lot of this is what the block button is for and i've been using it #but i do think there's something interesting and also scary abt the psychology of this #like to me it's like. if you aren't willing to behave in accordance with your nominal values—there's something to interrogate there #like we all fall short of our values from time to time—i do it all the time!#we're traumatized or tired or haven't yet interrogated some expression or belief we picked up as children #so like. it's not the inconsistency that surprises and bothers me #it's the like. very *active* refusal to stop and think about it #because to me those moments of inconsistency are like. invitations to hammer out your self and your values a little better #and to find people just. actively crumpling up the invitation and tossing it aside with a sneering laugh?#frightening and alienating to me!#anyway this post is poorly structured because really the conclusion that ties back to the opening is that #i'd never previously articulated to myself that 'having consistent principles—#and working out how to *get* them consistent‚ when i find areas where they aren't yet‚ quite—'#was so deeply important to me but i'm realizing it really is!#like as i said i think we all suck at this sometimes and i get and forgive that in others as i get and forgive it in myself #but i really do need people to *care* about it! like. idk. the shining oriflamme may be ahead us and above us #but like. let's uphold it and not cast it down carelessly and trample it into the dirt under our feet‚ you know?#anyway. luv 2 be ancient and still deeply naive lol

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