#in the sense that i ask for their input but mostly while I'm giving context I'm ordering my own thoughts and feelings and can make decision

[eli-zab3th]

I'm a verbal processor who doesn't like using their voice

[communist-ojou-sama]

hello ojou-sama! I’m really interested in your language journey and i would love more posts about it! Also, for all the languages you are learning/already learnt: what were your fav resources, app-wise? (i remember you use duolingo and clozemaster) i’m asking about apps only bc i feel listing books and other stuff would be too much hassle.

Ty for your time ❤️

ooh it's no problem! As far as apps I'm an old-head so what I used to use a lot is memrise but that's gone to shit since the changes a couple years ago. What I'd recommend now in its place is anki, though the out-of the box experience isn't as good and you need to do work to set up the experience you want from it; that said i think customizeability is always preferable to ease of experience out the gate as for resources, well:

for Russian I always found the simply-titled Russian Podcast to be a good resource, with dialogues performed first slow, and then fast, entirely in russian, including vocab explanations. For grammar I remember using AlphaDictionary's Interactive Online Russian Reference Grammar, which is very thorough if a bit dry. For Persian, while the site layout has changed quite a bit since I first used it in like 2015, PersianLanguageOnline has been a very simple and straightforward resource for especially the early steps of learning, while Jahanshiri has served as an indispensible reference resource.

For the fact that I'm now very fluent in Japanese I actually don't have much in the way of specific recommendations for Japanese learning outside of Tae Kim's Grammar Guide. Other than that I can mostly give the advice that you should not tell yourself that you don't need to learn kanji at first. Start learning kanji right away when you start learning and you'll thank yourself later. Also contrary to the bizarre narratives floating around, unless you only watch shonen anime, japanese popular entertainment is perfectly adequate input for someone learning to learn the language, so long as you pay attention to what contexts what language is being used in, and develop a sense then for what is and isn't appropriate where.

For Korean I owe a lot to HowToStudyKorean, both for the grammar explanations on the site, and for the accompanying Memrise courses, while TalkToMeInKorean has a very nice podcast that's a nice supplement to it. For Chinese I actually have used very little formal resources, though back in the early days I did download the texbook Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar somewhere off the internet, though most of my language practice has consisted of reading chinese yuri manhuas alongside their translations if I'm gonna be honest with you.

And that's all I can think of off the top of my head. Hope this helps! :)

[sevilemar]

(Burned) Lion Primary, Snake Primary Model/Values

Hello, and thank you for your input into my sorting. [...]

If you ever will be bored again, can I ask you what you would think my primary could be? I know I said it is burned lion, and I am trying to live with it, see it and understand that, but I have so many doubts, like a father who thinks a red-haired child is not his. That creates some stupid and hilarious situations, and thankfully no one here will be left alone with a child or dissatisfied with the result that it’s theirs.

An infinitely better outcome than any paternity test can hope for, I believe 😉.

My friend is in some relationship mess, and they did some not great things, but not the worst you could do, mind you that. And I really don’t care that much to be a moral voice or anything.

Just because you're supposedly an idealist doesn't mean you are (or have to be) a moral voice. Everyone chooses their own morals; sorting only describes where you're looking for them.

I always said cheating is a deal breaker for me, the last straw, the end, but I find it less harsh as black and white when it comes to my friends relationships. It’s not personal, you know, it’s not someone I care deeply about that they are cheating on. And it’s not that kind of cheating, although now I think I can see that there are so many ways to do that, not only physically.

It's always different when it's not yourself, that's just how it is. It's how we deal with it, who and how well we listen to that's important.

I do say well, maybe you should reconsider this, but I’m not going to hurt them for dumping some stuff of how the world would see this as bad. I am just reminding them about how they reacted when the same has been done to them, I am mostly always reminding people to look back and treat people the same way they wanted to be treated, or treat them fairly. If you found something wrong and hurtful, you should hold yourself to the same standards. I strongly believe that you do.

As a general principle I'm with you, but there is always context to consider. Could still be any primary, nonny.

Until of course these things lose their meanings. That happens. What happens when you hold yourself to some standards, but see your not so caring acquaint get what you wanted, while you have nothing else just a badge that says you did not do what they did? A badge that says you have standards and hold yourself to it? And then you lose your head and do stupid things you’re not good at or with and you fall apart.

This, on the other hand, does sound idealistic to me. I think you're describing what happens when you start to doubt your ideals?

My friend now has 2 bottles of expensive perfume from different people and felt kind of guilty, but I said why, you like it right, who cares, it’s perfume, use it both and don’t think about it. Honestly, perfume isn’t the problem here and feeling bad about it kind of will not help, I guess that is my reasoning why I did say that.

Very practical, I'd say the same. But if it hurts her too much to use it, it's better to just give them away. No sense hurting yourself unnecessarily.

I don’t need to build a system, and I know I am internal primary, and it is really lion flavoured. I find it really hard to argue, like I have a strong No response, No, because this is how I understand this thing and I will not see it differently. I can kind of see your point, and it is hard, but I cannot agree with you because I see it this way. The sad part is I am emotional to the point that I do not have information or material to argue with, it’s just No, it’s this way for me. Lol I usually don’t participate because I know I am this way. Very liony, I know.

Yep, that's something I've read from a few lion primaries in the community.

But me, myself and I are wondering, is this lion a thing, a strong model I built myself seeing everyone else and observing people I wanted to live as, under which a snake primary hides.

I haven't found any evidence of that yet, nonny.

I never want to talk about people I do have, so I end up talking about these random things. I did not build my life around anyone, I did not have a super important person to care and love. I do want that snake loyalty, instead I have a few people from my family who are important but they are there, just there.

Do you want to give it, or have it directed at you? I am still of the opinion that snakes themselves do not need the same kind of loyalty given to them that they give unto others, though it's a fine line and depends on your previous experiences.

Friends come and go, friends get in and then they get thrown out when something happens, and then they all stay in this little chamber called I care and I cling to you while we are here and talking, communicating, but when you are not there, it is hard for me, or I do not waste my time thinking about you. This mentality of caring while the other person is around gets me confused and makes me look at burned badger and makes me confused when talking about treating strangers with other snakes. I am sadly made to care about things that are around me and in my personal space or around. Not that it makes me better or anything. If anything, it makes me stupid, it makes me think about things I could do help or make someone’s life a bit better if I see them struggling, but I will forget them as soon as they are out of my vision field. Also group things and being close with group sounds so weird and scary, so not a badger. 

I'm trying to see what part of this might just be human nature, and what might be sorting. Because I very much believe that life goes on, people and circumstances change, and we all change with them. And therefore when people move away, or start a new chapter of their life and are not around anymore, we just go our separate ways, and that's just life. I haven't thought of a few friends from uni in years, and why should I? They are living their life as I live mine, and I want them to be well in a vague sense, of course, but no more than that. Is that sorting or a fact of life? I believe the latter, but I could be wrong.

When someone I cared offered a pretty sketchy business idea when I was a child and we were struggling, I couldn’t understand how a person who struggled because other people were so terrible and uncaring could suggest a thing like that. I was hurt, but I feel bad to this day that I had to try to softly shoot this idea down. It was their hope, maybe they thought this could really help, and maybe my words meant nothing, and was just taken as a child's opinion, but knowing I have to somehow make them drop it still makes me uncomfortable. For legal purposes it wasn’t stealing or something similar. 

The fact that you're still remembering it after all this time reads snakey to me, yes.

Honestly there’s not much I can do now for my people, and for the things I can like listening, talking, caring about their stuff, sometimes I don’t have mental energy for that. 

You and me both, mate.

I don’t think I’d sacrifice a world to save a friend, I am sorry guys but you are not worth that much that I would be responsible for something like that.

Lately, I find myself very annoyed with storylines that risk the world to save one person. It's just naive, nobody would actually make a decision like that. It's too unrealistic a question, and that's why it doesn't really help with sorting actual people.

Would I do that for my brothers and never feel bad or burdened by that decision? Yeah, probably. Oh, did I build a snake model for my brothers to be a protective older sibling? I never thought of it, just now it came to me. Although I might get into a physical fight or tell someone to p*** off for my friends, again, because here and now that might be what they need. 

Well, you might just have found the origin of your snake, congratulations!

I think I am the person who would carefully disagree and argue with my mom about things, but I would not let anyone else do that in front of me. I’d try to stop her in her tracks or deflate and reflect it on myself if someone started to say something to her. 

I'd only do that if they are insulting or humiliating my people, and they can't do anything about it themselves, but yes, I get the sentiment. But so would any other sorting, I imagine 😉.

I find it so hard to relate to a lot of lion primary characters. Maybe it’s just because I do not care about their issues, their things. Also, you know when people are talking about lions and arguments, they always mention lions thinking people will turn around and maybe see their point or their view after some time? Bs, complete bs, people come from different backgrounds and no one likes to be proven wrong and change their views on things.

And that, my dear, is the most liony argument you could have made 😉.

But you know that part where snakes expect the same type of loyalty from other people? Yeah, my friends are usually not in my circle because of this.

This point is not as clear-cut as you might think. I do not expect the same kind of loyalty that I am giving. I do not expect my person to run away with me, just us two, because I know they have ties that bind them. But I would if they ask. I forgive my people far more readily than myself: I remember al lot of times I let my people down, from small things to big ones, but I can't remember a single time when my people weren't there when I needed them, and there certainly must have been those moments too.

You hurt me on purpose, you saw me struggling and you just turned away or didn’t even say a thing?

Quite frankly, anyone who got hurt on purpose by a friend or loved one probably wants to get away from them, no sorting required. If I struggle and let a friend see for once, and they don't help me, they might have a good reason, or they might not. If they do not, then we go our separate ways. Again, just good sense, not sorting.

There are many things I think, and do I actually hold myself to the same standards? I don’t know. I hope so. You know, I am not in contact with my grandmother, not because she is an unmoral person, not even because she calls my mom stuff or talks bad about my cousin. No, it‘s because she personally attacked me, openly and manipulative. After that I decided we were done. And honestly I know I am the asshole and family should stay together and even my cousin is in contact with her toxic father, but if I have a choice, why would I stay and play this game again?

Congratulations on your good sense of self-preservation. Nobody should stay where they get hurt if they can avoid it. And that also goes for all sortings, though I do believe snakes have it a bit easier with this one than, say, a duty-bound badger primary, or a lion or bird with family as their value.

I don’t think I would cut someone off for idealistic reasons, thou. After telling you this there’s a good chance that you think I am a terrible human being and you would hate me, I get that.

That's burned talk, mate, and burned idealist talk at that. I don't really care what kind of ideals you have, not as such. I care if they make you a shitty person or not, that's what I care about. It's a more roundabout way of caring about ideals, I guess.

I am probably a lion with snakey values. Snake values are what moves me, but I probably don’t need a person to ground me, to live. I need to be free to trust myself, to believe that that voice in my head will not make my life worst but will bring me something better.

And that's your lion, right there. Weathered and weary, but still alive.

But I do believe a person would ground me, they would be a strong force in my life, someone to fall back on that relationship, loyalty, not only on bad times but when it’s good also.

I think most people want that, to be honest 👍.

I think I would be happier by following someone I trust and want to have around than trying to make a difference in the world. Sure we should care about these things, but we aren’t happy because of these things.

The thing with lions and birds is that your values can be as different as night and day. There are probably a lot of lions out there who want to make a difference in the world. It is a stereotype for a reason, after all. But I bet there are also a lot of lions who believe in things closer to home, more personal things like you do. What's right is different for every idealist. Don't let stereotypes cloud your vision of what's actually out there.

Or maybe I am a really bored snake without a place in the world, without a place to call their own, without a piece of world to know is theirs. Yeah, no I am probably just lonely.

I don't see much of it based on this submission, but it's always a possibility. You decide, nonny.

So I am probably a burned lion primary, but just thought to check. You’re a snake primary, I thought maybe you would found something familiar here. Thank you for your time and your opinion.

And I have found familiarities, and also differences. And I would like to apologise that it has taken me this long to answer. I had to overcome a few of my own demons first, and your submission actually helped with it. So thank you, nonny, for unknowingly helping me out, and also thank you very much for your patience and understanding.

[that-satanic-witch]

Hello Satanic-Witch, I am in the process teaching myself to be a Satanic Witch! So, calling me a Baby Witch is a stretch! I have learned quite a bit in two or so months I have been at it! Over the last 6 months I have been gifted with feathers, the first one was a grey feather, the second one was a white feather tipped with grey, unfortunately I lost those two feathers! But a couple of days ago I was gifted with a Tri-colored feather mostly white with grey gradually becoming black! I would like to know the meaning of this feather, if you happen to know! I have received some mid boggling signs in the last 6 six months, signs that I am right in choosing the Left Hand Path! Sorry this is so wordy, I have a tendency to ramble! Thanks in advance! Finding my way! G

Hi G! When it comes to the interpretation of signs, there is no real standard answer. Although there can be a "common" meaning for something, usually influenced by the culture one was raised in, in the end it all comes down to what meaning YOU give to it, based on your personal experiences and subconscious associations.

Colors are no exception: the interpretation I'd give to the color of your feather could sound wrong or mean nothing to you. It can also change depending on the context, and only you know about it.

You said you received quite clear signs in the past 6 months, which makes me think that you're already able to make the personal connection between and external input and a personal interpretation, so with a little bit of meditation there's a chance you could understand its meaning. That's usually the first thing I do when I'm in doubt. The "plan B" I use when nothing comes up while meditating is to check for the most common interpretations, and see if a word jumps up as more meaningful then others. For that, since I'm lazy, I have a book of standard correspondences (the one by Llewellyn), which is pretty basic but it's a good start and quite easy to modify. But even without books, you can find this kind of stuff all over tumblr or pinterest. Check all the sources you can find and see if anything makes sense to you. "Plan C" is divination. If plan B didn't help, try and ask to clarify its meaning through tarots, runes or whatever method of divination you use... or, plan D: put the sign (in this case the feather) aside, acknowledging that you're still not able to understand it, and be ok with it. Seriously, you need to BE OK with the fact that you didn't get a straight answer. More signs will come in the future and you might even wake up one day, see the feather where it lies and it will suddenly make sense.

I hope this helps :)

[faeriexqueen]

back to the future, pretty in pink, sixteen candles, dirty dancing, and Dead poet’s society for the 80s ask!

Aaa, thank you for these! ^o^ (Some answers I rambled with though, ahaha)

Back to the Future: Which decade in the last century would you most have liked to live in?

I keep thinking to all the technicalities of this question, and all the drawbacks/implications of what would come with living in another decade. The Edwardian Era comes to mind since I love the aesthetic, but truthfully I don’t think I could ever live in that time period - it’d have to be after the 70s, because I can’t stand the idea of not having my own credit card or bank account. I’m too independent for that. XD I’d probably choose the late 80s/early 90s, but that’s still with some hesitancy (mostly due to the AIDS outbreak and thinking about what that’d be like to live through).

Pretty in Pink: What’s your signature ‘look’?

I’m trying to think if I have a signature “look”, and I can’t think of one singular outfit - so maybe style is the better word? I like to be comfortable but I like to look nice. When going to work, I definitely dress more “business casual” and will go for anything flowy, classic, or traditionally feminine (blouses, skirts, nice leggings, dresses). But, I also have some older leather/faux leather jackets that I tend to wear a lot and I like boots if I’m not doing heels/flats. I’ve definitely gotten called edgy when I'm out (especially at work, though it always seems to be given as a compliment), so maybe something along those lines? XD

Sixteen Candles: At which age do you consider a person to be mature?

It honestly depends on the person and their personality type - I don’t think maturity comes at a singular age or milestone, and it can be brought on sooner or later due to different experiences (I also think maturity will look differently in different cultures and communities, and even among those are who able-bodied versus disabled). In general, I do think maturity can show itself in a few ways: knowing your boundaries and what is needed to keep you healthy, being aware of when you have to walk away from something or step back. These aren’t going to apply for everyone, but the most mature people I’ve known seem to have some sense of this, as well as an awareness that they’re going to make mistakes and that’s okay. (That being said, someone who knows when to apologize is also mature.)

Dirty Dancing: Where were you when you first heard your favourite song?

I can’t remember where I was exactly, but I’m pretty certain I was home since it was around Christmas time. My favorite piece ever is probably the Pas de Deux from Tchaikovksy’s score for The Nutcracker - I always liked to watch ballet recordings as a kid, and any animated adaptation of The Nutcracker I could find. (I think The Nutcracker Prince may have been how I discovered this piece, but I just can’t remember for sure since I was so young.) For a favorite song that isn’t classical that I still really love, probably all of the music from Titanic since I remember my mom buying that when it came out and watching it at home. I really loved the score and My Heart Will Go On is still a favorite. ^^;;

Dead Poet’s Society: The last time you made a decision that everyone around you told you not to make, how did it work out?

I have a habit of not always listening to people (unless I deeply trust them), mostly because I’ve learned people will always give you their advice on what they find is appropriate, regardless of whether they fully understand the context of your situation (and I just do not have the bandwidth to worry about the input of everyone). So, I rarely ask people for their thoughts in general. XD Two events come to mind, though, with one being when I quit my old job, gave up everything that wouldn’t fit in my car, and moved across to the country to a state I had never set foot in while knowing one person I had met online. Most people (with the exception of my mom) thought I was insane and going to be miserable/regret leaving since I didn’t have permanent housing or a job lined up, but I’ve now been in the same apartment for four years and am far happier/mentally healthier than where I was previously. The more recent thing that happened was I withdrew from a master’s degree, for a list of reasons. Again, people thought I was being rash and crazy for pulling out (because some people can’t fathom why I wouldn’t want a master’s), but considering I saved over $25K in loans and feel like I’m back on track to pursue things I actually care about, I really feel like that was potentially one of the hugest mistakes I managed to avoid. (The degree wasn’t reflective of who I was and what future I wanted either, so again - major crisis averted.)

80’s Movie Asks.