TURTLE LOVER

I respect you, Kaiba, and I like you. But I feel I need to comment here, because I think you're being a little unfair.

If someone believes something, no matter how outrageous that belief might seem, as long as that belief isn't impinging on their daily life and either harming people or harming them personally (by rendering them unable to hold down a job, feed themselves, have an active social/family life etc) then... what's the problem? Holding a belief isn't something that automatically needs psychological intervention.

In other words, why should anyone have to 'get help' just because they hold an unconventional belief?

I think that the belief in God is silly... and when people take that belief to extremes, then I believe they need intervention. But merely holding that belief? I don't see why that should make me scornful. Many of my friends believe in God, and although I find the belief somewhat ridiculous personally, I would never judge a person by it.

Otakin are merely a smaller group with beliefs that are a little more unusual than others. But there are plenty of people who believe in 'unusual' things. No biggie. Why attack them if they're not hurting you?

So I'll come out and say it. I identify as Otakin. I was actually the one who bought the rename token for from_fiction (the comm used to be called 'otakin'). I got kicked out of the comm because I was too skeptical for their tastes, but the fact remains that I'm 'one of them'.

Reading my journal, you probably wouldn't even know it. Being Ota isn't something that dominates my life. I hold down a good job, have friends both inside and outside the Ota circle, I have a girlfriend, I'm off to University in September. I'm 'normal'. My life doesn't revolve around unusual beliefs. Those beliefs are simply part of me and I'm not ashamed of them.

So call me 'EPIC FAIL' if you like, but I think you're being narrow-minded, which makes me sad because, like I said, I respect you and like you.

But I needed to speak up :\

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usagi-no-hime.livejournal.com

But at the same time, isn't it a tad orthodox for people to take to the extreme and believe they are a certain character? I mean...it's as if they are living in a fantasy world...
I really don't get this whole Otakin thing, I probably will never understand the culture or why people are taking their obsession with video games and mainly anime to such a level; but I suppose its up to them to do what they like.

I just think with Ebi here, she was taken by surprise of the community as much as I was. I doubt she meant any true malice in those words.~~Though, I can't speak as her~~

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*Nods*

It IS unorthodox. It's unusual. But it doesn't mean that the people who believe it are nutters who should be locked away or who automatically 'fail' at life.

Beliefs are just beliefs. As long as the people who have the beliefs aren't doing anything to harm anyone or leading an unhealthy life in any other way, then what's the problem? Why do they deserve scorn?

I guess I just feel kinda hurt being told that I need to 'get help' and that I'm 'EPIC FAIL' just because I have unusual beliefs. I'm not asking anyone else to believe me. I'm not expecting anyone to. But If I'm happy with what I feel and believe, and I find a community of people with similar beliefs - none of whom are attempting to force their ideas on ANYONE - then really, what's the problem?

I understand that it's natural to be scornful of things that are strange to us... but Kaiba seemed to understand that some of her friends may be in that community, yet she still felt the need to belittle and degrade us with hurtful words.

Perhaps I shouldn't care what she thinks and just let it roll off my back, but... Kaiba is a friend and it's not easy to distance oneself from the opinions of friends.

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It's not the beliefs bit. Believe what you want. I'm all for beliefs.

It just really really irks me to see people go "I'm Sephiroth because I had dream where I fought against Cloud"...

I'm not an over-the-top Christian. Hell, I make jokes about religion almost 24/7.

I had no idea there was anyone on my friendslist who was apart of the comm. I still don't see different in my opinion about otakin, either. I think some people may actually be joining the comm just because they like a certain character a lot.

I don't even know what to say anymore without sounding like a total jack.

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There are some people who will jump at the chance to 'be' a character they like a lot. There's people who do it for show. There's people who do it to cling to something. There are some Ota who ARE total headcases. But you came over a little strong by calling everyone with those beliefs 'EPIC FAIL' and implying that we all need help.

I could pick apart the Bible and the Christian religion if I wanted, and call all believers insane and say that they need 'help'. But I don't... because, you know, live and let live. Why does someone deserve to be attacked simply for having (or claiming to have) a belief?

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The ones I was really attacking were the ones that were just... It was painful to read their entries. That is all.

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How the hell is christianity even CLOSE to believing you're Tails or Maria?

It's not. Case closed.

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It's still basing one's life around a fictional book ;) The book tells you how to live your life, and what to do and not to do so that you'll go to heaven. It has FAR more influence over a person's life than simply believing you were (and let me emphasize the word, WERE, not are) a character from a fictional media source.

Fact is, you attack what you don't understand... but these people aren't harming you, so why hurt their feelings?

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The book is a guideline and a work of poetry. I do not take it as scientific truth as it even warns against religious zealots. Try reading it sometime unless you're afraid you might be one of the deciples.

I'm extremely angry with you for writing in your journal that people were defriending you for your beliefs. You basically made my sister out to be someone who would stop being your friend.

So she's angry about your belief. So what?

You're angry about Christianity.

Have there been books written on the religion of being an anime/video game character?

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And even though this is all said and done.

I haven't defriended you. Why would I?

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I don't think she's being unfair at all.

Anime, cartoons and video games originate in the human mind and are for entertainment.

They do not constitute other dimensions, which is ridiculous.

I am not being close-minded; I'm open to alot.

I find the idea of "having a past life as a fictional-character" to be a load of crack-smoke. It's insulting to those who enjoy the fandom or who simply enjoy having dreams or role-playing.

People taking anime this far cause paranoia amongst parents who see their children running around saying, "I'm being persecuted because no one believes I'm Sephiroth!"

Of course we have the right to be upset by this. It's simply not natural. It's not the same as Christianity at ALL.

Yes, we believe in a big entity in existance that created us.

NO, we do not believe we were GOD in a past life.

PLEASE, see the difference.

Ths isn't simply an attack at you, though if you choose to see it that way, then remember: Me thinkest the lady doth protest too much.

"I watched Digimon and got obsessed. I now know for certain I am Ken Ichijogi."

Just NO.

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See... why the anger and acidity? And how can you even KNOW that someone just watched a show and got obsessed and decided they want to be a certain character?

What about those of us who never even LIKED their source? And who don't particularly even CARE for the character they ended up feeling they are?

And, most important at all, WHY does it matter to you? I've never seen ANYONE running around saying that they're being persecuted by not being believed.

Most of us KNOW that 99% of the population doesn't believe us. We don't care. We don't flaunt it. We have our own little niche communities where we go to talk. Then people like your sister make a post basically calling us all "EPIC FAIL" and telling us we need to get help... of COURSE we get pissed. We're not doing anything to you... so leave us alone, eh?

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It's the fact that when I hear about this sort of thing, I cannot believe it. It troubles me to think there are people running around saying they have a non-existant soul inside of them.

"I am Vincent Valentine."

"I am Squall."

It bothers me; thus I, just as anyone else, should be able to rant about it in my journal.

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ally-music.livejournal.com

Okay~... I think it's better if I stay silent about that.

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usagi-no-hime.livejournal.com

Wow...that is pretty bad.
I can't find myself completely believing I am a certain character or so. I just don't get how some people can break the third wall like that.

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Let me try to put it into context.

I, myself, don't believe in God. I find it hard to understand how people can. But the majority of people I've asked who are Christians etc have told me it's something they just feel. They just know. I don't understand it because I don't feel it myself. It's impossible for me to understand what to me seems like a completely irrational belief. But for those who believe, it's an incredibly strong sense of truth and it's completely real to them.

Now, I may not agree with them, but as long as they don't show up on my door attempting to convert me or telling me I'm damned to hell, I'm cool with it.

Surely the same applies here? If people have these beliefs, it's real to them... but... most of them aren't actually attempting to force their beliefs on anyone. In fact, I imagine most people would never actually even guess that someone they work with or are friends with has those beliefs. Does finding out about those beliefs really change that person so much? They're still the same person. So what's so "bad" about those beliefs aside from the fact that you don't understand or share them?

Now, if I was out on the streets dressed up as a fictional character and telling everyone to follow me or face doom because aliens are attacking the earth in 2010... then maybe folks would have grounds to call me insane and in need of help.

But the majority of fic'kin lead VERY ordinary lives. We have jobs, go to school, have friends and family, go to movies, play video games... everything that a person would be expected to do in normal society.

Otakin beliefs are just another layer; a facet of who we are. After all, past lives are just that - PAST. Very few of us are claiming we ARE that character, right now, and/or that we should be treated as such. It's just something we feel a connection to, as if it's part of us somehow. Like a massive deja-vu.

Also, most of us are sane enough to realize that of COURSE there's a chance that we're wrong. Maybe our minds play tricks on us. False memories, al of that. We're not so deluded that we can't see how weird our beliefs look from outside.

It's just sad that so many people are willing to automatically categorize us as 'crazies' just on the singular basis of beliefs we personally hold about past lives and fictional characters, without looking at any other part of our lives or personalities.

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I think it's mostly the 'false memories' part that irks me. There was a Maria Robotnik on there that had dreams of the same flashbacks Shadow had in his games.

I don't understand how one can have 'flashbacks' in memory that took place in a fictional game.

I believe in past lives, but not these kind.

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And that's fine. No one is asking you to believe them. Just like my Christian friends don't expect me to drop everything and believe the same as they do. There's just no need to be so harsh and bitter towards people who DO believe it :\

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