obviously there’s nothing morally wrong with the projectionist lens through which a large portion of fandom operates but it does get kind of tiring to constantly feel like. hey guys what if we stopped talking about ourselves and instead talked about the character

and of course a degree of projectionism can be a very useful lens in certain circumstances, such as having unique insight into a character who shares certain aspects of your own experiences. but at the end of the day you still gotta recognize that there are going to be aspects of them that diverge from yourself

i have truly come to despise and dread redemption arc conversations it is all so christian pls free us

i have come to not care for “redemption” and find it more productive to look at it from the lens of “change.” the former is a subjective judgement anyway. “have u done enough to be worthy again?” “have u been absolved?” puts the power in the hands of an observer or a moral scale that doesnt actually exist. with change it is “what are you doing differently now, and what happens next?” this is what is observable, verifiable, and useful. it doesnt require forgiveness, erasure of the past, or permission. the only part that materially matters is behavioral shift, and it is what is more relevant in terms of restitution too really

the theatrics of “redemption” with guilt and self-loathing and penitence can be incapacitating if anything and yet it is what is really valorized. characters busy with autoflagellation and self-abnegation r often not meaningfully in motion

a dynamic I really enjoy in fiction is when a relationship starts with some power imbalance, then changes into something sweet and balanced, and eventually shifts into imbalance in the other direction 🤤

that’s my emotional support hostage

important reminder that most people you follow online are significantly lamer than you think they are including me. and if you feel insecure comparing yourself to someone online: DON'T. theyre probably also lame and weird. most people on the internet are