#homestuck classpecting

Could we please hear your new thoughts on blood, rage, and mind?

Well, delving deeper into stuff, I'm starting to notice that the classpects all kind of have like... correspondence to Story Components as well as philosophical concepts

TIME/SPACE = plot/setting = yang/yin

In Chinese philosophy, [yin is] the feminine or negative principle [yin](characterized by dark, wetness, cold, passivity, disintegration, etc.) of the two opposing cosmic forces into which creative energy divides and whose fusion in physical matter brings the phenomenal world into being.

CALLIOPE: space falls back. it yields. hosts the play silently. CALLIOPE: then, it roars to life when its time comes, showing all who is really the master. CALLIOPE: and so too when the time comes, it collapses in on itself, taking all else with it.

In Chinese philosophy, [yang is] the masculine or positive principle (characterized by light, warmth, dryness, activity, etc.) of the two opposing cosmic forces into which creative energy divides and whose fusion in physical matter brings the phenomenal world into being.

uu: BECAUSE I'M NOT THE IDIOT KID I USED TO BE. NOW I KNOW. THAT WHAT IT TAKES FOR ME TO LEARN AND GROW STRONGER. uu: IS EXCRUCIATING EFFORT.

LIGHT/VOID = text/subtext = ego/id

Originally, Freud used the word ego to mean the sense of self, but later expanded it to include psychic functions such as judgment, tolerance, reality testing, control, planning, defense, synthesis of information, intellectual functioning, and memory. The ego is the organizing principle upon which thoughts and interpretations of the world are based.

MEENAH: the stuff [aranea] does is never about the things shes actually doing MEENAH: its about what those things M-EAN and makin sure everyone KNOWS what they mean MEENAH: and above all makin sure everyone understands how important she is cause shes obviously the source of all that critical M-EANING without which all action would be pointless right?

Freud conceived of the id as the unconscious source of bodily needs, impulses and desires, especially those related to aggression and the sexual drive.[9] The id acts according to the pleasure principle—the psychic force oriented to the immediate gratification of impulse and desire.[10] Freud described the id as "the dark, inaccessible part of our personality".

Your name is EQUIUS ZAHHAK. You love being STRONG. [...] You have broken so many bows, it has developed into a habit BORDERING ON FETISHISTIC. You have to stop. But addiction is a powerful thing. [...] Practically everything MAKES YOU FURIOUS. You have so much rage, it can only be expressed through STAGGERING QUANTITIES OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE.

HEART/MIND = character/actions = atman/karma

In contemporary Hinduism, Ātman means "real Self" of the individual,[note 1] "innermost essence."[16] Atman refers to the essence of human beings that persists amid change, distinct from the ever-evolving embodied individual being (jiva) embedded in material reality. Embodied personality can change while Atman does not.[17] In Advaita Vedanta, it is the observing pure consciousness or witness-consciousness, "pure, undifferentiated, self-shining consciousness,"[18] while in Neo-Advaita it is also the nonconceptual insight that 'being' cannot be grasped in words or deeds.[note 4]

DAVEPETASPRITE^2: B33 < everything that ever happens to every version of you is an important part of your ultimate self… like a superceding bodyless and timeless persona that crosses the boundaries of paradox space and unlike god tiers or bubble ghosts or whatever, it really IS immortal […] DAVEPETASPRITE^2: B33 < maybe i "got it" quicker though because of the two people i was and their aspects DAVEPETASPRITE^2: B33 < understanding heart is all about the nuances of a distributed self

Karma (/ˈkɑːrmə/, from Sanskrit: कर्म, IPA: [ˈkɐɾmɐ] ⓘ; Pali: kamma) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences.[1] In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called the principle of karma, wherein individuals' intent and actions (cause) influence their future (effect):[2] Good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and happier rebirths, while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to bad karma and worse rebirths.

PORRIM: I do+n't really understand karma. LATULA: th4ts c4us3 your3 not 4 m1nd pl4y3r.

GC: 1F YOU S33 WH4TS 1N YOUR M1ND CL34RLY 4ND UND3RST4ND TH3 POW3R YOUR THOUGHTS H4V3 GC: TH3N YOU UND3RST4ND R34L1TY WH1L3 3V3RYON3 3LS3 1S RUNN1NG 4ROUND CONFUS3D 4ND 4NGRY 4ND UPS3T GC: B3C4US3 TH3Y TH1NK R34L1TY 1S SOM3TH1NG H4PP3N1NG TO TH3M GC: R4TH3R TH4N SOM3TH1NG TH3Y 4R3 M4K1NG 3V3RY MOM3NT W1TH 3V3RY THOUGHT

BREATH / BLOOD = character agency/happy endings = free will/true will (or fate, destiny, etc.) = Peter Pan/Serendipity (the book most associated with Breath players/the movie most associated with Karkat)

The notion of compatibilist free will has been attributed to both Aristotle (4th century BCE) and Epictetus (1st century CE): "it was the fact that nothing hindered us from doing or choosing something that made us have control over them".[6][11] According to Susanne Bobzien, the notion of incompatibilist free will is perhaps first identified in the works of Alexander of Aphrodisias (3rd century CE): "what makes us have control over things is the fact that we are causally undetermined in our decision and thus can freely decide between doing/choosing or not doing/choosing them".

Off we skip like the most heartless things in the world, which is what children are, but so attractive; and we have an entirely selfish time, and then when we have need of special attention we nobly return for it, confident that we shall be rewarded instead of smacked.

Crowley, drawing from diverse mystical traditions and personal experiences, articulated True Will as essential to personal fulfillment and universal harmony. For Crowley, the journey to uncover one's True Will requires deep introspection, spiritual discipline, and a commitment to the ethical conduct outlined in The Book of the Law. This principle asserts not a license for unchecked indulgence, but rather a mandate for individuals to align their actions with their truest spiritual calling. By adhering to their True Will, practitioners of Thelema seek to fulfill their spiritual destiny by harmonising with the cosmic order.

Jonathan: Where did you find this place? Sara: I first came in because of the name. Serendipity. It’s one of my favorite words. Jonathan: It is? Why? Sara: ‘Cause it’s such a nice sound for what it means: a fortunate accident. Except I don’t really believe in accidents. I think fate’s behind everything. Jonathan: Oh, you do? Fate’s behind everything? Sara: I think so. Jonathan: Everything’s predestined? We don’t have any choice at all? Sara: No, I think we make our own decisions. I just think that fate sends us little signs, and it’s how we read the signs that determines whether we’re happy or not. Jonathan: Little signals. Fortunate accidents. Lucky discoveries.

LIFE/DOOM = forward progress/hindrances and setbacks = Life Instinct (Eros)/Death Instinct (Thanatos) = optimism/pessimism

In 1969, the feminist artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles published the Manifesto! For Maintenance Art, 1969! That’s part of the title. This manifesto wrestled between her two conflicting social identities at the time, one of an artist and one of a mother. Nice. As an artist, she felt compelled to innovate, distinguish herself, invent, deconstruct social norms, rebel, assert her individuality. But as a mother, she felt compelled to care for things already in existence, maintain, preserve, endure. So she decided to name these two competing compulsions, The Death Instinct and The Life Instinct. “The Death Instinct: separation, individuality, Avant-Garde par excellence; to follow one’s own path to death– do your own thing, dynamic change. The Life Instinct; unification, the eternal return, the perpetuation and MAINTENANCE of the species, survival systems and operations, equilibrium.” The Life Instinct sheep cares what other people think. It goes along with the status quo uncritically, it mimics the crowd, repeating patterns of old, trusting that what exists is already what needs to. But The Death Instinct individual rages against the machine. It challenges authority. It asserts its own subjectivity in defiance of the arbitrary social norms that have been set before it.

The term derives from the Latin optimum, meaning "best". To be optimistic, in the typical sense of the word, is to expect the best possible outcome from any given situation.[1] This is usually referred to in psychology as dispositional optimism. It reflects a belief that future conditions will work out for the best.[2] As a trait, it fosters resilience in the face of stress.[3]

Pessimists are often better prepared for tough times and may avoid risks that more optimistic thinkers might ignore. Research has shown that pessimists tend to foresee obstacles more readily since they expect things to go wrong, meaning that they are more likely to plan for difficulties. For example, some older research found that negative thinkers are more likely to build safety nets. They're also more prepared practically and emotionally when things go wrong and don’t find their worldviews in crisis when bad things do happen.

She’s an average, fun-loving kid leading the life of the least average kid on the planet, and she wants to make the best of her situation, whether it’s inheriting the throne (where she would bring peace to the planet) or saying goodbye to the world and playing the game (which she knows will happen, because her lusus told her it would). Like Aradia, Feferi is okay with a lot of things, but she slides through adversity easily with the power of enthusiasm rather than apathy. The only other character I can think of with “averageness” as a built-in feature of her profile is Jane. Who is also a Life player, and an heiress to a different throne (occupied by, yet again, the Condesce).

FEFERI: But I )(ave it on good aut)(ority t)(at s)(e is fine! FEFERI: Everyt)(ing is going to go swimmingly, YOU'LL S-E-E. 38) SOLLUX: you are 2o riidiiculou2ly optiimii2tiic iit'2 kiind of 2iickeniing, why do you even put up wiith me?

TA: but, TA: ii can't 2hake the feeliing the2e ruiin2 are goiing two be nothiing but trouble for u2. AA: but y0u say that ab0ut everything! TA: that'2 becau2e iit'2 fuckiing true about everythiing!

HOPE/RAGE = creation/editing = idealism/nihilism

Idealism in philosophy, also known as philosophical idealism or metaphysical idealism, is the set of metaphysical perspectives asserting that, most fundamentally, reality is equivalent to mind, spirit, or consciousness; that reality or truth is entirely a mental construct; or that ideas are the highest type of reality or have the greatest claim to being considered "real".[1][2] [...] In ordinary English, optimism may be synonymous with idealism—often, unrealistic or foolish optimism in particular.

GT: Hope to me is all about believing in stuff. GT: If you believe in stuff then everything feels like its going to turn out ok. GT: And if you believe in stuff with enough gusto i dare say it imbues that stuff with a pinch more chutzpah. Even the fake stuff! GT: And then if you keep an open mind and adventurous spirit, that chutzpah flows directly into your heart, and thats when YOU have the power. GT: So i think if hope grants one the power to smite villainy and vanquish hooligans thats probably where it comes from! uu: NO. uu: OH GOD. NO. uu: THAT IS ACTUALLY THE WORST THING I'VE EVER READ.

Nihilism[a] is a family of philosophical views arguing that life is meaningless, that moral values are baseless, or that knowledge is impossible. Thus, such views reject the basis of certain ideas. [...] In epistemology or the theory of knowledge, nihilism challenges knowledge and truth.

DID YOU. OR DID YOU NOT. KNOW [GAMZEE] HAD THESE KEYS. Nope. I'm just as surprised as you. I DON'T BELIEVE YOU. Hey, I told you. I have no idea what that clown gets up to in his spare time. I'm not even really sure how he got here, to be honest.

reposting this as its own post rather than a reblog response to someone cause i think it should be its own post.

A lot of people say that heart is about who you are while mind is about what you do. And while Heart as the immutable self and Mind as the possible choices someone makes works great in theory...it doesn't so much in practice. Let’s look at the heart and mind players in base homestuck, for instance.

(this is hells of long by the way. sorry.)

There are three Mind players in Homestuck: Terezi (Seer), Latula (Knight), and Redglare (Knight).

And let’s look at what they do. Terezi seeks to understand the law. She talks about how Paradox Space has a sense of justice. When she kills Vriska, she does it not because she wants to, but because the wider system of the alpha timeline demanded it. When John was doing his retcon shit, he had no idea what he was doing, so Terezi systemized it and gave him a list of tasks to do.

We don’t see much of Latula. However, we know a couple things from her. She tells us that the karma cycle revolving around the Serkets and the Pyropes was an expression of Mind. And we know that she is a Knight—one who fights their aspect just as much as they fight through their aspect. Latula tries to present herself as this over-the-top rad gamer girl. Keep in mind that Latula can’t smell, and Beforus would ordinarily slate her for culling because of that. She doesn’t want to be coddled, so she tries as hard as she can to show self-sufficiency and identity. She fights against this system that would tamp down her individuality and autonomy.

Finaly, there’s Redglare, who is just an alternate universe Latula. Redglare is a Knight. She fights THROUGH Mind—she’s a legislacerator. The law is her weapon. But, again, as a Knight, she also struggles with imposed order and wider systems—she’s part of the cult of the Sufferer.

And then there’s the five Heart players. Dirk, Nepeta, Meulin, Bro, and the Disciple.

Dirk, as a Prince, one who destroys Heart, behaves much like a Mind player. I mean, he literally has an AI copy of himself. He hates himself, and while he loves his friends, he still tamps down their individuality—Jane remarks about how he regularly tells her to be more like Jake, and Jake mentions the opposite. He’s great at planning, being logical, etc. etc.. there’s also the irony, something he uses to not show sincerity (heart).

Bro is Dirk, so Bro is also a Prince. Again, the irony, the comparisons to being like a robot and a puppet master. He destroys Dave’s sincerity and ability to be vulnerable. Interestingly, he also has a whole thing with masculinity, with this toxic ideal of being big and tough and never showing emotion and constantly doing badass stunts. Dirk has this too, but it’s less pronounced (until obv. he becomes part of LE). He’s kind of the opposite of Latula in this way, because Porrim points out that part of Latula’s over-the-top-ness stems from a desire to stick it to misogynists, while Bro is the misogynist in question. Misogyny and toxic masculinity are (part of) Mind—they’re relentless systemization that reduces people to stereotypes.

Nepeta, the Rogue! Rogues steal for others—she, in theory, steals Heart and redistributes it. Now. Doesn’t that sound…like shipping? When you steal someone’s heart, that means they’re falling for you, but Nepeta wants to redistribute Heart. She doesn’t have much success in her own romantic endeavors—Equius, as much as I hate to say it, doesn’t stand up for her when it really matters, and Karkat is wholly uninterested in her---but she has a lot of interest in the relationships of others. She also just portrays some general Heart characteristics—she lives alone in a cave pretty much completely disconnected from society.

Meulin…doesn't have much going for her tbh. she's a dancestor. you know how it is. she likes shipping. she's being kind of mind controlled by kurloz? i have kind of a pet theory that mages and seers are more susceptible to manipulation than other peeps because their classes are about taking info in, but that's not really relevant right now. she's a deaf nepeta that smokes catnip like weed and that's really all there is to say on the matter.

the Disciple is a mage, since she's meulin. She was the closest follower of the Sufferer's teachings. She understood the rebellion against the system, and her love with the Sufferer transcended quadrants. (The sufferer was still a Blood player, though, because the rebellion was based on visions of the past.)

Anyways. Based on all that, my conclusion is largely that Heart is about the self, and Mind is about the non-self. Frankly the fundamental way I understand the two is that Heart is crackships and Mind is responses saying that you shouldn't ship that because it's not canon. Mind is the law, systems, logic, and Heart is individuality, desire, random idiosyncrasies that are hard to reconcile with larger systems.

People say Mind is the what-if, but like...look at Nepeta. Look at her shipping wall in her cave. There's all sorts of random shit on there. And you say Heart is about what the character is locked onto and can't unbecome, but look at Dirk (prince). He was the first to ascend to his ultimate self, the first to subsume to this wider "Dirk".

It took me so long to find the classpect of this fucker, like- genuinely. I was tied between 4 different aspects, and "Rogue of Time" felt too easy and didn't feel like it accurately described him. I finally did it though :D

Alt version under cut:

Joyce Byers - Maid of Heart

Jim Hopper - Knight of Time

Will Byers - Heir of Light

Jonathan Byers - Mage of Heart

Mike Wheeler - Page of Hope

El Hopper - Muse of Light

Dustin Henderson - Seer of Space

Steve Harrington - Knight of Life

Robin Buckley - Rogue of Void

Nancy Wheeler - Seer of Life

Lucas Sinclair - Knight of Heart

Max Mayfield - Rogue of Time

for those unaware, in a hussie qna, they showed us these

OFFICIAL classpect pairings and passive active alignment. they also said: "For now, these are the pairings, which are staggered a bit in probably an unpredictable way. Lord and muse are the extremes, but aside from that, there's some weird stuff going on. The maid/heir pair are both fully on the passive side, and witch/sylph are fully on the active side. All the others are split between active and passive, but the gap begins to narrow as you progress."

Rogues are the passive counterpart of the redistrubiting class, their active counterpart being the Thief class. Rogues from the canon story of Homestuck are Roxy Lalonde, Nepeta Leijon, and Rufioh Nitram. All of the rogues of the canon story are fairly sociable, having many bonds and connections. They also have near direct ties to their aspect's seemingly literal definitions, Roxy with her use of alcohol causing a state of 'void' (in the sense that it's an abscence of mind), Nepeta's penchant for shipping and roleplaying, and Rufioh's wings and his emotional isolation. Outside of their connection to their aspect, they also appear to share a common trait: a rebellious nature that appears to manifest either quietly or loudly. For Roxy, it was her rebellion against Crockercorp and Her Imperious Condescenscion.

She fought against the Crocker corporation, seeing it was threatening both her friend/s and previously her own mother. Her rebellious nature against )(IC was also a manifestation of fighting for her friends, as she played a major threat against her session and teammates. Another rogue that possessed the rebellious trait common with the class was the Summoner, Rufioh's post-scratch counterpart.

The Summoner incited a rebellion on Alternia, inspiring others and encouraging them to fight for their freedom against )(IC. This aligns directly with his role of giving others freedom, as he inspired the fight for freedom among the Alternian citizens. While his rebellion didn't end up bearing fruit, it was still a valiant effort that defined his place as a Rogue of Breath. Ultimately, Rogues are a class defined by a connection to their aspect, and their Robin Hood-esque nature. Quite a fun class, in my opinion. For powers, they're able to take their aspect from others and their environment. Shown through Roxy stealing the concept of nothing from items destroyed/nonexistent such as the Matriorb, or Rufioh stealing Damara's freedom in a way, causing her servitude to Lord English through him entering a relationship with Horuss and causing a rift between them. As for Nepeta, you could see her ships as a way of both being tied to Heart as an aspect and her methods as a Rogue, redistributing/changing the bonds between her friends.

The aspect of Time is one of the cardinal aspects of every session, essential if you need a backup plan incase something goes wrong such as a permanent death or anything of the like. It's symbols are rooted in death, history, clocks, and music. Canon Time Players are Dave Strider, Aradia Megido, Damara Megido, and Caliborn from Homestuck. We also have Skylla Koriga, Marvus Xoloto, and Mallek Adalov of Hiveswap. Nearly all of the listed Time Players have ties to time's symbols, Dave and Marvus are both connected to music, Aradia and Damara are tied to death and/or the inevitable end of the Universe, and Mallek and Skylla are naturally rebellious/action-prone. Being prone to action isn't necessarily a symbolic piece of the Time Aspect, but it is a trait most if not all those aligned to Time share.

Dave Strider is one of the three canonically god-tiered heroes of Time, and the first I'll be analyzing of the two. He has ties to music dominantly, seen through his most dominant symbol of his narrative being tied into music (ex: the Beat Mesa/Scratch Construct, his shirt symbol, and him being musically inclined). Music is a significant symbol in Time, seeing as most songs have a set time period and end, tying directly into Time's meaning. He also had an aforementioned interest in dead things, though this wasn't as prevalent or significant as his ties into music. He was a fairly active player in his session, tying into the action-prone part of Time and the nature of its players. His activity is likely another offshoot of his role as an active class (Knight), but it can also be partially from his aspect. Another Time Player we can analyze is Aradia Megido, a passive player of Time.

Aradia Megido, the Maid of Time. As confirmed by Hussie, Maids are a passive class and are a counterpart of Heirs. Since we had our system uprooted and the common interpretation of Maids being an active role and counterpart to Sylphs, this will be a very menial inspection on Aradia's role. Maids are passive, and observing Aradia's actions can actually make sense as to how maids interact with their aspect and are seen as passive. Aradia, upon god tiering, acted as a guide of the dream bubbles, and was interested in playing a passive role while watching the universe coming undone. She wasn't the most passive player, but when compared to other players she can be seen as a passive class. A reminder that being a passive class doesn't necessarily entail sitting idly, as Rose Lalonde and JEgbert were both passive classes and still contributed a lot to their session in terms of activity. Aradia interacted with her aspect in the way of seeing it as death and how everything has an end. Cool, right? I've always been fond of time myself, eyebrows eyebrows.

Now for the ultimatum: the Rogue of Time. Someone who redistributes Time itself or through Time. We can naturally assume that with the nature of all rogues, they likely have direct ties to Time in a literal sense. If you're writing a rogue of time, you could have them be either a clockmaker or a music director. Time has many symbols, and there's many directions you could take when going into creating a designated Rogue of Time. Speaking of Rogue nature, a Rogue of Time would likely be one of if not the most rebellious of all Rogues, afterall being aligned with the most action-prone class won't exactly make you an idle player by any means. A rogue of time wouldn't necessarily be a revolution fighter who has a constant struggle, though it is a good chance. A classpect doesn't define a single person, and can be used to shelter multiple of the same people. Power-wise, redistributing time is an incredibly useful ability. I'd imagine that a rogue of time would be incredibly good at managing the timelines, giving time to those in need of it. For example, if a battle is cutting too close to a designated time limit such as a bomb, a god-tiered Rogue of Time could have the opportunity to maybe even steal time from their opponent and give it to the timer. What a cool classpect!!! Wowie Zowie!!!