The opinion pieces I write are intended to be demonstrative. The idea behind these articles I plan on publishing is to introduce the Dragon’s Alliance’s underlying philosophy in an indirect way, with the philosophy applied to cases and topics instead of me directly talking about principles and the fundamentals I believe in.
The plan with today’s article is to take a step back from my ‘traditional’ writings and show how this “indirect way” looks like in practice. For this, I will use my latest article, the one with Jordan Peterson and the Impaulsive. So, let’s dive in.
My Site & My Style
Probably, the most important thing about this journey ahead of me is that I’m doing what I would like to be doing. Obviously, I do want you guys to read these things, so I guess there has to be a part of me which thinks about what the audience is seeking, but this ‘catering’ or ‘intention to be appealing’ are not at all at the forefront of what I’m doing. Following the Alliance’s spirit, I’m going after “visions and dreams that are truly dear to me” because this seeming selfishness or focus on the self is the only way we can really achieve what we ourselves would like to see.
Hence, my writing style is what it is, including all the confusing remarks, distracting commentary in brackets, and endless blabbering because that’s what I enjoy doing. And if I dropped this style right now & right here with the intention of improving my appeal, I would contradict the very message I try to spread or ‘preach’, the idea of doing things in our own way and that – like a true grassroot movement – adding up to positive change, so no matter how I succeeded at increasing my viewership, without the message it would be a rather pointless journey.
So, my apologies if things remain confusing for longer than you would want them to be, and it’s for this very reason that we must be patient and change our perspective because if we only look at the tree and not the forest behind it, no wonder that reality will not seem to be more than what impression it seems to make, and that way we won’t even be able to change it.
Read Between the Lines You Must Because If You Can’t Then I Can’t Offer You Much
(Sorry, disregard the part after “because”, I just had to add it for the rhyme – Some people say I don’t know how to rhyme, and well, don’t I?)
I’m personally obsessed with Marvel movies, and the Marvel way of storytelling. Bunch of easter eggs and hints, and meaning only becoming obvious to posterity and those few ready to play the detective.
This point ties quite nicely into how the previous one ended, with the need for a change in our perspective. If you are looking for a well-written article on a trendy topic or something informative, then this is not the place for you to be. BUT, I do want you to be here because we need everyone for the world to change and evolve into a better place, so I do not want to chase you away, and it’s because of this that I’m stressing the need for a different perspective. Therefore, when I write something, don’t just look at the immediate meaning of what I’m saying. Instead, see what is actually happening.
There’s a guy with integrity. There is no SEO (Search Engine Optimization – a way for me to write my articles in a manner that Google’s algorithm picks it up and brings it to the front page when people search for things) incorporated to the detriment of the message because such incorporation would need the adjustment of the style that is essential for the message. There is no friends’ and common sense’s recommendations about how to succeed heeded, because let’s be honest, those would advise against this joking around here. Instead, there’s the way, that envisioned way put into practice.
The world often advises against this integrity. It teaches you how to succeed in today’s reality by encouraging you to play the game instead of seeking alternatives which according to it don’t exist. And people do succeed by adjusting their ways. And what’s the result of this? Just look at the news and your own fears and you will see. So yeah, something needs to change, and integrity is part of it instead of the meek belief that “there’s no alternative”.
So, give me the benefit of the doubt and adopt a new perspective, a perspective of understanding and interpreting, because obviously, you could just outright reject me for pursuing something that is not yet trendy, and instead is rather candid, but that hasty bias and lack of faith in each other are what we are currently always doing, and that just can’t be the way. And in true Marvel fashion with easter eggs and hints, sooner or later everything will receive meaning anyway, but the earlier we open up and choose to be embracive, the earlier we move onto creating the world we would like to see.
Often Make My Point with Delay, but it Always Comes Regardless of this Delay
You might be missing the connection with the latest article on Jordan Peterson and the Impaulsive, and the truth is, I’m feeling the same way. I thought that I would use examples from that article to demonstrate the points I’m making here, but then I got distracted and went in a different way. That’s something that often happens to me, and embracing it goes quite well with the “My Site & My Style” thing.
However, even if it sometimes takes longer, I always return to the promises I make, and sooner or later that hinted connection will always be made. Besides, that’s the very essence of the “reading between the lines” thing, that certain points are implied instead of stated explicitly, and therefore, if you read carefully, you can see how the previous article fits quite nicely within the brackets that have been introduced in this piece.
Nevertheless, the intention with this article was still to provide you with some guidance for future opinion pieces with parallels drawn between this article and the article on the Impaulsive, so let me stop beating around the bush here and be true to my promise.
Cancel Culture is not the Way Forward, but Neither the Critique of it – it’s Unity Embracing Diversity
Yes, I will be frank here. As I have already said it, this is my site, my style, and my journey, so I will say whatever I feel like saying without constraints. Don’t freak out, I’m not talking about hate speech, that’s not what I’m planning on doing here because that’s just stupid, counterproductive, and besides, I’m a loving kid, so I don’t hate anybody, and even when I do, I’m down for talking, so that we can fix things.
What I mean here is for instance the frankness to say that !!in my personal opinion!! (which can change btw) “this whole pronoun obsession is a trivial thing”. And yes, you could take it as offensive, like you do have the liberty to choose misery every single time someone says something not to your liking, but it doesn’t mean that it’s actually intended to be offensive. It’s just an honest opinion which can only change if first we admit it and talk about it. The same goes for me calling someone ‘weird’ instead of being ‘pc’ and using the correct term ‘interesting’. Maybe my curiosity hasn’t been reached and I really just find it weird without being interested. I’m sorry, but that’s just liberty. Not having the right to say it? That’s a messed-up thing, so cancel culture just can’t do the trick.
BUT, keep on reading and don’t just label me as a free speech absolutist and disregard or welcome (all depending on your liberal vs. conservative preferences) this project as something conservative too hastily because that’s not at all the case. That’s exactly what I tried to showcase with my opinion piece on Jordan Peterson and the Impaulsive. The fact that I find certain things ridiculous in the liberal way of thinking doesn’t mean that I’m immediately siding with the opposite. The one thing I’m AGAINST even though I’m trying to be a FOR thing is this idea of “siding”, a tendency inevitably resulting in misery and enmity.
All views on life and society have both good and stupid things to say, so it would be a mistake to reject one approach completely merely because we can’t agree on many things. It is during a two-sided conversation that understanding begins, and therefore, cancelling out voices is just a hindrance to achieving empathy. We will find different things funny or offensive, but that’s the very beauty of diversity and understanding, that we have our interesting differences and yet can still be friendly.
Context Matters – Read the Whole Thing
Kind of in connection with the cancel culture critique, I must highlight that meaning is a matter of the context it is placed in. If we only focus on one part of the story, or one specific expression that has been sneaked in, it’s much easier to find something more offensive than it actually is, an unnecessary misunderstanding that will become obvious once the whole context has been revealed.
It’s especially true for my style of writing where I really don’t try to moderate what I’m saying, and therefore, on its own, a statement like “I like racist jokes” is something that could seem incorrect to say, whereas if one understands the context it is made in, it becomes obvious with what intention it was actually stated, how I might be the very opposite of a ‘racist conservative’.
Furthermore, as stated above, my way of expressing my thoughts is rather windy, with hidden corners containing random information pieces scattered along the way, hence my point might only receive clarity with delay. But it doesn’t mean that there’s no meaning coming, and therefore, it might be advisable to heed the teachings of Yoda and practice patience as you are trying to unravel what I’m trying to say.
Long story short, read the full story because that’s how the meaning is complete. Don’t judge too soon but wait for the big reveal.
Often, I’m Just Joking
Hopefully, there is no room for misunderstanding here. I will often say things which I don’t actually mean. And I know, this is writing, so there are no facial expressions and intonation here, so how on earth could you distinguish between me talking seriously and just joking? Yeah, that’s actually challenging because the thing is, even in real life my sarcasm doesn’t come across super clearly. Bugger. Where are we going from here? Well, there’s no solution for this complication that would have been tested, but I can definitely recommend that you just trust your gut feeling and hopefully we will be okay.
I’m joking (You see? It’s actually that’s easy). Obviously, mathematics is real, and there’s a hidden pattern to everything, including my hard-to-discern irony. So, to help you navigate this, I will actually complement my writings with short video clips which should give you the insight into how I’m intending what I’m writing. Basically, intonation and me gesticulating. And my hope is that this scenic addition of me talking should do the trick.
And the basic point here? Simple: While taking me seriously, because even as I’m joking I’m acting seriously, you take everything with a pinch of grain, understanding the possibility of me just joking. It’s like heading out to open see while keeping to the shallows. Might seem contradictory, but with some sophisticated “reconciliatory navigational skills” it’s actually a doable trick. And I have absolute faith in you that you can do it.
Conclusion
It’s actually getting late here, the library is almost closing, and I bet that you have other things as well on your plate, so let’s just wrap it up here. The basic takeaway I wanted you to go home with is that there’s a unique perspective needed to understand my writings. Things at first look can easily seem confusing or complicated, but with a bit of guidance, interpretation should actually be all easy. Today, I might only be adding more fuel to the flames, but trust me, as we go on, everything will be clear.
