Is it possible for an elitist to fit in with the masses? How?

[Sung-Hwan]

Note: Elitist not in the bad sense, but someone with much more knowledge and experience than the lost.

With over sixteen years worth of experience in gaming and its sub mediums, several hundreds worth of anime seen, ongoing activity in visual novels, overall knowledge, and experience as a partial writer for specific groups, I effectively fit the bill for an "elitist;" though I never liked to entitle myself as this. As someone who never bothered to interact with the mainstream audience, (being tied to small groups of people I know) I only have a gist of an idea of how the masses think. I want to be a part of this "mainstream audience" to better understand how these people think, for a big article I am planning for a future application somewhere.

And because it's fun because I was once a novice myself.

Because I have such a different viewpoint on things from "casuals," I find it difficult to interact with them. I've tried feigning stupidity and being an asshole, but neither worked out for me in the end.

 

[Rewdalf]

Short answer: No.

Long answer... No.

As nice as you'd like yourself to sound, people are going to keep interpreting your supposed "higher knowledge" as "being a dick."

Nothing against you as a person though, I don't know you.
Just the way you type... Really peeves me.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

You're looking for the word veteran.

Elitist is always carries the negatives connotations, that's the definition of the word.

I've been playing video games for 20+ years, I'd consider myself a veteran, but there are more important things in my life than thinking having a hobby longer than someone else gives me some kind of superiority.

Plus, you know.

Video garmes, animuu, and mangers aren't exactly up there with, say, being a skillful pianist or artist. Any moron can watch and play things.

Short answer: No.

Long answer... No.

As nice as you'd like yourself to sound, people are going to keep interpreting your supposed "higher knowledge" as "being a dick."

Nothing against you as a person though, I don't know you.
Just the way you type... Really peeves me.

Also this.

You're not special for having more disposable time than anyone else.

 

[Barbas]

If you think that interacting with people necessitates "feigning stupidity" or "being an asshole", it speaks poorly of how you view them. If you were them, would you want to spend time with someone who thought and acted like that?

 

[Sung-Hwan]

You're looking for the word veteran.

Elitist is always carries the negatives connotations, that's the definition of the word.

I've been playing video games for 20+ years, I'd consider myself a veteran, but there are more important things in my life than thinking having a hobby longer than someone else gives me some kind of superiority.

Plus, you know.

Video garmes, animuu, and mangers aren't exactly up there with, say, being a skillful pianist or artist. Any moron can watch and play things.

Sure you can mindlessly grind out hobbies, but that's something I and a lot of people look down upon. I mean gaining knowledge about things like how industries work, etc, in the process.

 

[Sung-Hwan]

If you think that interacting with people necessitates "feigning stupidity" or "being an asshole", it speaks poorly of how you view them. If you were them, would you want to spend time with someone who thought and acted like that?

To give some clear cut examples...

By feigning stupidity, I once went to reddit under the impression the only anime people knew or liked was Attack on Titan, then claimed it was the best anime ever every day. No one seemed to really agree, and got annoyed after a while.

Then, I thought it was one of those might make right communities and acted out on a personality based off my ego and malice. Boy did that not last long either, and it probably made things worse.

 

[IceForce]

I've tried feigning stupidity and being an asshole,

This is funny, because being all high-and-mighty and holier-than-thou is ALSO a way of being an asshole.

So from your post, we can deduce that you've tried being an asshole, and you've also tried ... being an asshole.

Have you tried, maybe, I dunno, NOT being an asshole?

 

[Sung-Hwan]

I've tried feigning stupidity and being an asshole,

This is funny, because being all high-and-mighty and holier-than-thou is ALSO a way of being an asshole.

So from your post, we can deduce that you've tried being an asshole, and you've also tried ... being an asshole.

Have you tried, maybe, I dunno, NOT being an asshole?

Maybe it's a bad approach, but how do I let "inferiors" know I am better than them without getting them upset? Like a respect your elders kind of thing, without too much antagonism. I feel like every time I have to write something, I have to introduce myself by letting people know of my status, but it doesn't get much attention.

 

[Barbas]

Maybe it's a bad approach, but how do I let "inferiors" know I am better than them without getting them upset? Like a respect your elders kind of thing, without too much antagonism. I feel like every time I have to write something, I have to introduce myself by letting people know of my status, but it doesn't get much attention.

You don't, because they're not your inferiors for having watched less anime than you. It's as simple as finding people who may or may not share your interests, then broadening your interests over time by doing so. Just being proud of how much of something you've done isn't going to do you any good if you can't explain what you've learned from the experience.

 

[Erttheking]

I've tried feigning stupidity and being an asshole,

This is funny, because being all high-and-mighty and holier-than-thou is ALSO a way of being an asshole.

So from your post, we can deduce that you've tried being an asshole, and you've also tried ... being an asshole.

Have you tried, maybe, I dunno, NOT being an asshole?

Maybe it's a bad approach, but how do I let "inferiors" know I am better than them without getting them upset?

You don't because you are NOT better than them.

 

[Sung-Hwan]

Maybe it's a bad approach, but how do I let "inferiors" know I am better than them without getting them upset? Like a respect your elders kind of thing, without too much antagonism. I feel like every time I have to write something, I have to introduce myself by letting people know of my status, but it doesn't get much attention.

You don't, because they're not your inferiors for having watched less anime than you. It's as simple as finding people who may or may not share your interests, then broadening your interests over time by doing so. Just being proud of how much of something you've done isn't going to do you any good if you can't explain what you've learned from the experience.

That's the thing, I try to tell people why they're wrong or inferior based off what I learned from my time in the medium, but it often goes on deaf ears. I've also tried writing to be taken more seriously.

 

[Barbas]

That's the thing, I try to tell people why they're wrong or inferior based off what I learned from my time in the medium, but it often goes on deaf ears. I've also tried writing to be taken more seriously.

You should try talking to people more respectfully instead, because that'll probably help you more than simply writing.

 

[Random Argument Man]

Well you can try and act as a medium between the mainstream and the more obscure stuff.

"You liked this? Why not try this?". You'd be the go-to guy for people who want to really get into stuff. Although, don't push things people don't want.

You'll at least make a few friends this way than saying "I won't be friends with you because you don't know the exact quote at the 12:34 marker of the 16th episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 5".

 

[Frezzato]

That's the thing, I try to tell people why they're wrong or inferior based off what I learned from my time in the medium, but it often goes on deaf ears. I've also tried writing to be taken more seriously.

The solid white background of your avatar bugs me. I think I fixed it. Maybe.

[/quote]
Oh right, about this thread. If all goes well in your life, and I mean if everything goes right for you, then one day you will revisit this thread and cringe at how you used to think. This is symptomatic of being a young person living in a very small world. You will grow and change. It has happened before and it will happen again.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Maybe it's a bad approach, but how do I let "inferiors" know I am better than them without getting them upset? Like a respect your elders kind of thing, without too much antagonism. I feel like every time I have to write something, I have to introduce myself by letting people know of my status, but it doesn't get much attention.

You don't, because they're not your inferiors for having watched less anime than you. It's as simple as finding people who may or may not share your interests, then broadening your interests over time by doing so. Just being proud of how much of something you've done isn't going to do you any good if you can't explain what you've learned from the experience.

That's the thing, I try to tell people why they're wrong or inferior based off what I learned from my time in the medium, but it often goes on deaf ears. I've also tried writing to be taken more seriously.

Step one, referring to people as inferior is the kind of asshole thing you should avoid in future.

Not everyone can devote all of their time to their hobbies, some of us have jobs and social lives to juggle along with it, alienating everyone because they're 'inferior' is a sure fire way to not endear yourself to anyone.

 

[Casual Shinji]

You know, if you are indeed 16 coupled with the rather irksome way you have of expressing yourself, I can only assume you are going through that phase in life where you think you know better than everyone else just cuz. This will probably last till you're about 20, at which point you will likely realize you're the same dumb schmuck as everyone else.

And seriously, stop with the passive-agressive 'I can't help it I'm so much better than everyone' threads. I mean for Christ's sake, you're asking how you can lower yourself to fit in with the plebeian mainstream? You seriously can't see how positively douchey that sounds?!

 

[San Martin]

I have a similar dilemma to Sung-Hwan. With over twenty years' experience obsessively watching hundreds of Colombian soap operas, I find it nearly impossible to interact with most people, who are ignorant and useless when it comes to Colombian soap operas. I've tried to explain to people why they're inferior -because they haven't spent as much time watching Colombian soap operas as I have-, but rarely does anyone wish to learn from my wisdom and encyclopaedic knowledge of Colombia and its soap operas.

Maybe I could try feigning stupidity and being an asshole, like the average person who doesn't watch Colombian soap operas?

 

[leberkaese]

I wonder how being an 'elitists' for animuu and mangers conflicts with talking to people with less 'experience'? Do you need to correct them when they like an anime that's acttually supposed to be called a bad anime? Do they mistakes in interpreting the story, while episode 45 clearly shows something different?

Your problem possibly is that you think about those people as being inferior while they're not. They have watched less anime than you and therefore they have a completely different opinion about it. There's nothing to feel superior about a hobby that's experienced subjectively.
Most people feel it, if someone thinks he's superior in something. You have to be a good liar to hide this.

If you can't change that way of thinking and you want to talk to people about this stuff you probably should find people that watched as many anime as you did. You can talk to those on the same level.

But now to your actual concern: if you don't like the stuff mainstream likes, you don't have to try enjoying it. Because it won't work. If all your friends love Sword Art Online and you don't get how somebody can enjoy that, you'll probably never like it. If your friends adore Call of Duty and Fifa while you're hating it... you probably won't become part of mainstream audience.