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

[Izanagi009_v1legacy]

might as well clarify my position, I am elitist in terms of the idea of self-beilef that I am capable of applying academic critique to anime in a way that most people can't

I have to disagree here with you a little. I've seen some of your posts and your "critique" of different anime. I mean, you can review "academically" or whatever but there is something you fail to see. Your critique is always only subjective. You either don't want to or you don't understand why other people might enjoy something. And that's why you only bring up your personal opinion of things. How can anyone else, who don't share your "taste", gain anything from your review? They can't. And that's not good critique.

You are correct in teh first aspect. I don't understand why people would enjoy a show despite issues that my critique could point out. SAO is one of those and all my analysis means squat unless I know the person's actual mindset

However, I think that this type of opinionated critique does have a purpose in that someone without my taste can gain something from it, different perspectives. Everyone has an opinion and ultimately, they will all line up into a distribution of either neutral, positive or negative. People can see how the opinions are distributed and come to a conclusion. My critiques are one portions of this distribution and so are others.

 

[EvilRoy]

Having had light to moderate experience with mediums such as films and some Western animation, I don't think there's any difference in elitism in regards to anime. If you have the experience to back it up, you have the supposed authority to criticize others for not liking what you like, liking aspects of the industry that aren't healthy, etc.

You don't actually need any amount of experience to criticize others for not liking what you like - and, indeed, having lots of experience does not really make your arguments with respect to subjectives any more or less valid. Really all experience does is allow you to provide a better basis for your opinion than someone with less experience, and even then only in general. It is totally possible that someone who loves AOT for instance has an insanely high level of knowledge of the particulars of that anime and related factors, which even with your general experience spanning years you cannot hope to match in that particular subject.

Which kind of brings me to the point. Its likely not that people don't like the fact that you know more than them (that you are more "elite" with regards to anime), rather its more likely that they don't like you personally. If this thread is anything to go by it would probably be due to a lack of basic social grace and humility.

I can't help with the grace issue, but I can help with the humility issue with the magic of statistics. As a thought experiment, lets say you go on to the anime reddit to throw down with some mad opinionz, yo. According to what I'm seeing here, at the time of writing there are about 2000 unique users on the site. Lets assume that you are right on the edge of the 95th percentile for knowledge - for any given subject matter this means that you are an extremely knowledable expert. In a technical field this level usually takes around 20 to 30 years of practice to achieve (this goes way beyond the "10000 hours to become an expert" thing, because you are actively competing with others to reach this level of relative knowledge). So even after all this crazy effort and practice and study, in that reddit on balance of probabilities, 100 people are smarter than you. And not just "kind of smarter". Ten of them will be so insanely unreasonably more knowledgeable than you that you could seclude yourself and study for ten years and they would still be smarter - because they also spend the last ten years studying. And the kicker - these guys don't wear nametags denoting years spent, and could be anyone you are currently talking to. So think before talking down to someone based on your expertise, because eventually you're going to run into some people who will not be impressed.

 

[Sung-Hwan]

Ignoring the vile parts of this thread, I've learned quite a few things from the good posts and users. I thank those people.

 

[Armadox]

Ignoring the vile parts of this thread, I've learned quite a few things from the good posts and users. I thank those people.

Do not ignore the opinions of others because of their choice of words, Sung-Hwan. You can still learn to take lessons from the bad as much as the good in situations of self discovery. If you do not enjoy these opinions applied to you, perhaps you could choose to not use them on others? That is part of how one tries to mix into any community, being able to find something to respect. You might not get along with every person (I sometimes lose my temper as well, when conversations arise about the validity of art and it's use..), but that doesn't mean that I can not talk to them.

The saddest part that I have seen is that you seem to be unaware of the fact that what you do should hold weight when it's completely speculative in terms of scope. Art is not something that is there to be won or lost, and knowing more of a single kind of art only deadens you to the value in others. You start putting that single thing on a pillar, a shrine to it because you have devoted yourself to it, and anything else would cause both it and your time to feel wasted.

I'm now curious in you Sung-Hwan, perhaps I could ask you a few questions. What makes you happy? Where do you see your future? In what practical means are you using the first to met the second?

 

[Teoes]

Ignoring the vile parts of this thread, I've learned quite a few things from the good posts and users. I thank those people.

So you don't like it when what you do to others is done unto you? That should be setting off alarm bells, pal.

 

[Sung-Hwan]

What I've learned is to simply keep doing what I am doing and remain anonymous in my work. I will pop up every now and then to try to assist people that I view as wrong, but if they refuse to listen to reason, I will leave them to drown in their ignorance. The latter has always been the greatest challenge for me because when my words arent listened to, I always reacted violently.

 

[2012 Wont Happen]

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.

If you are asking how to show superiority, you are not superior. I'm not saying there's nobody kicking around who is far and away smarter/generally more societally useful than anyone else, but if you have to ask how to introduce yourself as such, you are not one of those people. You're just a regular guy who has watched a bunch of anime most people have never heard of and played a bunch of video games. You have no "status". If you did, you wouldn't be asking how to get people to recognize it, because they already would. Even here, where your kind of knowledge is generally valued, you put your point forward so poorly that the responses have been negative.

Ultimately, you aren't an elite, you're a guy who watches anime and plays video games, which I'm pretty sure is the daily routine of at least half of this website. Stop pretending like you're so very special and different and above everyone else and people will respond to you more agreeably.

 

[San Martin]

Ignoring the vile parts of this thread, I've learned quite a few things from the good posts and users. I thank those people.

You're just upset because I've watched more Colombian soap operas than you.

Seriously though, and I'm genuinely not trying to be insulting, has it occurred to you that the fact that you've received nothing but negative responses in every thread you've made might suggest that the problem lies with you, rather than with others?

 

[Sung-Hwan]

Ignoring the vile parts of this thread, I've learned quite a few things from the good posts and users. I thank those people.

You're just upset because I've watched more Colombian soap operas than you.

Seriously though, and I'm genuinely not trying to be insulting, has it occurred to you that the fact that you've received nothing but negative responses in every thread you've made might suggest that the problem lies with you, rather than with others?

I see nothing wrong with myself as a person. I am polite, generally calm, and experienced in many mediums. I am aware of my flaws being an explosive temper, and inability to tolerate being talked back to by someone less experienced than me in any of the mediums I engage in.

That's about it.

 

[Sung-Hwan]

when my words arent listened to, I always reacted violently.

In what way?

You know why TotalBiscuit is really hated by a sizable amount of people? That way.

 

[Sung-Hwan]

You know why TotalBiscuit is really hated by a sizable amount of people? That way.

You turn into a Geordie an' gan al' radgie like? Because outside of that, I really don't know why or whether people dislike him. Could you be more clear?

It's known he had a horrible temper and once said to someone that he should die of cancer, which is hilariously ironic and karmic now. He's seemingly mellowed out since he got cancer himself, but I see him still lose his temper with various indie game developers he interacts with.

 

[Frezzato]

Ignoring the vile parts of this thread, I've learned quite a few things from the good posts and users. I thank those people.

You're just upset because I've watched more Colombian soap operas than you[...]

Hmm

Spoiler: this merits further investigation!

Damn, nice arms!

 

[Sung-Hwan]

It's known he had a horrible temper and once said to someone that he should die of cancer, which is hilariously ironic and karmic now. He's seemingly mellowed out since he got cancer himself, but I see him still lose his temper with various indie game developers he interacts with.

So, to be absolutely clear, you're saying that when someone doesn't listen to you, you're going to get cancer in a hilariously ironic fashion? Okay then, but I think if that's how it is your safest course of action is not to talk to anyone, just in case.

Probably worse, though I don't act in that fashion where my name is at risk or people I know are around. I've tried mellowing out myself, but to no avail so far.

I've seen the worst of human beings both through myself and others. This somewhat further feeds my ego because I know what people are like in general; which, in turn, is why I am generally so hostile.

 

[Armadox]

It's known he had a horrible temper and once said to someone that he should die of cancer, which is hilariously ironic and karmic now. He's seemingly mellowed out since he got cancer himself, but I see him still lose his temper with various indie game developers he interacts with.

So, to be absolutely clear, you're saying that when someone doesn't listen to you, you're going to get cancer in a hilariously ironic fashion? Okay then, but I think if that's how it is your safest course of action is not to talk to anyone, just in case.

Probably worse, though I don't act in that fashion where my name is at risk or people I know are around. I've tried mellowing out myself, but to no avail so far.

I've seen the worst of human beings both through myself and others.

You'll master your temper when you have something to lose for it, and you have gone out of your way to make sure that there is nothing you do that holds value. Doing what you are doing anonymously is akin to screaming at a wall and hoping it will fall down.

I am an endless well of rage, and in my past I used that to hurt others. I was a bouncer, a boxer.. eventually merely a thug. It wasn't that I was angry at anyone, I was simply angry to be angry. It hurt the ones around me I did care for, and made miserable the lives of those that I didn't. There is no joy there, no passion.

You need to focus that anger into something creative, something that means something to both yourself and the world. It's not enough to be passionate about your love, but to tend to it's growth. Might I suggest taking an art class? Perhaps you can make the stories that you feel should be seen.

If you worry about the risk to your name, then I suggest placing value in that name. Stand behind the things that you say and accept the world's view of you. Do something for others in a way that forms friendships instead of aggression. You will see others enjoying things you do not, you will see criticism placed on you as a person, and you will need to learn to pick your battles and pursue only that which is worth putting your name on the table. Til then, you will never be heard because you aren't really there.

 

[TakerFoxx]

You know why TotalBiscuit is really hated by a sizable amount of people? That way.

You turn into a Geordie an' gan al' radgie like? Because outside of that, I really don't know why or whether people dislike him. Could you be more clear?

It's known he had a horrible temper and once said to someone that he should die of cancer, which is hilariously ironic and karmic now. He's seemingly mellowed out since he got cancer himself, but I see him still lose his temper with various indie game developers he interacts with.

Yeah, but that incident came about because he was undergoing a ton of shit from being forcibly separated from his wife and kid, being unable to earn the money he needed to reunite with them, and constantly being jerked about by the government just when it looked like things would get better. He lost his temper and snapped, and later made an open apology in which he admitted that his behavior had been unacceptable, explained the circumstances, and said that he had privately sussed things with the guy he had said that to. There's miles of difference between having an emotional breakdown over being separated from your family for a long period of time and later apologizing for it and acting like an arrogant douchebag toward someone for simply not having the same opinion as you and/or not knowing as much as you do about something.

Anyway, here's the long explanation for the incident in question. I'd seriously recommend that you look at what he says.

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1s1s8n9