Why are you people so negative?

[Atmos Duality]

I'm not an optimist, to be certain, but "lie" implies that there is a truth, and there is only perspective. I spent the better part of my 20's as a pessimist, deluding myself, as many I see do, into seeing it as superior perspective and calling myself a realist.

I know there are unfortunate things in this world that I can't control, but the world itself is only terrible if you set it to a standard of your making, and putting it bluntly; (not just doc here, but everyone) Who are you to judge the standard that things must meet to be good?

Chances are you don't see the positives, because good doesn't upset you. Be guarded, of course. But I find I can't call myself any of those three. I see things, and judge them based on experiences. Things just are what they are.

Life is too short to be negative.

One of the most sensible posts in this topic.

Trust me...it's horrifying beyond description when you get into the depths of true depression. When one starts questioning the practicality of their own existence...definitely seek help.
It's fucking scary stuff, and I can say without a shred of doubt that it stems from someone who criticizes every little thing; cynicism is poisonous. You really do have to genuinely laugh once in a while or it will just eat you up.

Life is too short as it is.

 

[gabe12301]

i'm having trouble understanding how you can be so optimistic. can you not see the hurt in the world? can you not see the evil?

I see it and if possible address it. That doesn't mean I have to mope around IRL or over the internet. and It's not as if flowers sprout up at my feet and I shoot rainbows out my arse either.I never said anyone had to be prancing around optimistically in the OP. I can't understand why people can't just be satisfied.

 

[crop52]

Thanks for this thread OP. I was actually thinking of starting a thread like this myself. There are too many cynics on the internet.

 

[Triforceformer]

I blame Yahtzee.

 

[ltbigjohn]

don't harp on people for being negative on the net. 1. its a loosing battle 2. they are just going to troll you 3. you are most certainly right but your telling this to a crowd who doesn't care what you think of them, they just care what they think and good luck truing to sway that kind of opinion in another direction.

( this is not targeted at anyone on this site but may apply and also applies to myself sometimes)

 

[Boletes Net]

because everything is shit forever.

 

[Johnny Impact]

People here are negative?

Go to 4chan, you'll learn what negativity means.

Had my fingers poised to type exactly that.

OT: People are negative everywhere. One of the guys where I work has an abusive, on-again, off-again relationship with his woman. They drive each other insane. There's nothing but monkey sex, emotional knife-twisting, and ugly breakups. Why does he go back to her again and again? Because, in his own words, there's only the nookie. No such thing as love, or healthy relationships, so why bother even looking? That's dark.

One of the reasons gamers play games in the first place is dissatisfaction or disinterest in real life. This already indicates a certain level of negativity. I'm a great example of this. I hate sports, don't drink, suck at conversation, don't watch current TV shows, dislike crowds i.e. parties/gatherings, and don't date. There goes about 90% of what normal people involve themselves in. I don't fit in, so I stay home and play games. This kind of scenario leads to resentment towards other people, who have lives when I don't. I have to remind myself that Jersey Shore and America's Top Model are popular shows, then it hardly hurts at all.

Gamers tend to be young, teens to midtwenties, either just getting their first taste of real life or not even at that point. Young people are notoriously spoiled and emotional. Every disappointment is a crushing apocalypse of fury and despair. It's very fashionable to say life is shit simply because it doesn't offer them the free rides and instant gratification they've been spoiled into thinking they deserve.

Keep your flames to yourself, please, folks. I know everything I just said is generalization. But so is the question at the top of the thread. There are some very positive folks here on the Escapist. By focusing on the negativity, gabe has told us more about himself than he intended. Pot kettle?

 

[The3rdEye]

A) Look at the official content on Escapist and measure how much of it is attacking/pissing on something or someone vs complimenting or recommending it.

B)Look at the front page on any given day and count how many of the video articles have a screen grab showing the author/writer, whatever.

C)Compare the number of comments in "Such and such is bad" or "X is Y, replacing fact with opinion" threads to "They did a good job on X" or "I recommend Y" threads.

1) People like seeing other people angry, and people especially like seeing "big money" get ripped on. It's not anything new though, the entire mentality of the "less rich" taking enjoyment at the suffering of the rich goes all the way back to the silent film days.

2) People love being put into the spotlight, even if it is their alter ego or online avatar. Never mind if what you have to contribute is a wet paper bag, as long as someone comments or quotes on what you say you're validated.

3) Criticism is just easier than praise overall. You don't need to put your values or opinions in the line of fire so you have nothing to lose, and nothing is ever perfect so there's always something to rag on.

---------------

TLR - Your audience reflects your content and vice-versa.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

/b/ may be negative, but they do take a certain amount of enjoyment out of it. lol

OT some are negative, me sometimes, although i try not to be as its the easiest way to insult someone in a heated moment and get kicked off the site. I guess writing online is different than talking in person, online is less personal and thus we tend to be more blunt in what we say. For instance, ive see the Modern Warfare games are shit....but in reality they are great games for what they are, just that i dont enjoy playing them. Maybe we are all lazy and its quicker to say something is shit instead of writing two sentences explaining why.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Wanna talk negative!? Try being a Star Wars fan who likes The new ones and doesn't care about the added in stuff to the originals....you get eaten ALIVE!!!

Very few Star Wars fans are positive about this kind of thing

Ok new trilogy fine that is a matter of taste, JarJar again fine but come on some of the changes are down right stupid and don't make sense. Greedo shooting first while not a big one the reason for it is a bit of a cop out and goes against what Han should be at least at the start(A dirty smuggler). As much as I hate to admit it at least there is more sound reasoning(only slightly) in putting in Hayden despite the fact it is still more of a cop out and my personal most hated change.

-snip-

No, what the Escapist has isn't a surplus of misanthropes. What we have is a surplus of people who THINK they are misanthropes, brought in by lure of Yahtzee and his weekly dumps on the world. And then they stay when they find the forums, a sufficiently validating dumping ground for their grievances with the world, their regrets in life, and their general angst.

But no, most of them aren't misanthropes through and through. They've just diluted themselves into thinking so, because the community here is accepting to those types. It becomes their alter-ego, in a sense. They can be as negative as they want to be without the consequences and demands of social norms that functioning real society offers.

I really wish sarcasm were easy to read. I will agree with you, though.

Lol, I'm not being sarcastic. I'm being perfectly serious. From what I've seen these last couple of years, the Escapist has a lot of neat people, but too many of them are far too convinced that they are stone-cold, pillars of misanthropic logic in a world "overrun with idiots and losers." What they really need is a hug, a good cry, and something to get that stick that's been shoved too far up their ass.

It was always like this. For all the things that have changed on this site this has remained constant.

 

[Rad Party God]

I'm not pessimistic, as anyone would've guessed. I love Nintendo, but, as somebody already said, there are like 10 or 15 people who hate it with a burning passion, just because they make great games out of existing 26 year old IPs, not that I say the same about certain military shooter franchises.

It's the internet, get used to it, I can only recommend you 1 word: "To each his own". (AKA, Haters Gonna Hate)

 

[The-Epicly-Named-Man]

Welcome to the Escapist, where everyone's stopped giving a sh*t about everything, but still insists on lecturing everyone about things that are obvious! Seriously though, at least most people here have semi-rational views on life.

 

[Dagda Mor]

I'm having trouble understanding why so many of the people on the site are so pessimistic. Every other comment is "That greedy (insert company name here) is making money! RAAAAAGGGEE." I'm just happy that the company isn't going bankrupt and firing thousands of it's employees. or when you say "humanity has no value" or some bullcrap about how half of humanity should die off.

Plus gammers aren't exactly the most worst off group of people. We can afford a current gen console or a used ps2 if we're short on cash. In fact, some of us can afford crazy powerful gamming PCs.

My brain hurts just trying to make sense of you soulless depressed group of people.

I'm quite content with my life.It's just my philosophical views that are damn depressing.

 

[Sassafrass]

I don't see anyone negative here, maybe you get the occasional troll or something but otherwise; it's a pretty happy community.

Oh-hoh, wait until you've been here a few more years my friend =P

It's around the year mark you notice it, I found.

But you'll learn to ignore it eventually, OP. Besides, it's not as bad as it used to be, when we used to have a couple of "I've lost faith in humanity!" threads in a week. And now, to lighten the mood a little bit, I give you all many cute kittens in baskets. [http://images.google.co.uk/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=667&q=Kittens!&gbv=2&oq=Kittens!&aq=f&aqi=g10&gs_upl=1087l2307l0l2719l8l7l0l0l0l0l216l1254l0.6.1l7l0&uss=1#hl=en&gbv=2&tbm=isch&q=cute+kittens+in+a+basket&revid=1951821331&sa=X&ei=xXhiTuOlDIS68gOIwKy6Cg&ved=0CDkQ1QIoAA&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=f8356fe34ef6aeb4&biw=1366&bih=667]

 

[DAPLR]

Wanna talk negative!? Try being a Star Wars fan who likes The new ones and doesn't care about the added in stuff to the originals....you get eaten ALIVE!!!

Very few Star Wars fans are positive about this kind of thing

Ok new trilogy fine that is a matter of taste, JarJar again fine but come on some of the changes are down right stupid and don't make sense. Greedo shooting first while not a big one the reason for it is a bit of a cop out and goes against what Han should be at least at the start(A dirty smuggler). As much as I hate to admit it at least there is more sound reasoning(only slightly) in putting in Hayden despite the fact it is still more of a cop out and my personal most hated change.

-snip-

No, what the Escapist has isn't a surplus of misanthropes. What we have is a surplus of people who THINK they are misanthropes, brought in by lure of Yahtzee and his weekly dumps on the world. And then they stay when they find the forums, a sufficiently validating dumping ground for their grievances with the world, their regrets in life, and their general angst.

But no, most of them aren't misanthropes through and through. They've just diluted themselves into thinking so, because the community here is accepting to those types. It becomes their alter-ego, in a sense. They can be as negative as they want to be without the consequences and demands of social norms that functioning real society offers.

I really wish sarcasm were easy to read. I will agree with you, though.

Lol, I'm not being sarcastic. I'm being perfectly serious. From what I've seen these last couple of years, the Escapist has a lot of neat people, but too many of them are far too convinced that they are stone-cold, pillars of misanthropic logic in a world "overrun with idiots and losers." What they really need is a hug, a good cry, and something to get that stick that's been shoved too far up their ass.

It was always like this. For all the things that have changed on this site this has remained constant.

I lift an eyebrow to your choice of words. That the new trilogy is a matter of taste. As was the old one, mate. And you thinking the little mini-second changes are bad is a core problem with the Star Wars fan-base. They are tiny, very ignorable changes. And I personally like the Vader 'No' being put into the re-re-re-release(lol) for reasons I am tired of explaining -_-

Also, a word for Jar Jar. Being a new adult (18) I didn't know Star Wars growing up. Neither did my friends or anyone. It was a 20 year old film saga. But the new episode 1 did have a family appeal, but as did all the others (chewbacca, anyone?), and it REALLY helped keep the interest of what the Star Wars team knew was the generation that will be able to talk of Star Wars as a saga, rather than a set of movies that are alienated by each other by the supposed fans of said saga....Whew.
By the way, you would be a LOT(and I'm willing to bet you HAVE) been a lot more negative to people like me if it weren't for the sake of this thread being about negativity

 

[someguyfromhell666]

Some people just need to be knocked off their high horses. All that optimism may actually lead the world to destruction faster.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Wanna talk negative!? Try being a Star Wars fan who likes The new ones and doesn't care about the added in stuff to the originals....you get eaten ALIVE!!!

Very few Star Wars fans are positive about this kind of thing

Ok new trilogy fine that is a matter of taste, JarJar again fine but come on some of the changes are down right stupid and don't make sense. Greedo shooting first while not a big one the reason for it is a bit of a cop out and goes against what Han should be at least at the start(A dirty smuggler). As much as I hate to admit it at least there is more sound reasoning(only slightly) in putting in Hayden despite the fact it is still more of a cop out and my personal most hated change.

-snip-

No, what the Escapist has isn't a surplus of misanthropes. What we have is a surplus of people who THINK they are misanthropes, brought in by lure of Yahtzee and his weekly dumps on the world. And then they stay when they find the forums, a sufficiently validating dumping ground for their grievances with the world, their regrets in life, and their general angst.

But no, most of them aren't misanthropes through and through. They've just diluted themselves into thinking so, because the community here is accepting to those types. It becomes their alter-ego, in a sense. They can be as negative as they want to be without the consequences and demands of social norms that functioning real society offers.

I really wish sarcasm were easy to read. I will agree with you, though.

Lol, I'm not being sarcastic. I'm being perfectly serious. From what I've seen these last couple of years, the Escapist has a lot of neat people, but too many of them are far too convinced that they are stone-cold, pillars of misanthropic logic in a world "overrun with idiots and losers." What they really need is a hug, a good cry, and something to get that stick that's been shoved too far up their ass.

It was always like this. For all the things that have changed on this site this has remained constant.

I lift an eyebrow to your choice of words. That the new trilogy is a matter of taste. As was the old one, mate. And you thinking the little mini-second changes are bad is a core problem with the Star Wars fan-base. They are tiny, very ignorable changes. And I personally like the Vader 'No' being put into the re-re-re-release(lol) for reasons I am tired of explaining -_-

Also, a word for Jar Jar. Being a new adult (18) I didn't know Star Wars growing up. Neither did my friends or anyone. It was a 20 year old film saga. But the new episode 1 did have a family appeal, but as did all the others (chewbacca, anyone?), and it REALLY helped keep the interest of what the Star Wars team knew was the generation that will be able to talk of Star Wars as a saga, rather than a set of movies that are alienated by each other by the supposed fans of said saga....Whew.
By the way, you would be a LOT(and I'm willing to bet you HAVE) been a lot more negative to people like me if it weren't for the sake of this thread being about negativity

Last point first no I happen to like Episode 1 but not 2 and liked 3. I do like Jar Jar but I see where the criticism comes from.

I wasn't really asking about the "No" which the reason is stupid as well and it doesn't add much. I don't care if you like it or not that is fine but it does not greatly add but it does detract a bit from the scene.

What I was talking about it is the really really pointless changes like Hayden's ghost and Greedo shooting first. Ignorable or not these changes among others(like the No) are really pointless and have not added to the experience of the movies and this is coming from a Star Wars fan younger than you that has seen the 1997 release before the new trilogy.

You can lift an eyebrow if you want all things like which one is good or bad is a matter of taste so I am just stating as that I am not debating the merits of the movies as movies or even as part of the franchise. A pointless addition that has split the fan base over what? Making the movie more of a true Sci Fi by explaining something that did not need to be explained. Ignorable but nonetheless pointless.

So yes fine I am the biggest problem with the Star Wars franchise and fan base because I just do not see the merits of having Greedo shooting first(having Han appear a True Hero which he does not start out to be), Hayden's ghost(tbh this is more to make it relate able to new gen people than making the story "full circle"), the change of music from Lapti Nek and Jedi Rocks(It really does not add any more atmosphere to the scene they both create the same effect). You would think with all the editing he would edit out the green skin alien chick's nips.

Also thank you on being a big martyr and saying that I am a shit person and that I give people shit due to their opinion even though you have never ever talked to before about Star Wars ever. So no I don't give people shit for an opinion on something like this but once again these changes have added nothing but an increasingly divisive fan base as they added nothing to begin with as I have gone back and looked at the original scenes and the changes do not do what they say on the tin.

Edit: By the way I never said the changes were inherently bad or even bad(I said I hated a few). I said they were pointless and stupid thus unneeded.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Yeah, the Escapist does seem to do little other than *****. I know it's the grand stereotype of the internet that everyone on it is constantly bitching, but the Esapist elevates it somewhat.

Not that there aren't places that are worse, because of course they are, but it sometimes seems to me that what people think 'intellectual debate' means is 'excessive negativity.'

And of course then there's those that seem to do nothing except come into threads which obviously aren't intended for them, solely for the purpose of crapping all over everyone's happiness. Like someone who hates women and dating going into a 'So Have You Ever Fallen In Love?' thread simply to say 'Love is a delusion caused by chemical imbalances, life is pain Limp Bizkit crawling in my skin etc.'

Also, to anyone who spouts the usual 'I don't hate humanity, I just think we need some pruning.' What you really mean, almost without exception, is 'I think we should get rid of the people who I think aren't contributing.' Without actually specifying what 'contributing' is. Possibly because if you did then you might find yourself included in that description.

I like this site, but a large part of that like is because reading the forums reminds me of being 17, when I was a total douchebag who thought I knew it all.

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

I don't know. I mean, I've had a pretty crappy life, but I try my darnedest to be optimistic. Maybe it depends on the way people are brought up. I mean c'mon guys! How can you be depressed in a world where we have...

Broccoli casserole?!

Spoiler

[small]Huh, I should get mom to put broccoli on the top part next time.[/small]

And Rainbows!

Spoiler

And Patrick Stewart!

Spoiler

And kittens!

Spoiler

And ice sculptures of Optimus Prime!

Spoiler

Seriously, life is only as bad as you make it.

 

[HHammond]

Because of this ridiculous philosophy that everything = shit, started off by that thick-as-shit numbskull Yahtzee.

I don't Yahtzee started that. The philosophy of "everything = shit" has been around since the greeks so... yeah.