Not "fitting in", even in online MAP spaces

[Strato]

My personality doesn't seem to fit, like I'm at odds with everyone even though I don't try to be.

I have a nonconformist relationship with society. Although I have never been diagnosed with Asbergers or Autism for example, I have always sensed being a square peg in a round hole. The root cause for this has everything to do with my primary sexuality, its notoriety, and social exclusion.

Negative school experiences caused me to feel guilt from a young age - a perception of ‘gayness directed towards the younger boys’, angered my peers. Little has changed into adulthood. I have a lot of love to give, but no mechanism or opportunity to give it. Essentially placed in a box with a label on the inside saying ‘your sexuality has lost you all your freedoms’, and a label on the outside saying ‘radioactive, do not touch’. For part of my life this metaphorical box became reality.

Societal exclusion resulting from my nonconformity has meant I instinctively reject dominant narratives plus the media proxies that propagandise them. Some examples: I lost a number of “friends” due to my early stance alerting them to the perils of taking the jab during 2021 and 2022; I continue to lose acquaintances due to my pro-Russia pro-BRICS stance from 2022 to the present day; loss of family has been the biggest casualty, simply because I am not prepared to denounce my innate sexuality for the sake of appeasement.

‘Not "fitting in", even in online MAP spaces.’ Finding narrowly-defined kindred spirits online is difficult because anonymity severely limits one’s ability to really get to know others. This problem did not exist so much before the internet, not least because now, most “subversive” speech online can be monitored by agencies that wish you harm. Historically, in Europe, conferences were held every so often allowing individuals to meet up and consider how best to move the cause forward via activism. In my experience, friendship and trust could more easily be established in this way.

[PorcelainLark]

Societal exclusion resulting from my nonconformity has meant I instinctively reject dominant narratives plus the media proxies that propagandise them. Some examples: I lost a number of “friends” due to my early stance alerting them to the perils of taking the jab during 2021 and 2022; I continue to lose acquaintances due to my pro-Russia pro-BRICS stance from 2022 to the present day; loss of family has been the biggest casualty, simply because I am not prepared to denounce my innate sexuality for the sake of appeasement.

Do you think that acting on instinct might make you irrational at times? Like nonconformity for nonconformity's sake?

[Strato]

Societal exclusion resulting from my nonconformity has meant I instinctively reject dominant narratives plus the media proxies that propagandise them. Some examples: I lost a number of “friends” due to my early stance alerting them to the perils of taking the jab during 2021 and 2022; I continue to lose acquaintances due to my pro-Russia pro-BRICS stance from 2022 to the present day; loss of family has been the biggest casualty, simply because I am not prepared to denounce my innate sexuality for the sake of appeasement.

Do you think that acting on instinct might make you irrational at times? Like nonconformity for nonconformity's sake?

I have a problem with dominant narratives. I research and analyse the validity of narratives that bother me, restrict my freedoms, or have the potential to harm me, such as the cases I mention above. My gut instinct to mistrust - born out of harmful discrimination on the basis of my sexuality from a young age - has proven correct over time.

I continue to be astonished at just how many people are willing to accept at face value what they are fed daily by mainstream media. I have learnt just how pernicious a dominant narrative can be in removing the willingness or the ability of everyday people to even debate the topic in question, and instead to take offence at someone prepared to vocalise the opposing view.

[PorcelainLark]

My gut instinct to mistrust - born out of harmful discrimination on the basis of my sexuality from a young age - has proven correct over time.

Do you think you've ever been wrong? Or that the mainstream has ever been right about anything?

[Strato]

My gut instinct to mistrust - born out of harmful discrimination on the basis of my sexuality from a young age - has proven correct over time.

Do you think you've ever been wrong? Or that the mainstream has ever been right about anything?

Yes, I told my beloved that it would rain today - I was wrong. On the other hand, the papers said it would be dry - it turned out they were correct.

[PorcelainLark]

Yes, I told my beloved that it would rain today - I was wrong. On the other hand, the papers said it would be dry - it turned out they were correct.

But it's never the case about anything major, right?

[HumanBeing]

You are pushing people to think in ways that are unfamiliar and uncomfortable to them, and they don't like it. I also do this a lot, and it is necessary if you're going to be successful as an MAP activist.

If you continue to do this, you will continue to receive many hateful responses. Look at how my posts on BC are received. You have to learn not to care.

I'm not sure if pushing people in a uncomfortable way is a good way to do activism, many MAPs had some online impact on social media (especially on Twitter) at some point but that didn't change anything at all, I think we should unite ourselves as an efficient community/lobby before trying to change the society "point of view" about MAPs.

Also Amos Yee has some good articles about how "ragebait" and confrontational methods are mostly useless

https://www.amosyee.org/insults-dont-create-change.html
Psychological evidence (nbcnews.com/better/pop-culture/why-rudeness-so-toxic-how-stop-it-ncna876131) shows that insults not only doesn't influence people, it makes them more defensive, and less open to listen to you

https://www.amosyee.org/attention-dont-mean-change.html

Being popular doesn't mean you're influential, even though people are talking about you, it doesn't mean you're changing their behavior in a meaningful way. Of course for any successful individual or movement will eventually gain widespread attention, but that doesn't mean attention by itself leads to change. Behavioral science shows raising awareness to an important message, but with poor execution, could cause no action or even harm.

https://www.amosyee.org/have-a-good-political-purpose

Studies (psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pop-psych/201702/why-non-violent-protests-work) indicate that confrontational methods are not only ineffective, but harmful to a movement. So even though Black Lives Matter activists are fighting for the good cause of ending police brutality, the public isn't receptive to their message, and even people who agree with them aren't willing to associate with these groups