Life Lesson, Brought To You By WC

I wasn't exactly planning on writing a blog post this morning. Showering does weird stuff to my head sometimes. And I still stand by my statement that I don't do blog posts that often.

Now, to set the scene for what this is about.
A couple of years ago, I sat down at a dinner table with a bunch of other people. Some of them friends. All of these friends knew that I was into MLP, but only one actually shared that interest and understanding. So when the topic came up, I tried to muster some conviction - because I was convinced of this and still am - and said that I think that many people could learn something valuable from MLP.
And then one of my friends who didn't understand simply asked: What?
And I shut down. My fragile little confidence-boost ran out and I crumbled back in on myself again. I didn't answer. Another friend of mine probably noticed first traces of distress and diverted attention. And I was glad for that and didn't open my stupid mouth for the rest of the dinner conversation.
I don't deal well with the spotlight. In retrospect, I think I was simply... embarrassed. Not by being a fan of MLP, mind you. That friend who asked 'what'? She's very smart. Intimidatingly so. I think she asked out of sheer innocent curiosity. She does like to learn and understand. But there I sat and tried to tell her that she, with that big, fat, juicy brain of hers, could still learn something? From MLP, no less?
I simply didn't have the words back then. I'm not sure I have them today.

What MLP can teach you... are basics. Fundamental rules of social interactions. Stuff surely, surely, everybody already knows. Right?
You don't want to be lied to? Don't lie.
You want to have friends? Be friendly.
You don't want to be insulted? Don't insult others.
You want to have a respectful conversation? Respect your opposite.
Basically just... "do unto others as you would be done by". (Funny sidenote: I didn't even know that was a bible-thing until now.) Basically the whole 'lead by example'-thing. It doesn't guarantee success, but it makes it a whole lot more likely.
There's a lot more, of course. How to share. How to deal with secrets and gossip. How to find a balance between certain impulses. There's a lot.
But it's all still just basics. And yet I cannot help and think: Those are called 'basics' because they are so incredibly important. And looking around, online especially, I feel like many need to re-learn them. Shake the dust off of them and actively consider them again. There are valuable life lessons that bear repeating. Because we sometimes forget. Things get messy and muddled and complicated the higher we built our structures and sometimes, it really does help to get back down from that dangerously swaying tower and reacquaint yourself with the basics.
So what can MLP teach you. Well, maybe 'teach' was the wrong word back then. It can remind you of stuff you surely already know.
I wish more people would just... take a step back, close their eyes, take a breath and be a little bit nicer. It doesn't cost all that much. But it can make a world of difference.

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And while I was showering (details everyone needs to know, apparently), I had a couple of stray thoughts.
Everyone behaves differently online. Some use it to vent negative emotions. Which would serve to explain the vile miasma swirling around in that pool. Others are 'just themselves, but online'. And others still are less restricted, limited, inhibited. 'More themselves', if you will. And that's without the whole fake persona/troll-thing and other stuff.
There's eight billion people out there. A bit less 'in here'. And despite being better connected than ever, it feels harder to connect than ever.
It can be difficult to just be yourself. It can be really freaking hard to know yourself. Stay true to yourself.
Maybe this resonates with you. Maybe this makes you smile a little.

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And one last thing. I've watched a lot of content from this channel recently. Because she discusses interesting topics and makes some very good points. (Often on both sides or an argument.) I'm going to link a specific video, because it plays into the previous point. It made me question some stuff I didn't really think about and realize that, yes, I don't know Grian and Mumbo, I don't know anything about the Oxventure crew or Littleshy or Dingo Doodles or any of the many other content creators I sneak after.
And I don't know anything about any of you.
Because what we share online is just a part of ourselves. A tiny part, probably. If it even is a part of ourselves at all. For some, it might just be an act, a facade. To better promote, to get a larger audience into seats, to come across as something appealing, there might be a myriad of reasons for it. They're not necessarily bad or malicious either. It's just how things work around here.
So, be careful. Stay alert. Keep thinking.
And dream on.

And with all that out of the way and out of my head, I can finally return to my 'I don't do Christmas'-thing and read more stories from my 'later'-shelf until it gets dark again and I'm allowed to crawl into bed again.