Let's talk about burnout! · 2:26pm Jul 18th, 2020
I'm planning a few more blogs like the one I posted yesterday. But before we get to figuring out what's what and who's who, let's stop real quick and take a moment to reflect and self-help.
Again, not an expert, just trying to convey things I've learned and thought about myself.
One thing I hear often in online activist circles is you cannot be an activist 24/7. You will burn out, and then you stop contributing to whatever cause it is you're championing. That's not good for anyone, least of all you.
I saw it happen a lot on Tumblr before the big porn purge. People burn out, get frustrated and blame the movement, turn on their heads and start working against it. That's a worst-case scenario of course, but even just people dropping out of activism entirely isn't exactly something you want to happen.
(Part of me, considering the topic right now, wonders if speaking out on a platform like a website, where you have no actual power and a very limited audience, mightn't contribute to that sense of frustration. Worth thinking about.)
This can also happen if you're just watching from the sidelines, for whatever reason. I'm seeing it start to happen here on Fimfiction already: people talking about leaving the fandom or deleting everything. I would rather people not do that; well, people who aren't writing stories about Nazis, anyway.
Me, I am almost certainly heading for a burnout because I've been 'on' for like a month now. :D Real dumb. Should not have commented on that Nazi horse story. Big mistake.
So what's the point here? I've got some advice if you want to avoid doing something you don't actually want to do because, yeah, immersing yourself in a situation defined by tension and stress is strangely not good for you.
Seek solace in the familiar.
If people are energized and in the moment, they're more likely to write things that are topical, and thus bring whatever struggles are current to the forefront. Speaking entirely for this site's community and myself, I find myself wanting to put out more stories that address societal issues, though I'm not doing very well at it (we'll talk more about that later).
But like, I've got a ton of stories that don't deal with that, that I wrote years ago. So do pretty much every other author on this site. There is a crapton of fanfiction out there for you to read and enjoy if you need some time out to rest and recover. Because rest is actually important. Our society places too much emphasis on always producing, and it can crush both the body and soul. So you've got to take some time for yourself, and you shouldn't expect new creations to provide the comfort you need.
There's no better time to go reread an old favorite or check out something you always wanted to read but never got around to. It's up to you to define the boundaries of how much you're willing to take at any given time, and no one else can tell you otherwise. Me, I've been playing a lot of Stepmania and reliving the glory of my college DDR days.
Remove yourself, find ways to center and relax, and don't fucking feel bad about it because someone's demanding more from you.
(And like, if things are getting really bad, talk to someone. That's what therapists and counselors are for. Easy to say, I know, but it's important.)
Yeah, I used to be active 24/7 with everything back when I was younger. Then I looked at I was losing friends my family was worried about me. I was on this side once then that side. I still consider myself left. I consider a lot of what I stand for left some things that some things that. But I got tired of not pleasing anyone and focused on staying neutral less stress and you observe more than rather allowing the argument to control you.
I lost some friends on both sides recently because I wouldn't call out this person or that person. It's just gotten very odd lately that you need to take aside. When sometimes it's best to remove yourself from this and watch the others.
Of course for me, I am sticking around.
You cannot be an activist 24/7 — well-said. The tactics used by the Fimfic alt-right sympathizers are meant to drag you down, tire you, and be mentally taxing. It's ego depletion brought to its paroxysm.
People should better understand these tactics. And, awesomely, there is a youtube channel that has worked to describe them over the past three years. The Alt-Right Playbook.
Understand their rhetoric to recognize patterns and not get burned out.
Meanwhile, P.P., take care
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Take care of yourself man.
Well said
The important thing is not the "24/7," it's the "you." It is not your personal responsibility to fix the world. That is dominant liberal ideology talking. As long as the organization doesn't stop in its work when you take some time for yourself (which it shouldn't, unless you've made it all about you), you're fine.
Boy, do I sympathize with that. Yeah, you gotta take care of yourself, that's job number one.
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Thank you for the link. While I lean more towards the right, it was nice to hear an opposing viewpoint based on reason. And not on emotion and name calling.
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Sadly it's rare for folks these days to just sit and debate. Some would just rather sit insult and accuse.
BTW, I've been following your Pony Life posts over on your Wordpress blog. I don't watch the show, but your reactions are wonderful. Please consider writing a Pony Life story. Be as vicious as you like. (and please include Fluttershy x dolphin shipping)
Also, I agree with the other I would love to see how you do a pony life story. I have seen it myself it's alright It kind of reminds me of a kiddy version of Ren and stimpy, Rockos modern life, and such just less gross-out humor unless they go there.
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Well said.
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) here. We may not agree about some things, but we can agree to disagree and remain friends. 
How very true. I don't often post, but it's truly wonderful that there are so many good and reasonable people (Or should that be Ponies
Thanks for the blog! I personally found yesterday kind of exhausting, so a post like this is a good reminder.
Personally, I find that physical exercise helps me feel better. And much more personally - this may not work for anyone else - I'm a big fan of videos about speedruns, like the ones by Summoningsalt and Bismuth on Youtube. They really help me chill out!
Oh Celestia, yes. I mean, we're in the middle of a pandemic here, and so more even than usual there are only so many spoons to go around. This is a hugely important fight, since the Nazi shit is a cancer on the body of the fandom and we all know what happens if we don't intervene while a cancer is still small enough to beat. But however much its soldiers believe in the cause they're fighting for, an army that can only work non-stop with no R&R is probably going to lose the war.
Yes again. Every time a good person leaves the fandom, the proportion of bad people in the fandom ticks up. The more that leave, the worse it will get. The bad people love this, because it's a way of increasing their influence without their having to lift a finger. Therefore it's vitally important, as well as driving out the Nazi shit, to make sure that the good people are acknowledged and appreciated, not taken for granted. We can't only do one. It's got to be both.
It's always easier to think about something than to not think about something. Whenever I approach critical mass, I try to distract myself -- I read, or I study, or I draw something. Far away from the laptop, if possible; grab a physical book or a comic, hit up an old DVD, anything.
It'll be difficult the first 10 minutes, because if you're heated up enough, you'll keep going back to the infuriating shit that got you close to burning out. But once those first 10 minutes have passed, it gets easier, and eventually you relax. Don't try to fight against remembering whatever dogwhistle made you particularly angry; if that happens, rationalize it away (I always try to think of the worst possible thing this particular thing I'm worrying about could cause and then either tell myself it's not that bad, or, if it is, I try to come up with contingency plans for a moment or two) and then continue doing whatever else it is you're doing.
Good advice, PP, and good post. Stay sane.
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Pony Life is where fanfiction ideas go to die. :| The closest I'll ever get is the reference to it at the end of A Second-Most Irregular Tea Party. I won't blame you if you haven't read that, though. :V
I'm sorry I'm probably gonna stop reacting to it.
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No, I read it and loved it!
And I don't blame you for yeeting something you're not enjoying. Hell, if you can't even enjoy hating something, what good is it?
BTW, you are directly responsible for me not deleting most of my stuff and limiting all my activity to a lurker/reader account. Just wanted you to know that.
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Good to hear. :) I'm glad you're still around, seeing your comments has been very helpful to my mental wellbeing.
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Really? Even the drunken and belligerent "Fuck you, you fucking Nazi fuck!" stuff?
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Cough
https://twitter.com/InnuendoStudios/status/1251491951574167555
Be careful not to trade one extremism/radical idealogy for another.
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i.imgur.com/WSFABVd.jpg
Sorry, not sorry, that "treating people like humans" is a radical idea.
EDIT: By the way. Big yikes:
i.imgur.com/LU5GeNR.png
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"It's not wrong if we do it"
Lmao
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Imagine thinking that the problem is that "people believe in things" and not "what people believe in"
i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/000/994/418/48b.jpg
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Get the hell out of here, you pedo creep.
Thanks for this blog man, it's really helped. It's insane you're getting painted as some crazy radical, take care of yourself too