• solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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    4 months ago

    i wish i could understand the appeal of listening to people sitting around flapping their faceholes about pointless shit

      • TexasDrunk@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        That was my entire idea for a podcast. Thanks for shitting on my dream. I guess I’ll never start it now.

          • TexasDrunk@lemmy.world
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            4 months ago

            Funny you should say that. I’m already a terrible musician. I’ve got a solo gig and a band gig this weekend. I just wanted the podcast to complete my middle aged white dude punch card because my cargo shorts just got here the other day.

        • it_depends_man@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago
          1. if a random comment on the internet is enough to destroy

          your dream

          then it was a weak and shitty dream. Get a new one.

          1. do it anyway. Who cares. You know what’s the worst that could happen? You try, and it doesn’t work out and then you can look back at it and consider it “gave it a good shot, didn’t work out”. And then you can point to all the people who still sit on their couch and didn’t even try.

          2. do it.

          • TexasDrunk@lemmy.world
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            4 months ago

            This is good advice for people who are serious about their dream. I was not. I’ve had a crazy life and got to at least kind of hit all the high points of my dreams. My only other one is to retire while I’m young enough to get into trouble and I’m doing my damnedest.

            • lennivelkant@discuss.tchncs.de
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              4 months ago

              You are completely right.

              I was trying to make a joke, piggybacking off the other guy’s joke, but I can see that was poorly communicated.

                • lennivelkant@discuss.tchncs.de
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                  4 months ago

                  I think you did good, I took no offense. I often get insecure about “Are they joking? I’ll give a serious reply in case they’re not, or in case someone else thinks they might be serious” myself, so I’m usually more concerned with the question “Is this clear enough as a joke?” than with blaming other people for not getting that.

                  I have an irrational aversion to suffixing my posts with tone markers like “(joke)” that I probably should do something about. It would certainly help with that confusion.

                  Either way, offering a serious take as a safety measure is a good thing, and I appreciate that you took the time.

                  May life be as kind to you as you are to others!

      • li10@feddit.uk
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        4 months ago

        Yeah, if you’re not a comedian then you can’t just ramble and expect people to enjoy it. Whereas Bill Burr can talk about any old shit and make it interesting.

        Everyone overestimates how interesting and funny they are.

    • TheOneCurly@lemm.ee
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      4 months ago

      It’s a form of parasocial relationship. It can trigger the same feelings as if you were in a room with some friends chatting. You get to “know” the people’s personalities, you can anticipate their reactions to things, you get invested in their personal relationships.

        • MeatsOfRage@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          Start with a topic you’re interested in. For me it’s movies so my weekly rotation is The Film Cast and The Big Picture for general contemporary movies. Then Blank Check, The Rewatchables and Unspooled for retrospective movies depending on which ones they’re doing.

          The trick is to start with your interests and start trying some stuff out. If you don’t like a show, just bounce and try another. Eventually you’ll find a selection of shows that works for you.

          Other interest based podcasts in my rotation that I would recommend:

          Music: Song Exploder, Switched on Pop, 60 Songs that Explain the 90s.

          TV: The Watch, Prestige TV

          Science: Twenty Thousand Hertz

          Marketing: Under the Influence

          Tech: Engadget, Vergecast

          Videogames: DLC, Windbreaker

          Curiosities: Search Engine, Decoder Ring

    • ggppjj@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      I listen to My Brother, My Brother and Me because I like to listen to the three brothers be funny at each other.

      Some people don’t need or want intellectually challenging media all the dang time.

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          4 months ago

          Even dumb music is way harder to make than a shit podcast

          • solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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            4 months ago

            it doesn’t even have to be music, or have a point, just something to make you say “ok…wtf” and it’s more interesting to me than “shootin the shit w mah dudebro brother dudes” type podcasts

            https://youtu.be/rk8OZeZavQ0

            • ggppjj@lemmy.world
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              4 months ago

              I don’t know what to tell you. Sorry that my preference isn’t your preference?

              It’s light entertainment, who cares what other people like?

        • ggppjj@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          I also listen to music?

          I can do more than one thing, and I enjoy listening to them.

          I don’t get why this is getting pushback. It’s weird to refuse to understand that other people have different tastes in media consumption.

          • pop@lemmy.ml
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            4 months ago

            I don’t get why this is getting pushback. It’s weird to refuse to understand that other people have different tastes in media consumption.

            Because you’re lowering our collective IQ listening to cringe bullshit as entertainment.

            /s

      • N3Cr0@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        I rather call these pointless convoys challenging media. I understand nothing, yet it’s quite annoying noise to my ears.

        • ggppjj@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          The most recentish eps (from about a month or so back) have been hitting me a lot better than their “during Covid” era for sure. I got into them late though, sorry to hear what they are now isn’t what you enjoy of them anymore. I had the same feeling about Game Grumps right around when they stopped doing episode numbering.

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              4 months ago

              I’d say it’s worth checking out a more recent episode or two to see if they’ve gotten better, but I’d also totally understand just being done.

              Personally, I’m super glad I stuck with it because otherwise I’d probably also have dropped The Adventure Zone, and the newest Dracula arc has been really satisfying to me.

        • ggppjj@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          I’m not saying your approach to how you spend your free time relaxing with the media you enjoy is wrong or bad.

          I’d really like people to stop insinuating that my approach to how I spend my free time relaxing with the media I enjoy is wrong or bad, though.

      • solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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        4 months ago

        this is interactive though-- everyone can participate in the conversation. i guess you can talk to people in tiktoktube comments, but not with the people who are the focus of the entire “gathering.” maybe podcasts are like watching sports on tv. meh, doesn’t matter. enjoy what you enjoy

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      4 months ago

      It’s like Facebook in the early days.

      Here’s a picture of my breakfast yogurt.

      Here’s a picture of me getting on the bus.

      Here’s a picture of my desk setup.

      Here’s a geotag of where I’m having lunch along with a photo of my BLT. It was so yummy! Duck face pic!

      Here’s the geotag and photo of the place I got coffee on the way back to work! Luv u all!

      • solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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        4 months ago

        or facebook today:

        here’s a picture of my cat

        here’s a picture of my cat

        here’s a picture of my cat

        here’s a picture of my cat

        here’s a picture of my cat

        here’s a picture of my OTHER cat

        here’s a picture of my cat

        • Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          I thought facebook today was more like

          here’s an uncanny AI picture of Jesus

          here’s the same but Jesus is with a korean flight attendant

          here’s the same but jesus is with a starving brown kid

          Here’s the same but the brown kid is missing limbs

          Here’s an uncanny AI picture of people, in military kit, missing limbs, in wheelchairs, sitting in the middle of the highway, with signs

          Here are AI comics with midcentury styled nuclear families, and soldiers, in situations, and with text, that is surreal, at best, and nightmarish, at worst

          These are all with titles like “people don’t want to see pictures like these anymore”, “no one wants to support the troops”, “you won’t share this”, and they are all tagged #BOOMchallenge

        • Mongostein@lemmy.ca
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          4 months ago

          I wish Facebook was still like this.

          Now it’s 90% ads and posts from groups I didn’t subscribe to with a post from a friend sprinkled in every so often.

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      4 months ago

      I list n to podcasts about science, space, farming, linguistics, and literature. They’re actually rather interesting. I don’t think I could do just random bullshit

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      4 months ago

      I listen to a variety of podcasts for different moods, and I also use it like music. Sometimes I’m in a music mood, sometimes I decide I need to hear how terrible Kissinger really was, sometimes I want to hear Dan research and refute all the lies Alex Jones spouts (the last two come often with the benefit of learning the origin of bullshit being spouted by some internet personalities), and sometimes I want to hear 3-5 guys who I find funny discuss movies and/or Wikipedia articles. I also like listening to factual and historical podcasts that have more detailed researching.

      Why listen when I could look up and read it? Well I do look up and read specific topics, but that takes my full attention. I have ADHD and my mind can wander without additional input if I’m doing something tedious. So I listen while driving, cooking, cleaning, working, and even gaming. Gaming isn’t tedious per say, but sometimes you have bursts of that (farming items, repeatable dailies, etc). I pause when I really need to, but some games I also play for relaxation, and I can relax and listen to a funny podcast at the same time. If it’s work or gaming where I need focus, music works better.

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      I actually really enjoy “stuff you should know” it’s a podcast with 2 guys from the “how stuff works” network that explain everything from “how cranes work” to the “Tulsa race riots.” They’re good people that like to joke with each other so it’s not just straight boring facts.

      That said, they aren’t experts and will sometimes read emails that correct things they got wrong lol

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      4 months ago

      Man, I know. Especially when they go off the actual topic and start talking about some random shit while cackling like a bunch of dumbasses.

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      4 months ago

      The only time they appeal to me is when the facehole flappers are genius comedians like Norm Macdonald or Tom Green. Tom was doing his own streaming live shows before Youtube existed and before most others had even realized it was possible.

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      I have one podcast I listen to like this because I know them personally, and it’s like hanging out with them. I need to have a hook to listen.

      I like Making It with Jimmy DiResta, David Piccutto, and Bob Clegatt (I like to make stuff on YT) because they’re makers and youtubers. They do talk about random crap sometimes, but they also talk about making stuff and youtube and being middle aged with all those things in the mix.

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      4 months ago

      I mean, it just comes down to entertainment ability. Some podcasts like Spitballers can talk about random stupid stuff and make it hilarious. Some podcasts just try that and…don’t quite pull it off.

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    4 months ago

    I despise this type of podcasts… just idiots (generally) rambling about themselves or shit they know nothing about.

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        4 months ago

        maybe… but back when I had time to actually listen to a few podcasts, I had no trouble finding better ones that did not devolve into this shitty format

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          it helped that the number of people who have a podcast wasn’t quite as close to the number of people who have access to the internet as it is today.

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              4 months ago

              Ah that makes sense. I remember not getting the concept when they came out and then finding too many options when I looked later.

          • Opisek@lemmy.world
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            Through recommendations of other users. A list of things I used to listen to at some point:

            • My Favorite Murder

            • The NoSleep Podcast

            • Welcome to Night Vale

            • Limetown

            • EOS 10

            • A Problem Squared

            They’re all close to 100% scripted and all but the first and the last one are fictional stories. So they’re more like an audiobook than anything, except they’re created with this form factor in mind, rather than just being a book read out loud.

      • SSTF@lemmy.world
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        Plenty of good podcasts, but they are either 100% scripted to stay on topic, or they have the good sense to edit down the improv tangential rambles so that the podcast stays on topic.

        Unsurprisingly it tends to be older (35+) people with some kind of professional experience putting out the better stuff. The 20-something dudebro postcasts where they just wing it the whole time are awful.

    • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      40 minute podcast about [subjext] is 10 minutes of actual content, 30 minutes of riffing, going off on tangents, taking about their other podcasts, sponsors, talking about their next podcasts, talking about each other, their day, etc…

      • exanime@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        You have not heard Dan Carling’s hardcore history podcast

        I see what you are saying and agree it’s often the case, but there are gems out there

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          I know his podcasts well, I’ve listened to a lot of them. I’ve listened to far more podcasts that are more interested in hearing themselves talk.

  • FederatedSaint@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    This is why I almost exclusively listen to podcasts that are scripted, like casefile, freakonomics, this American life, radio lab, wait wait don’t tell me, etc.

    Before this, all too often I would find myself listening to people aimlessly chatting about what they had for breakfast and such, and I realized those that scripted their episodes made for a tremendously better listening experience.

    • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      I think radiolab is largely unscripted and also they leave a lot in that other podcasts would edit out. Imo this all makes the show as good as it is. It feels more authentic to me than a show like freakonomics for example. It’s more like hanging out with several people who are mostly really intelligent and who ask good questions of others who can often provide smart answers. I love radio lab so much… just my two cents as to why it’s that good.

      • Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        4 months ago

        Radiolab is very much scripted and it’s one of the best podcasts ever forever

        “Loops” is my favorite episode.

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          If it’s “very much scripted” that would make me think there aren’t utterances not written down ahead of time. I don’t doubt a lot of it is scripted/outlined, but if it really is strictly so, they’re absolutely crazy good at consistently hiding it.

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            4 months ago

            Oh there’s a lot of off-the-cuff/improvised stuff for sure! But the structure of every episode is very much scripted. Also I’m sorry some douche downvoted you, you’re not at all wrong.

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              4 months ago

              I agree that the structure is very planned. Definitely a lot of intentional decisions going on there. Thanks for the validation! Sometimes Lemmy puzzles me with the things people are so quick to dispute, and often it’s really just a matter of describing things slightly differently like we did here.

              • Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                4 months ago

                Radiolab is SO GOOD THO. If you haven’t listened to “Loops”, please do! It’s so hilarious and interesting.

                “The Living Room” made both my partner and myself cry, as well.

                • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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                  Oh, also the episode where they discuss the symbiosis in forests and how in a sense the forest is almost like a super organism. So fascinating!

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                  It really is such a good show. I forget so many episodes until I listen to them again years later! I think I’ve heard both of those, judging by their summaries online but I can’t be sure right off. My memory is crap but I always have loved the episode where they talk about color and how different animals experience it. I’ve listened to it maybe 3 times and it gives me chills each time. So damned good.

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      I appreciate the HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast, which has scripted readings punctuated by the hosts talking about the story being read.

      Two important factors that make it work: First, the hosts are knowledgeable and engaged with the topic, which means their commentary actually feels like it contributes something. Second, when they do start to ramble too long, the editing just hard cuts them off and goes back on topic.

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      Casefile is a slog. I think its fascinating but it will eat away at your soul after a while and the host knows it cause it’s everything he can do to stay sane.

      The others are top tier podcasts but once you’ve caught up, if you last that long, it’s forever between releases.

      Isn’t wait wait don’t tell me a game show?

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      Well there’s your problem. It’s partly scripted. They have an agenda to go through, but they do some improvisation.

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    4 months ago

    I tried to listen to a Kubernetes podcast once, where they talk to engineers who created it. They just fucking ramble about sports and unrelated bullshit for about an hour and I never listened to another episode.

    • TheKMAP@lemmynsfw.com
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      It’s nice to be in a room with someone who knows their shit, and never actually talk about the shit they know about, and instead connect to them at a human level.

      But that’s not useful for podcast listeners.

  • SSTF@lemmy.world
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    I’ve dropped so many podcasts where the title was promising an interesting topic, but then inside it’s just these dudebros rambling about nothing. I don’t understand how some of these podcasts have so much popularity.

    • Something Burger 🍔@jlai.lu
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      I stopped listening to Second Wind’s podcasts because of this. 1h45 on a topic I’m interested in? Amazing! Turns out half of it is the hosts catching up with each other and reading chat.

    • ReallyActuallyFrankenstein@lemmynsfw.com
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      4 months ago

      In the end, people just like hearing familiar voices. If you trick people into getting familiar with your voice, it doesn’t matter what’s being said as much as it seems.

    • Boozilla@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      I’m the same way. I don’t mind tangents that lead up to, or remain adjacent to, the primary topic. But if they get into small talk I’m out.

      • Thassodar@lemm.ee
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        4 months ago

        Thanks for taking the time to listen! Generally I don’t use Lemmy to promote, but when the chance arrives

        ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    • Hazmatastic@lemm.ee
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      SoundCloud link is broken for me and it’s not on Tidal, but I’m vibing to ThassChill Vol.1 at work rn. Digging it, you got a follow

      • Thassodar@lemm.ee
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        4 months ago

        Aww snap, here’s a new link:

        https://on.soundcloud.com/tGU4f

        I will typically drop several tracks on SoundCloud for a few months, pick the best ones, and then release an EP/Album with those good ones and a few originals.

        SC makes it easy to post a track the same day and update or edit it, when I distribute through Spotify, Tidal, et al., it’s more permanent so I make sure everything is PERFECT before uploading to there. I know you weren’t asking for all this info but…yeah.

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    4 months ago

    I’ve literally done this like 6 times with writing. I start writing something and after like 3 sentences I say “who the fuck do I think I am that anyone would give a shit about what I have to write!?” I’ve never gotten past one paragraph.

    I don’t know why comments feel different, it’s probably because I use social media to just vent my frustrations and express just how much I loath who I am. Sorry for using Lemmy as my therapist! :P

        • wolfshadowheart@leminal.space
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          Sometimes it’s just not worth it. It’s nice to be able to workshop your thoughts, and then you’ve work shopped it so much that it’s just not worth posting - the user you’re responding to probably won’t care or will antagonize, sometimes your thoughts change as you’re typing them, sometimes it just doesn’t make sense and there’s no point in re-writing something that ultimately contributes very little to anything except your own self-expression.

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      4 months ago

      Love yourself, The world’s a hard, strange place. Keep your chin up. Don’t hate yourself for what you were born into.

      When I was in my early 20s, I read this poem And it stuck with me .

      Desiderata - Words for Life Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

      Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

      Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

      Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

      Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

      You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

      Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

      With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

      • Asafum@feddit.nl
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        4 months ago

        Love yourself, The world’s a hard, strange place. Keep your chin up. Don’t hate yourself for what you were born into.

        It’s really odd to say, but this is the absolute most difficult thing in the world for me to do. Every single day I am confronted with example after example of my own ineptitude. They say not to compare yourself to others but then you can’t ever push past your shortcomings because you won’t recognize them. Unfortunately I feel as if I have a rather large excess of shortcomings and an embarrassingly miniscule number of talents.

        (This is where I’d more often than not do as the comment below mentions and just delete this comment, but I appreciate your response. I wanted to respond but I’m not really looking for an answer, I don’t think there is one for me.)

    • RebekahWSD@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Ahhh, when I use to write fanfic I thought the same way but came to the opposite conclusion.

      I am writing for me, I want to write it and read it, and I’ll throw this into the ocean of other fanfics and no longer care if anyone else wants to read it. If they do, it’s there for them.

      • Asafum@feddit.nl
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        4 months ago

        It’s a good way to look at it, but I find it most difficult to do anything just for me. If I’m not doing something for someone else I don’t care to be doing it at all. That is more than likely just due to my depression though.

        • RebekahWSD@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          Depression does suck! Hope it gets less worse! I haven’t written fanfic in a few years because of it myself, but mostly over not doing much of uhh…anything! Except canning. I can eat the canned food! Can’t eat the words.

    • jagungal@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Lol same. I think it’s probably because commenting is more like normal conversation; you’re responding to other people in ways that are specifically meaningful to the circumstances. Writing is sorta like talking to the void in my mind. I find I spend much more time thinking and checking and re-reading to make sure I’m appealing to my imagined audience, rather than just contributing a sentence or two to a conversation where the audience is a bit more concrete.

    • MirthfulAlembic@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      I forget the specifics and who came up with it, but: pick an amount you haven’t written before. Then, write that much without looking back. If you can set your word processor to only keep your current line visible, even better. Once you’ve written that many paragraphs or pages, do a fast edit. Use a timer so you can’t linger. Then write that much again with the same strategy. After 3-5 times, do a more thorough edit of the whole thing.

      It’s not necessarily how you always want to write, but it can help getting over that initial confidence block as an exercise.

    • ChillPenguin@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      It’s so hard. I swear I try writing lyrics for songs. And the entire time I’m just like “God, I’m so bad at this. Nobody will like any of this” then I move on to a new song. Rinse and repeat.

  • Ephera@lemmy.ml
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    4 months ago

    Yep. The difference between investing a couple hours vs. hundreds of hours.

  • MunkysUnkEnz0@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Everyone starts out with shortcomings. No one is born with talent. Learning something you want to do is easier than ever with YouTube and the internet.

    Think positive, take what you want.