I mean I think people should curate their own fandom experience and whatnot and it’s perfectly fair to just avoid things one is uncomfortable with…
That being said. From personal experience? Immunizing myself to all my discomforts by browsing through pixiv and kink memes with raised eyebrows while searching for things I am interested in back when tagging was non-existent has really made my fandom experience much more pleasant nowadays.
I have preferences, for sure. But I have no fear. I have no cringe. The filthiest, grossest fanwork holds no powers over me. I am a god.
Like honestly dl;dr and block on sight is respectable and all but I genuinely think everyone could just benefit from purposefully exposing yourself to your nOTP and non-triggering squicks sometimes? (And obviously don’t go bother the creators for it.) If only so that it makes it easier/safer to search for content you like without living in fear of accidentally glimpsing something you hate and having that ruin your day.
Training oneself to be comfortable with mild discomfort is a highly under-rated skill in this day and age
I think its interesting that “desensitized” is a dirty word now. Like…when I did my therapy, being desensitized was the GOAL. It was the fucking dream.
But also, desensitization essentially gives you the agency to say, “okay so that felt bad, now I can either put it away, really explore and understand what that discomfort is trying to tell me, or discard it.” Idk…some of yall are so fucking distressed all the time and you call it “being normal” or “being a decent human being” but…it isn’t normal to be distressed all the time. It isn’t decent to be distressed all the time. And like…I have disords and chemical shit going on in my brain but if you don’t have all that….I think you need to look at your distress and ask why it is actually enduring and who benefits from you being distressed (lessons from a pre-bush era american).
(via arr-jim-lad)
