At this point, everyone knows I'm hugely into books.
It's just so depressing how even book people are about nothing more than intentionally creating this self-perpetuating "community" of anxiety.
You can't go to any freaking book-related online space without people asking for permission to not finish a book. "Is it okay to DNF?????"
Same with doing shit to your own books. Do not write into them, do not open them too much or the spine will crack. Get a panic attack because two fucking photons touched the book and how it will be DAMAGED.
"I am having a panic attack because maybe I didn't get all the references in this book."
The same with every hobby. Cooking? You are not environmentally friendly enough, you are not authentic enough, this is wrong, that is wrong.
Hell, I am kiiinda thinking about a Switch, I looked at Animal Crossing and people are freaking the fuck out at others for not playing the game "right". Others are having depression because their islands are not aesthetic enough.
How did the internet turn everyone so fucking neurotic over the things we were supposed to do as FUN? And I am not even just talking about SJW things, but every community is about "doing it the right way" even though it doesn't matter and there doesn't exist a right way?
Dude FOR REAL. My main hobbies are gardening, home reno, and books. I don’t even BOTHER existing in online spaces for any of that shit for the exact reasons you mention. I see so many morons flipping out about shit, shaming and “calling out” each other… I’m convinced this is the terminal velocity of boomer idiots after they get exposed to the millenial-generation obsession with canceling people and things and making their “anxiety” their entire identity.
Gardening people, I would argue, are even worse than the book scene. There are truly a million ways to garden and nearly all of them are valid imo. Yet no matter what technique you like there will be some dildo screaming about how what you’re doing is somehow dangerous (lol) and you’ll get sick from eating the veggies you grow. It’s like these people build their entire self worth around their ideas of how to do something a certain way and if you don’t fall in line and validate their “concerns” you’re some kind of Judas.
I feel you 100%