Friday, March 29, 2013

Don't Apologize For Your Enthusiasm

There are a great many things I love. I love telling stories. I love solving puzzles. I love fuzzy animals. I love mathematics. I love linguistics. And I love role playing games. These interests help to explain who I am. I like me and I'm proud of myself, and I am not ashamed of my enthusiasm for these subjects (and all the other ones I neglected to mention).

Some subjects are way less socially acceptable than others. Fuzzy animals are universally awesome. Dungeons & Dragons is universally derided. But when you talk about socially acceptable, you have to ask yourself what society you're talking about. Admittedly, role playing enthusiasts are a minority amongst the total population, but among the kinds of people I hang with, it is far less of a taboo (and among many, it is a common and enjoyable activity).

The point is, wherever you go, whatever subject you care about, some people will mock you for it, and others will wish they could openly announce their love for it. If you are afraid to talk about the things you like, then you are afraid of yourself. And in that position, it is very hard to be generally happy.

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