Comments | tachikhromatic: Spoilers for Algernon

tachikhromatic

Spoilers for Algernon

Jun 09, 2010 23:25

Now that the books are safe again, I've decided to have a look! Valkyrie always felt that reading physical media was a worthy past-time, and so in the proud tradition of Tachikoma-kind I hereby promise to uphold this as a shared experience!

[At least until it gets bored, anyways.Today's reading material is Flowers for Algernon! In this story, ( Read more... )

valkyrie is such a wet blanket you know, !open commline, books are for nerds, mission accomplished, talking to myself (again)

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[Voice.] itispersonal June 10 2010, 03:38:11 UTC

I haven't read the book you mention, but...

Realization of your worth to others can be... eyeopening. And, for some, a bit painful.

There are times when it is best to remain ignorant, certainly.

[Voice] tachikhromatic June 10 2010, 03:43:07 UTC

But, if your worth to them is the same regardless of your own knowledge of that perception, is it really better to be blindsided? Sometimes the truth can be harsh, but pretending it isn't real doesn't solve things either, right?

On the other hand, can knowledge of that person's opinion actually make the opinion worse? Or is that kind of quantum opining just too impossible to predict...

Can you give an example of your conclusion?

[Voice] itispersonal June 10 2010, 03:49:12 UTC

[Well, she's not about to actually talk about her experiences. Not yet. That's too fresh of a wound.]

It depends on the person, I think.

Some would prefer to know what others think. Others... like to believe what they will about a person.

It's... difficult... to accept that someone thinks far less of you than you thought they did.

I'm afraid I can't think of any examples just yet. [That she's willing to talk about.] But I may be able to soon.

[Voice] tachikhromatic June 10 2010, 03:54:00 UTC

Hmm... I think I can relate to that. [Goddamn slimes, argh!]

But even though it can be difficult to find your judgement was incorrect, which is the superior position? One way has to have more advantages than the other, right? It is better to remain ignorant or to seek knowledge?

Oh no, what about circumstances where people lie about their opinions?!

[Voice] itispersonal June 10 2010, 03:57:33 UTC

I think it depends on your personality. Some will succumb to hopelessness, others will rise to the opportunity when such knowledge is imparted... It is certainly a test of character.

Now that is easy--

A person may well lie to get the advantage. If, for instance, someone is awkward and socially inept but very intelligent and very driven if they believe themselves liked, then it is in one's favor to make that person feel included, even if you aren't particularly fond of them.

[Voice] tachikhromatic June 10 2010, 04:01:57 UTC

Well, of course, but that's just an issue of work ethic. Some people don't respond well to negative feedback, right?

Hey wait...Are you talking about me?

[Voice] - LET US PRETEND I CAN DO THIS RIGHT! itispersonal June 10 2010, 04:12:23 UTC

[She chuckles a bit over the commlink.]

No. A man I was acquainted with a short time ago. Just before I found myself on this... boat.

[Voice] tachikhromatic June 10 2010, 04:19:34 UTC

Oh. He was a rookie, right? You get that, sometimes. I don't think it's considered very proper for them to be so sensitive to that kind of thing.

Then again, aren't interpersonal relations very important among team-members? How do you evaluate for the kind of personality that can't handle the truth properly like that?

[Voice] itispersonal June 10 2010, 04:21:20 UTC

He was a cartographer and linguist, brought in for a particular expedition. And since he was the only one able to read the language of the map we were following, we had no choice but to do what we could.

[Voice] tachikhromatic June 10 2010, 04:23:00 UTC

OH! A specialist! Well, that's different. You have to be polite to those kinds of people no matter how stupid they are, for the sake of the mission. It's only one time, right? That way, it's easy to deal with the problems, because they're only temporary.

[Voice] itispersonal June 10 2010, 04:24:42 UTC

He showed potential. Had things gone differently, he might have been asked to come back.

The entire crew-- at least the band of specialists we had to run the top levels of the various sections-- was brought in new at some point. If they worked well, they stayed. If not, we moved on to the next.

Thatch... showed promise. He was tougher than he looked.

[Voice] tachikhromatic June 10 2010, 04:28:58 UTC

It's really nor my specialty to asses personal skill. That's why I'm just the tactical support unit for right now.

[Among other things.]

Hey, you think your rookie specialist will come to the boat too?

[Voice] itispersonal June 10 2010, 04:29:47 UTC

I certainly hope not.

[Voice] tachikhromatic June 10 2010, 04:34:33 UTC

Wow, is he really that useless?

[Voice] itispersonal June 10 2010, 04:35:45 UTC

We parted on a sour note. I would prefer not to see... any... of my crew again.

[Voice] tachikhromatic June 10 2010, 04:42:16 UTC

Ooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

I know how that is. But even so-- ['Mister Batou was still happy to see us again,' it was about to say, but recalls the dressing down it got the last time it revealed personal rifts within Section Nine]

I think it's a lot better to make up, even if the separation has taken a very long time to finish, and the break was difficult and full of emotional trials!

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