Unstuck in time: A tl;dr blog and shrapnel examination thread.

[Pæs]

The syllable gu means shadows
The syllable ru, he who disperses them,
Because of the power to disperse darkness
the guru is thus named.

Paes was a guru.

He said.

In reality, it was an ego trip.
A hero complex. Self-congratulating altruism.
Superficial morality coating a solid Machiavellian core.

He was a proper Prince Charming, was Paes, oh yes.
Lonely, perhaps. Single and lookingforanopportunity. Maybe that's reducing the complexity of the urge.

He's waiting for the first step in a Heroic Quest.

Meet our Briar Rose, sleeping soundly behind a hedge of thorns.
Asleep so long that all memory of her has faded and the thorns are all that anyone knows.

Paes hears whispers though, of a princess hidden within, doomed to sleep until rescued.
This princess is cursed with paralysing nihilism. It's not her fault. It snuck up on her.
She's a damsel in distress.

Approaching, the thorns appear to let him pass. He ventures further. Sometimes the thorns give him plenty of space.
At other times they press in to challenge him.

There is a dormant beauty in here, he is sure. That's how the story goes.

Finally, Paes, our hero, nears the end of his quest.

The princess comes into view, but she's not asleep, she's hidden herself in there deliberately.

And the forest of thorns closes in, swallowing this foolish Prince Charming.

Do you believe that?

[navkat]

I can't say anything accurate or profound in response to how I feel about your writings here. "Thank you," maybe. That's about it.

Thanks.

[Pæs]

I can't say anything accurate or profound in response to how I feel about your writings here. "Thank you," maybe. That's about it.

Thanks.

Being thanked is a good sign.
You're welcome!

[Cramulus]

This thread is awesome.

I love the OP piece, it's honest and raw and introspective in a way that a lot of people need. It feels like you're falling through your self-delusions. I like the part where you become somebody else, then come back, and warn people away from it. Like, you're leading people towards this void, and in the process, you get lost in the void, and it makes you realize this isn't just some fucking candy, you know? Self-discovery can be dangerous stuff -- you don't just hand a loaded gun to somebody who isn't actually ready for it.

I like how you communicate your unease with being a self-styled guru with a Machiavellian edge. And it's interesting because it seems like, in the OP, you DO get lost in the void that you're trying to lead people to, so it's not just a mask, a deception, there's really something there. You know where to find the void. There is a guru in you, but you have to grow into it. The edge of enlightenment is fraught with the dunning-kruger effect, this sense that you're THERE, you've GOT IT, and then a few days later, your chemical shift, and it lets you see how wrong you were. I think this is a constant theme, and it shouldn't be interpreted as being on the wrong path. It's actually a big part of the path.



This thread is far from tl;dr territory, feed us moar!

[DECI4]

I really enjoyed the OP. Nice work. Shades of Robbins, Palahniuk, and Hemingway. Not really getting any Vonnegut, though its been awhile since I've read any.

[Pæs]

Found this to reread and evaluate. Bumping for lols.