Bullgrit
Adventurer
Ever had your enjoyment or support of something ruined by other people in that group? Ruined enough that you come to dislike participating in that something anymore?
Maybe you enjoy reading and discussing books in groups, but after a while you get really tired of so many people insisting every book has deeper meanings and symbolisms that you just can’t enjoy discussions with *anyone* anymore? Or maybe you don’t even enjoy reading books at all because your mind starts searching for deeper meaning, and thereby ruins the fun of the read?
Maybe you enjoy philosophical questions and discussions, but after enduring the constant arguments between theists and atheists that come up, even thinking about the topic now just leaves you annoyed. Or every time you think of a new philosophical question, you immediately hear an inane theological argument in your head.
Maybe you enjoy a sport, but after so many scandals with corrupt officials or thug players, you can’t stand even watching it anymore. Like you can’t squash the feeling that you are supporting criminals raking in tons of money.
Maybe you enjoy playing a video game, but after experiencing the player base online, you can’t find pleasure in even the single player mode anymore because you feel like you are a part of a really crappy community.
This has happened to me with classic D&D. I have a huge library of classic D&D (late 1970s to late 1980s) materials, from rule books and modules to magazines and miniatures. I used to thoroughly enjoy looking and reading through all the stuff just as much as playing the game. I was a big, big fan of classic D&D *style*. I even ran and played my modern versions of the game in ways (the style) I had learned from the classic days. But after years of argument and edition wars online, I now find reading the old material actually much less fun. I won’t go into the specifics, because I don’t want to re-argue those points. But when I read the old stuff, what I see always brings up memories of those old online arguments, and it frustrates me. I would never have thought that my enjoyment of some pastime could be ruined by other people that aren’t even around when I’m partaking in that pastime, but this has happened. Over the past several months, I have actually found myself putting a book back on my shelf after only a few minutes of reading because it drudges up some aggravating memory of some argument about the book specifically or about the classic game in general.
Have you experienced something like this? Have you ever had a favored hobby or interest ruined by others within that hobby/interest?
Bullgrit
Maybe you enjoy reading and discussing books in groups, but after a while you get really tired of so many people insisting every book has deeper meanings and symbolisms that you just can’t enjoy discussions with *anyone* anymore? Or maybe you don’t even enjoy reading books at all because your mind starts searching for deeper meaning, and thereby ruins the fun of the read?
Maybe you enjoy philosophical questions and discussions, but after enduring the constant arguments between theists and atheists that come up, even thinking about the topic now just leaves you annoyed. Or every time you think of a new philosophical question, you immediately hear an inane theological argument in your head.
Maybe you enjoy a sport, but after so many scandals with corrupt officials or thug players, you can’t stand even watching it anymore. Like you can’t squash the feeling that you are supporting criminals raking in tons of money.
Maybe you enjoy playing a video game, but after experiencing the player base online, you can’t find pleasure in even the single player mode anymore because you feel like you are a part of a really crappy community.
This has happened to me with classic D&D. I have a huge library of classic D&D (late 1970s to late 1980s) materials, from rule books and modules to magazines and miniatures. I used to thoroughly enjoy looking and reading through all the stuff just as much as playing the game. I was a big, big fan of classic D&D *style*. I even ran and played my modern versions of the game in ways (the style) I had learned from the classic days. But after years of argument and edition wars online, I now find reading the old material actually much less fun. I won’t go into the specifics, because I don’t want to re-argue those points. But when I read the old stuff, what I see always brings up memories of those old online arguments, and it frustrates me. I would never have thought that my enjoyment of some pastime could be ruined by other people that aren’t even around when I’m partaking in that pastime, but this has happened. Over the past several months, I have actually found myself putting a book back on my shelf after only a few minutes of reading because it drudges up some aggravating memory of some argument about the book specifically or about the classic game in general.
Have you experienced something like this? Have you ever had a favored hobby or interest ruined by others within that hobby/interest?
Bullgrit
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