D&D 5E Dungeons and Dragons and the RPG Stigma

[Grainger]

I stopped hiding my love of RPGs once I hit my 40's and now speak of it openly with my coworkers (I'm a police officer). There have been those who would look at me in an odd sort of way but for the most part, they have accepted it. Mainly because I don't really don't place too much weight on what others think anymore (when I was 25 years old it was a different story). In fact, since I have been open about it, (or as my wife refers to it, "coming out of the basement"), I found there were more gamers in my profession than I was led to believe in the first place.

Yes, these things can be a bit of a vicious circle of silence. You could be working alongside another gamer for years and neither of your dares to talk about it.

 

[Riley37]

Is it plausible that variation, in general, is more socially accepted, and that hobbies such as D&D happen to be more accepted as part of that larger trend?

For example, interracial marriage used to be *illegal*, and now there are parts of the USA where no one even blinks at an interracial couple. Our society doesn't enforce conformity as zealously as it once did. (Whether that's good or bad is a much larger debate than fits within the topic of 5E.)

 

[Gronin]

I stopped hiding my love of RPGs once I hit my 40's and now speak of it openly with my coworkers (I'm a police officer). There have been those who would look at me in an odd sort of way but for the most part, they have accepted it. Mainly because I don't really don't place too much weight on what others think anymore (when I was 25 years old it was a different story). In fact, since I have been open about it, (or as my wife refers to it, "coming out of the basement"), I found there were more gamers in my profession than I was led to believe in the first place.

Love the "coming out of the basement" phrase. Definitely going to use it.

Also good for you on getting out. Personally at 53 years old, I don't see that I aam going to ever get up up those stairs. Been in the basement for 38 years and I might just be too old now.

That being said, my wife is a proud gamer, as are 2 of my 4 daughters so they may just drag me into the light some day.

 

[S'mon]

Is it plausible that variation, in general, is more socially accepted, and that hobbies such as D&D happen to be more accepted as part of that larger trend?

For example, interracial marriage used to be *illegal*, and now there are parts of the USA where no one even blinks at an interracial couple. Our society doesn't enforce conformity as zealously as it once did. (Whether that's good or bad is a much larger debate than fits within the topic of 5E.)

I got a slight retro-shock reading over Mentzer Expert D&D (1983) a few days ago, where he explains that stronghold rulers should not mix hirelings of different races, because 'it only causes trouble'. Of course he was referring to Dwarf/Elf/Halfling/Human, but still... It's a far cry from the compulsory integration of 3e WotC D&D, where even 'isolated' settlements have lots of representatives from various other races. I think I generally prefer something in between those two - you might find a Dwarf smith in a human castle, but nominally-human towns where 20% of the population are nonhuman I prefer be the exception, not the rule.

 

[BlueBlackRed]

I've met several doctors, both younger and older than myself.

One thing that around 50% have in common is they're self-important know-it-alls. In their view, if it's unimportant to them, it should be unimportant to everyone else.

They work hard, put in a lot of hours of work per week, and have gone through a lot of schooling, but way too many of them that make it through are not people I would prefer to be around.

That being said; I have gamed with a doctor, and psychiatrist, and married into a family of medical professionals.
I've just also met several doctors who feel they're above and beyond us mortals.

 

[Mr Fixit]

I've met several doctors, both younger and older than myself.

One thing that around 50% have in common is they're self-important know-it-alls. In their view, if it's unimportant to them, it should be unimportant to everyone else.

Having one for mother, I can attest that this man speaks the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

 

[ggroy]

The know-it-all mentality isn't just restricted to medical doctors.

If one meets a lot of people, it will be easy to see that the know-it-all mentality is just about everywhere independent of background (ie. class, education, etc ...).

My conjecture is that it is a highly ingrained part of a particular individual's personality.

 

[Doctor Futurity]

It's a weird conundrum. I'm at work right now and behind me is my bag with some D&D books and material in it. However, I have literally never taken these books out at work...I keep them for when I go on lunch break, and even then I am more inclined to pull out a tablet with PDFs on it these days.

However, having stuff like this out at work depends a lot on the environment you work in. I've been to places where it doesn't matter what the hobby is....that stuff shouldn't be visible because it may have an impact on any management's perceptions of what you are doing while working. Being in management myself, I noticed when some of my co-workers whom I had hired were bringing in their gamebooks to read during breaks (I've employed more than a few gamers in my time). Not an issue for me, but I can guarantee any of my managerial cohorts in other offices would have frowned on this....in theory at least not because it was D&D, but because it was non work-related material...although I suspect a guy with a Sports Illustrated lying on his desk instead of a DMG probably would get a pass from them (just a hunch).

From my perspective my hobby is indelible but I try usually not to mix it with work in a visible way simply because A: it's a time consuming hobby and I don't really have the time (even at lunches) to properly engage with it, and B: its a perception thing....and by that I mean some people won't get it, and I don't want to have to try and explain it. Likewise, work is the bastion of the straight stiffs and the mundanes, moogles, what have you.....and it is too much bother for me to have to fight off the masses of the mundane. Instead I tend to express myself at work in more obscure ways....astronomy calendars, for example.

All that aside, I'd love to have a job where I could do as I wished. But even running this business that I am in I can't do that, due to my clients. Someday though, ya never know...

 

[aramis erak]

Interesting. I assume they were rank-and-file Catholics. I'm not Catholic, but about half the handful of Catholic priests I've known well enough to care what they do for fun, played D&D. I wonder what those folks you encountered would think about that.

They would probably also have fun with the fact that, as a strong Christian and church elder who leads multiple Bible studies during the week, I'm quite certain that I would not be a Christian, today, if I hadn't played D&D and been prompted to dig into things like Medieval and ancient history, the works of Tolkien, folk religion, etc.

No, not "rank-and-file" types - Lefebvrists. They'd consider you a heretic if you aren't Catholic, and suspect it if you're catholic and not lefebvrist...

But then, as a Catholic Deacon's son, I'm well more visible, and far more often interact with, the fringes of Catholic culture.

I did, however, have a board game group that met at the local Cathedral for 5 years... in the parish center. Some of the priests played boardgames with us. We occasionally did one-shots of RPGs there, too - with one restriction: no evil PC's.

 

[wedgeski]

My conjecture is that it is a highly ingrained part of a particular individual's personality.

Many professionals are trained, by necessity, to often make quick, informed decisions and be confident in those choices. It's not surprising this bleeds into the rest of their lives.