if-ever-i-stray

[if-ever-i-stray]

Sebastian has never, ever said that he doesn't make mistakes, that he always gets everything right, that he has 0 ignorance or areas he could improve, or that all criticism of him in the world is simply mindless hate. In fact, quite the opposite. Throughout his entire career he's been uncommonly engaged with his fans, open to criticism, and commited to learning and getting better. He's consistently reminded us that he isn't perfect, he's human, and he makes mistakes.

He's still yet to directly call out the people who are making his life a living hell, but has, in recent interviews, hinted at how the toxic behaviour of the fanbase has been getting to him - particularly the hypersensitivity of fans who willfully dissect his every word to find something to bash him with, and will twist everything he does to be negative. It's ironic that his point has been proven tenfold by people picking apart his words and trying to make even his basic acknowledgement of what you have all being doing to him for the last year problematic. If you heard him taking about bullies and harassment and thought "hey, he's aiming that at me!", then I don't know what to tell you. Why do you see yourself in that description?

He's allowed to be affected by literally years of abuse and harassment. He's allowed to be upset by intense stalking and leaking of his home address (twice!) and phone number. He's allowed to be disturbed by people sending his friends and loved ones vile racist, xenophobic and misogynistic abuse on a daily basis and pretending that's somehow social justice. He's allowed to have a reaction to death threats, rape threats and countless messages telling him to kill himself. He's allowed to want freedom to make his own choices about his personal life without consulting a bunch of random kids. He's allowed to show human emotion and not want his life dissected and controlled by a mob of total strangers. He's allowed to react to near daily attempts to end his career and/or life over often made up or exaggerated bad faith accusations. He's allowed to call the people who have openly admitted their goal is "to bully him off the internet" what they are: bullies. And he is more than allowed to fucking stand up for himself and call out bullies and stalkers. He has a right to defend himself, to call out the abuse, and to be angry or sad about it. And he's been far more polite and indirect about all this than any of you deserve.

He's not "playing the victim". He is the victim. The only person who has had tangible harm done to them is him. Not you. He hasn't done anything to you. He hasn't sent you death threats, told you to kill yourself, or abused or stalked you. You cannot police the way he reacts or criticise him for struggling mentally after you've subjected him to a 3000 on 1, year long, 24/7 beat down. Relentlessly harassing someone and then mocking or criticising them for daring to react to it is such a typical abuse tactic I genuinely can't understand how you don't see what you are and what you're doing to another human being. You're not making the world a better place or achieving anything at all. You're not the good guy. You're no one's saviour.

[if-ever-i-stray]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sophie Stewart (@sophie_ginnell)

Love from the Gold Coast #surfersparadise #goldcoast #travelling #timelapse #sand #beautifulday #beautiful #ocean #queensland (at Surfers Paradise Beach)

[if-ever-i-stray]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sophie Stewart (@sophie_ginnell)

From the MONA: bit.fall takes words from information sites on the internet and briefly ‘translates’ them into drops of water as, in the artist's own words, ‘a metaphor for the incessant flood of information we are exposed to’. (Taken from website) #mona #tasmania #museumofoldandnewart #culture #travelling (at MONA - Museum of Old and New Art)

[if-ever-i-stray]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sophie Stewart (@sophie_ginnell)

Sunset over Melbourne #skytower #eurekaskydeck #sunset #beautiful #timelapse (at City of Melbourne)

[if-ever-i-stray]

Famous Friends #andywarhol #art #nationalgalleryvictoria #ngv #melbourne #travelling (at National Gallery of Victoria)

[if-ever-i-stray]

Sydney you've been great but it's now onto Melbourne #travelling #australia (at Pylon Lookout - Sydney Harbour Bridge)

[if-ever-i-stray]

There are 15,000 flags in this park made by kids in Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington over the past 4 years #nzfestival #wellington (at Frank Kitts Park)

[if-ever-i-stray]

Not my photo

[if-ever-i-stray]

credit

[if-ever-i-stray]

[if-ever-i-stray]

[if-ever-i-stray]

[if-ever-i-stray]

[if-ever-i-stray]

Fotalge | source: We Heart It

[if-ever-i-stray]

[if-ever-i-stray]