ironunderstands

[ironunderstands]

saw these text posts and couldn't resist. Oops?

Edit: There's more now!

[ironunderstands]

the difference between how Ratio talks to himself vs one of his students is really fascinating

Himself:

It’s casual, simple, digestible. He uses plenty of contractions like can’t, didn’t etc.

Verses how he talks the moment the Trailblazer is on screen…

“Enconced.” Comeon man there are like 50 other more accessible words you could use there. This is excessive.

He’s testing the Trailblazer in all of these and you can really tell. He’s imitating how someone in a debate would talk or how he in the context of one would and man it’s annoying in the best way possible.

It’s almost to the point of ridiculousness.

This is just mean. What the hell is a neophyte. Yes Professor I get it I’m not ready for this. Thanks.

And then he speaks more simply when he gets to the point! “Yeah this is annoying and difficult, isn’t it?”

Then there’s like a middle ground when he’s being interviewed (and he’s admittedly not really into it). Tangent of all tangents but he says outright here that he doesn’t hope for Nous’s gaze anymore… wish people noticed that.

He at least throws an isn’t in there, but I wouldn’t count that as less formal than can’t + didn’t are considering is not doesn’t flow as well as isn’t would in that line. He’s trying to explain his point of view here but he’s not really testing the interviewer, hence the middle ground.

Idk really where I’m going with this, but the point is that Ratio’s use of language is DELIBERATE. He’s not some fancy nobleman raised to talk like that- he talks like that to teach and understands how frustrating that can be for people, which is why he employs it when testing the Trailblazer to see what knowledge is suitable for them.

Like it’s incredibly funny to see him switch from thinking of things informally to himself to when he’s formally challenging the Trailblazer on it.

You can HEAR him lock in it’s great.

That’s why I despise when people write or characterize him as talking like a textbook 24/7- he doesn’t! This is on purpose! And he knows slang too! He says K/1 in that group chat, says someone else is “spitting facts” in another- he knows how to talk to people normally! He just chooses not to because that’s how he A) teaches and B) keeps the annoying people away from him.

I think he’s a great representation of how someone who actually understands how language works looks like because he’ll change how he uses it depending on what value it will bring him and whoever he might be teaching in the moment. He’s not an insensitive brick wall- he’s the exact opposite of it and him talking like one on occasion is only proof of that.

[ironunderstands]

Just to put some more examples- I don’t know if this is just to make his voicelines more digestible to the player so they can get a sense of what he’s going to talk about. But like. Look at this shit!

Gifts -> token of appreciation

Feeling stressed -> moments of stress

I heard the data bank -> within your esteemed data bank

what kind of person are you -> a whole ass statement

BUDDY. WE CAN STILL HEAR YOU MAN. I believe this is intention because “kinda surprising” absolutely could have just been “this is rather surprising” and it would have been just as understandable to the player but nah they went with “kinda” which isn’t even technically a word meaning this bastard just… locks in and changes the way he speaks to teach… does he even realize he’s doing it? 😭😭

it's good that people talk about how Ratio isn't a narcissists (not only arguing against misusage of mental disorders but acknowledging that he's in general not like that). But it gets to a point. Sometimes it's even more annoying when people completely strip him of any personality and turn into a soft boy. Him being genuine about healing "stupidity", having soft spots here and there and being a harsh, mean, flashy teacher can be true at the same time. Why turn such a cool character into a flat surface. This motherfucker played chess with himself in the most pretentious way possible This is mainly targeted at "ratioenjoyers". The number of grossly inaccurate characterisations put forward under the pretext of “character analysis” simply irritates me. At this point you're projecting your fantasies

[ironunderstands]

He’s not a narcissist but he’s an ass on purpose and that’s what makes him fun! He’s both A) Tired of people idolizing him and B) Wants them to learn for themselves rather than relying on him for answers since if he’s thinking for them- well are they really learning? Gives us beautiful voicelines like this!

The genuine concern and the solution all in one it’s hilarious both because he really means it and because at least in the EN version of the game, you can tell he’s also joking/finds what he’s saying funny.

Ratio, at least from my perspective, exists in this weird middle ground where his rudeness is both an intentional front he puts up to help teach, and just a part of his personality that he doesn’t really mean to do. He’s very aware of how he comes off to other people but he’s not sure how to really fix that

Honestly the “true colors” voiceline paints all of his dialogue options in a very confusing light.. is he still acting while pretending to be honest in these?

Ratio why do you phrase your compliments like this you don’t talk like it otherwise 😭

The dialogue options for the express seem to be a character slowly warming up to the place and to the Trailblazer, so in the voicelines above this one (which is early on) he’s still masking?!?

I’m rambling this man is confusing

Like he muses casually to himself but when you actually talk to him he becomes very formal

buddy who are you fooling it’s not me

The juxtaposition is hilarious honestly. Hmm what a nice place- oh shit students here-

TLDR he’s a funny guy I suppose 😭😭😭

it's good that people talk about how Ratio isn't a narcissists (not only arguing against misusage of mental disorders but acknowledging that he's in general not like that). But it gets to a point. Sometimes it's even more annoying when people completely strip him of any personality and turn into a soft boy. Him being genuine about healing "stupidity", having soft spots here and there and being a harsh, mean, flashy teacher can be true at the same time. Why turn such a cool character into a flat surface. This motherfucker played chess with himself in the most pretentious way possible This is mainly targeted at "ratioenjoyers". The number of grossly inaccurate characterisations put forward under the pretext of “character analysis” simply irritates me. At this point you're projecting your fantasies

[ironunderstands]

This will be a romantic story like none that has come before

[ironunderstands]

feeling particularly spiteful rn

[ironunderstands]

I’m having a fantastic time guys how about you

[ironunderstands]

I think I need to force feed my summary of the 3.4 AIW lore to people cause oh god the discussions… the discussions

[ironunderstands]

Yes, exactly! Also the man himself calls the path of Erudition illogical and without reason. Plus he also sees all other Aeons as scientific phenomena rather than like gods/actual deities to be worshipped!

It’s not just that he wants to share knowledge- he straight up doesn’t believe in the Erudition to begin with!

People love comparing him to the Genius Society members and while the story absolutely wants you to do that- I think you can honestly find more similarities between characters like Acheron and Fugue.

His basic shtick might be “smart guy” but he’s got the frustrations with Paths and how they narrow people’s lives that those two both do, especially Acheron.

People forget Dr. Ratio is that guy and it really bothers me 😭 “he’s not smart enough to join the Genius Society” 1-800-YOUMISSEDTHEFUCKINGPOINT is dialing rn. Might wanna pick up. If that’s what you think the games implying about him and the Erudition after all these SU updates (and also 2.6 and 3.0 onwards), idk what to tell you

[ironunderstands]

I’m gonna be completely honest I think trying to apply real world logic to the video game in this situation just isn’t going to work 😭

if the developers make it so Ratio has a medical degree, and he even cured lithogenesis, the supposed “king of diseases” do you really think he isn’t qualified to be a normal doctor?

I doubt he’s out here actually consistently PRACTICING as a doctor though, cause I do agree that he’s busy teaching and well, doing whatever the hell he does off screen, but I think if he needed to actually BE a doctor he could 100% do it, it’s just Ratio is like Barbie and he’s got 7+ other things going on at once.

Funnily enough, both my parents are medical doctors but I’m honestly not sure if it was 8 or 12 years of school that got them their degrees- ik they went to med school at least but I’d have to ask. I’m pretty sure Ratio got all his PhD’s simultaneously or at least did several at once depending on the way Owlbert phrased it + also everything we know about Dr. Ratio.

I don’t actually think the 52 courses is a weird way of phrasing it if you consider that Ratio’s character stories are framed like a biography- so whoever is writing it saying “he’s taught 52 courses so far” + they’re individual classes makes relative sense. Ratio could also just be really old but I hate that idea because it doesn’t make any goddamn sense lmao

I have actually been toying with the idea that Ratio’s got some sort of time dilation or access to a Scepter (wouldn’t be surprising considering he’s a member of the Intellgencia Guild) which is why he can do so many things at once. But that’s just a dumb little theory

dude dr ratio makes no fucking sense. why does he have eight phds. thats not allowed?? every single fanfic author treats him like a medical doctor (he is not. he does mathmatics.) he teaches 52 courses. why does he do that. he cannot be qualified for that many courses. the game calls him a professor when they mean lecturer. he is not on tenure, he is not a professor. teaching at a university does not make you a professor. why does he have eight phds

[ironunderstands]

People forget Dr. Ratio is that guy and it really bothers me 😭 “he’s not smart enough to join the Genius Society” 1-800-YOUMISSEDTHEFUCKINGPOINT is dialing rn. Might wanna pick up. If that’s what you think the games implying about him and the Erudition after all these SU updates (and also 2.6 and 3.0 onwards), idk what to tell you

[ironunderstands]

mydei memes (ft. phainon) bc i miss him so much 🥺

[ironunderstands]

…he has a medical degree. He is that qualified. He is that guy.

He also does far more than math 😭

52 courses doenst necessarily mean 52 UNIQUE courses, but rather the total amount he’s taught in his life. Either way he’s qualified 😭

Also he fits whatever Star rails definition of a professor is so 🤷

dude dr ratio makes no fucking sense. why does he have eight phds. thats not allowed?? every single fanfic author treats him like a medical doctor (he is not. he does mathmatics.) he teaches 52 courses. why does he do that. he cannot be qualified for that many courses. the game calls him a professor when they mean lecturer. he is not on tenure, he is not a professor. teaching at a university does not make you a professor. why does he have eight phds

[ironunderstands]

just typing shit 😭😭

anyway. that was cathartic as fuck.

genuinely one of the most entertaining exercises in media critique and queer theory i’ve had all week. watching strangers spiral into a moral panic over fictional tropes—while simultaneously proving they’ve never read anything past a discourse-thread infographic—was exhilarating. thank you for the live demonstration of what happens when you confuse a knee-jerk reaction with ethical literacy.

it’s frankly surreal how confidently some of you toss around terms like “misogyny” and “transmisogyny” while building arguments on a foundation of gender essentialism, buzzword salad, and vibes-based illiteracy. like. i don’t even have to refute you—your takes collapse under their own circular logic. you’re not dismantling oppression; you’re larping as moral authorities in a sandbox made of projection and posturing.

and the best part? i got coursework out of it. this was genuinely productive theory practice. i got to observe western liberal panic, selective comprehension, and performative allyship converge into one unhinged thread where people hurl slurs and suicide bait over a shitpost about a fictional man in an apron.

to those of you screeching “go get a job”: babe. i have one. it’s called “being smarter than you for academic credit.�� and you just helped me get ahead on my semester.

bless your hearts. and your very public meltdowns.

i might keep my inbox open for enrichment purposes. seriously. this is more entertaining than biting my nails and cheaper than therapy. keep dancing, rats. i’m taking notes. (also, before one of you silly little lab rats tries to derail this with race-baiting: i’m very, very much asian. i’m only here because some people on this platform are genuinely fun. you’re not one of them.)

[ironunderstands]

sometimes you just gotta write scenes for your own enjoyment

This is chapter 4 + chapter 6 which I’m posting tonight is only gonna get worse 😭 Phainon dgaf and it’s awesome

[ironunderstands]

Love being reminded of just how much this community hates Dr. Ratio’s actual character

Just saying bullshit. Fuck off oh my god if you take these theories seriously in 2025 you just straight up don’t like him. You like whatever idea of him you invented in your brain cause neither of these ideas make sense with his actual character at all. He’s a normal dude who lives a good life anyways BECAUSE of it. He’s not a fucking worm Aha made to try and join the Genius Society again- the guy hasn’t wanted that in YEARS. He’s not gonna be a fucking Aeon Ratio would rather die than become an Aeon he doesn’t even LIKE Nous are you serious.

I’m so tired of “””””theories”””””” about him where people just clearly want him to be an entirely different character and if you dare dislike them they say you’re ungrateful or mean. Obviously it’s not that serious but when 90% of the discussions around him are THIS far off from who he actually is- yeah I’m gonna be annoyed. Most of this community still believes he wants to join the Genius Society!! Just loud and wrong EUGH

[ironunderstands]

like if you support Dr. Ratio throwing chalk at children apparently