#and 'being homies'

[followerofmercy]

This is also a good point - key note that that people have a REASON to dislike him, which is that he talks shit about people constantly.

I personally haven't experienced much drawback to being on friendly terms with the Office Asshat, though? Especially by being Generally Friendly and Personable to everyone, I end up with a reputation as The Guy We Can Get to Talk to The Office Asshat So We Don't Have to, which is another valuable skill alfs;dkj. Become the neutral party

Some people do look at who you casually associate with and make assumptions based on that, but in my experience, unless you're ANNOUNCING that you, idk, went to Racist Joe's Klan meeting and had a great time and start defending them, people don't think much of who you're on friendly terms with. There are limits, ofc, but they're kinda extreme limits

The people that do keep obsessive tabs on other people... also tend to have bad reputations because that behavior is very annoying and untrustworthy asl;dfj. Same way I give people a sideeye when they dig up something someone posted six years ago as proof they're homophobic or whatever. Becky, yes, that tweet was problematic but he's been married to his husband for two years now. I think you need to let it go. Maybe get a more constructive hobby. Join a union. Mutual Aid organization. Something. Please.

However, and I think this is what the tags are actually trying to say but I tagged this autism for a reason and enjoy yapping: normal people WILL notice if you hang out with assholes - especially if you start picking up habits or turns of phrase from them. I had a coworker who I thought was totally chill even when he hung out with the generally annoying Asshat misogynist (who I was also the crowd-designated Handler of because I could tolerate his miserable existence lmao). I really liked Chill Guy. And then, one day, for no goddamn reason, Formerly Chill Guy and Asshat started shittalking their wives and daughters for the crime of... wanting to spend time with them/talking too much. Instant -10 respect. To this day I think less of both of them.

Networking/Knowing A Guy: A Guide

This is the autism website. Now, as an extension of the power of love and friendship, there are few things more useful than Knowing A Guy. Knowing A Guy means you have a support network. Knowing a plumber, or a tax accountant, or just that one dude that's really fucking good at finding the information you need when you're really overwhelmed, can be the difference between being able to pay rent and having a fun party with friends to fix your shit.

How does one end up Knowing A Guy? It's a skill you can develop called Networking and it is one of the foundations of society. Unfortunately making those connections with people is fucking hard and nobody makes a tutorial for it. So, here you go:

The golden rule is you scratch my back and I scratch yours

It is necessary for survival to seek out useful people

Great news! Everyone is useful in some form or fashion - including you! When given the opportunity to learn about someone, do it! Extroversion does not come naturally to some people and that's okay. Just take whatever falls in your lap.

Types of usefulness: trade skills, connections of their own, personality you jive with, pleasant to talk to, niche interest in shared hobby, security - the list is pretty much endless. I know a guy that lives in the metro area - no job, no major hobbies, inoffensively annoying to me personally, kinda ignorant, not attractive to me, but you know what? He knows how the fuck to get around the city by foot. My rural-raised ass APPRECIATES the guide.

Remember important information: general personality, background, skillset, likes and dislikes. You can find this information by making smalltalk about their life. There is no such thing as pointless conversation. (Yes, even the annoying smalltalk)

The more people you know, the higher the likelihood that one of them will be useful in a given situation - or will know someone who is.

It is overwhelming. In a given clique/community/workspace/whatever, there is A Guy Who Knows The Other Guys. This Guy is a shortcut. Find them. They're often elderly, extroverted, a little bit annoying, a secretary or in some otherwise forward-facing position. Look for people that are gossipy/talk about other people a lot but not in negative ways. If they constantly talk shit, they'll talk shit about you too. They're still useful but be careful with the information you share

You do not have to like someone for them to be useful.

You do not have to like someone for them to be useful.*

If you have low self esteem, you're going to feel like you're using people. You're not. That's the devil talking. People like feeling valued and the connections you are making are the threads holding community together. Recognize people for their talents. It's only a problem when you're taking advantage of people

So: don't feel scummy about it. You're an animal. You have to claw out your right to survive and people will respect you more for it.

Luckily mutualism is the name of the game in the animal kingdom. Offer something back. The foundation of a Know A Guy relationship is Mutual Benefit

Sometimes that Mutual Benefit is just spreading news of the The Guy far and wide. My plumber friend is my actual friend and I love her to death, but I'm maintaining our backscratch relationship by pimping out her plumbing business to anyone that'll listen

Food is a good Mutual Benefit. People across cultures for all of human history have bonded over food. I have good success asking people for a favor and then offering to buy them lunch in return **

General compensation is also good. Offer a service in return and always do your best to offer financial compensation as appropriate. Having your plumber friend take a look at your drain: doable with a case of beer. Having your plumber friend redo the pipes in your entire house? You need to pay for that.

Being transactional is not necessarily a bad thing. I would advise against keeping an itemized list of things owed, but fish don't seek out cleaner shrimp just because they enjoy their company. Everyone gets something

Unfortunately being extroverted and generally personable is a huge benefit here, but that's the value of the Guy That Knows A Guy. There's someone out there that has consolidated All The Guys so you don't have to be the local expert. Always remember nobody can do everything and you don't need to master every skill

* This is the foundation of a functioning community. I have many acquaintances that I find incredibly annoying. They include doctors, welders, artists, social workers, lawyers, construction crew and random fuckers at the grocery store. I do not hang out with them. I do not have to in order to maintain a civil Know A Guy relationship. I can drop them useful tidbits and fuck right off so I don't have to spend any more time than necessary with them

** People may assume romantic intent. Be prepared for that. I generally denote that it's a friendly/work lunch by calling them bro at some point if they're my age. Otherwise my general demeanor is sufficient to show that I do this with everyone

Source: personal experience, mother's teachings of crime, booth vending and poverty

[chloesimaginationthings]

Michael Afton and Jeremy Fitzgerald are FNAF besties..

[fireflysugarpie]

I'm literally so obsessed with the fact that Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu married the most extreme versions of each other

like, I'm pretty sure that people have already brought this up, but Shang Qinghua and Luo Binghe have the same, "I'm just a little guy, you wouldn't hurt a little guy, would you?" pathetic, pitiful, crybaby aura (even though Binghe is a lot more selective with it lol)

and Shen Qingqiu and Mobei-Jun are icy beauty, rich, dense, spoiled brats that both go insane over (1) pitiful hamster man (for different reasons, but still)

I feel like if they didn't fucking die and get transmigrated, they could've had a cute assholes to assholes but lovers arc :<

[iliothermia]

גם זה יעבור

This too shall pass. Bad times. Good times. Through it all we'll keep going.

[itty-bitty-sunshine]

Fazbear Entertainment did not program him to deal with that

[myiliterallyhavenolifegoals]

i'm unwell!!! because in stede's eyes, ned low was right!! ned says "he [ed] only likes you because of your bumbling amateur status" and calls stede blackbeard's "pet" just like izzy did in series 1

so stede steps up as a captain, kills the man who harmed his crew, and suddenly, for once in stede's life, he isn't a joke! the gentleman pirate is taken seriously and welcomed into the pirate community!

and what happens less than 24 hours later? ed calls their night together a mistake, AND LEAVES.

yes, obviously the situation is more nuanced, and these old men are once again struggling to communicate, but i 100% understand why stede went a bit of the rails at the end of episode 7. stede's been so focused on trying to help ed, that he's completely ignored his own ongoing identity crisis and trauma, and after the incident at the academy in series 1, this meltdown was long overdue.

[queenofepic]

I made a shitpost powerpoint that blew tf up on twitter so I might as well post it here too. Argenti rerun hype 🙏🌹

[jeonseoguu]

please… i need the duwangagang trio + the babysitter jojotaro

my dumbass realized AFTER i finished that i literally forgot koichi

COMMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN !!! check my pinned post for more details ⭐️

[kamizuya]

Hetalia men vs women… 😅

Inspo: https://imgur.com/gallery/is-not-fact-that-hes-afraid-of-needles-its-fact-that-homies-are-there-him-his-time-of-need-BiYPibY

[gianteyedcrow]

I feel like my endgame is Damian Wayne kills Slade in combat but Jason is the only witness. He recognizes that it’s not only to avenge Dick but to keep the family safe so they never, ever speak of it again.

[datdolphin]

I like them a normal amount.

[fakakta-art]

For the prompts how abt trans girl Jason hanging out with babs?

She and Babs are the girls night founders ft. ally lazzy pit

[chloesimaginationthings]

Vanny gets her sleepy FNAF guys mixed up,,

[jesncin]

Return of the Wondergirls for DC Gotcha For Gaza (requests closed for now). Yara Flor, Cassie Sandsmark and Donna Troy posing for what's definitely a mall montage set to 80's music.

[hansoeii]

I'm very much not normal about loki and mobius right now

[dailysolidarity]

hi me again :3 smallidarity? (optional if you do it vampire joel?) (we are going to be best friends with how many jimmy ships i have that i need to see more art of lol)

Day 57!

I'm sorry, I wasn't sure if there was something specific you wanted with vampire Joel :(

Congrats on being the 11th ask on my inbox LOL