#pattern seeking

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Autistic Things That I Didn’t Realize Was Related To Being Autistic

Neurodivergent_lou

[disgruntled-lifeform]

Does anyone have some knit shawl patterns that mimic bird feathers?

I have a vision but am not yet skilled enough to manifest it without a pattern to guide me

Pls reblog ♡

[magpies-gold]

Something I recently wish I could get across to people who look at art, because it’s starting to feel like I have to: sometimes, yes, you do see something in the art that’s not there, and that’s normal. It’s also all your own, which is cool.

The example I used when I was discussing it on my Patreon is that when I was a kid, there was a painting of birds and dead sunflowers that my dad had painted that’s hanging up in the living room. My pattern-seeking imagination would instead find the shape of a man riding a horse in that image. When I told my dad, we both just thought it was cool.

I also see faces and scenes in the abstract patterns on some tile floors or textured ceilings and I know I’m not alone in that. It’s a human thing: we find patterns where none exist.

But lately, I’ve been increasingly astounded when I get comments from folks that want me to explain the imagery they’ve spotted in my art, imagery that’s been placed there through their own mental gymnastics. Why is this here? They ask. What does it mean? I don’t know. It isn’t there for me. I want to ask: Did you never look at clouds and see faces and creatures drifting across the sky? Its the same thing. You see something in nothing, and that’s a feature, not a bug.

Please, just find your own innate human super power to be cool, I beg of you. This is making me despair when folks don’t recognize their own imagination at play.

[vimoh]

If you went "aww", when you saw this picture of a plug socket, it's normal. It's just a plug though, and the feelings it evokes in you are only a result of your senses finding a pattern of light and darkness on it. A pattern that reminds you of a child or a cartoon character perhaps.

Now think about the patterns you find in the universe. Patterns that remind you of things humans do. Things like creating, loving, and helping. The universe doesn't have those properties. We only see them there because of our pattern-seeking nature.

[talaricula]

Things I've seen tumblr memeing about James Somerton doing à la "How did no one see how bigoted he was!" as if those things haven't been a significant part of tumblr culture for over a decade :

Presenting untrue and bordering on conspiratorial versions of (queer or otherwise marginalised) history without any sources

Completely disregarding and disrespecting any expertise on socio-cultural topics/humanities and distrusting academics and historians (incl. acting as if no academics or historians could be queer or marginalised)

Downplaying the role misogyny played in the historical oppression of queer women and concluding that queer men must have been more oppressed than queer women

Bi women are, at best, not as queer as "real" queer ppl, and at worst, simply equivalent to straight women

Despite nominal trans inclusivity, transmasculine ppl are functionally women when convenient (combined with the above, bi transmascs are functionally straight women)

Despite nominal trans inclusivity (bis), shamelessly attacking, threatening and actively endangering any trans woman who questions them or smth they find important (often by unfairly presenting her as violent or as a threat)

Having absolutely fucking wild and reductive takes about ace ppl, the oppression they face and their place in the queer community

Stating that marriage equality is an assimilationist fight while completely ignoring its direct roots in the horrifying consequences of the AIDS crisis for partners of ppl who died of AIDS

Praising western media creators from the past for queer coding even under censure and in the same breath condemning current non western media creators for being homophobic bc their representation isn't explicit enough

Blaming China for all existing homophobic censoring in western media

Assuming all queer media would be better told by western creators and by western standards

Only out queer ppl get to tell queer stories

Heavily criticising almost all queer media created by women or ppl they see as such (see above points about trans ppl) or involving/starring a significant amount of women for any perceived or real amount of "problematicness", but fawning over and praising and negating criticism of queer media created by and starring mostly or even functionally exclusively men (even when it could be argued that, you know, not involving/seriously sidelining women is a pretty clear example of misogyny which should probably be considered "problematic")

And I'm probably forgetting stuff or there's stuff I have internalised myself and don't recognise as an issue

Like idk but I feel like the takeaway from Hbomberguy and Toddintheshadow's videos should maybe be "be aware of such patterns in your communities bc they definitely exist" and not "this guy is uniquely awful" and I feel like a lot of the discussion I've seen surrounding this has been severely failing at that. Most ppl who've spent any significant amount of time on tumblr prob either have internalised at least one of those thought patterns, have had to de-internalise them, or have had to be extremely vigilant to not internalise them (which is done by, you know, seeking out other sources, which also seemed like an important takeaway from the videos)

[booasaur]

Renegade Nell (2024) - 1x06

[dandelionjack]

doctor who is about music . well it’s been running for sixty years so it can’t really be about anything, there is no constant now but change, so if it’s about anything then it’s about change, time and memory. which makes it about music. i sound crazy but what i really mean is if i was more eloquent then i could um. i could articulate this. the doctor’s primary tool works its magic by manipulating sound, like a conductor’s baton? i have made a post about the theme of music in doctor who before and i’m going to reblog it above so i don’t need to reiterate myself. anyway

point is, russell could prove to be a sheer showrunning genius if he succeeds at his attempt to finally bring this theme to the forefront through inventing a music-themed campy villain to act as one of new-new-who series 1’s big bads. the way that this string of ideas began back in the 60th specials, with the TARDIS mysteriously playing wild blue yonder followed by the toymaker plagiarising the master’s trademark act by throwing a song and dance number of his own… i am so so excited for what the future holds now that the doctor dances, seeminly unencumbered by guilt this time. hang in there ruby . ruby’s a musician of all things too, on the keys like missy once was. much to think about. the giggle’s an arpeggio

this song is figuratively about the doctor

and controversially this one is too! i am a sucker for doctor who space jesus allegories because i (personally) view jesus as a mythical literary protagonist first and foremost rather than a religious figure. he’s just some guy to me. a kind wanderer who works miracles sometimes. you don’t know my buddy jesus h. christ like i do

[bacchuschucklefuck]

riz gukgak is SO distressing to have as a favourite character I can never funckign rest out here

[cosmiado]

they're a couple of misfits!!

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Predicting Film Plots and 4 Other Examples of Autistic Pattern Seeking

Neurodivergent_lou

[beneathsilverstars]

chatted with @horatiocomehome about how the underpinning logic of crafting might work, particularly in relation to wishcraft and loop's existence! it turned into a whole metaphor that i'm very happy with. i had a little fun with the prose towards the end so this is um 1.5k long? lmao, enjoy 💖

(major spoilers for all of In Stars And Time)

Each person is their own well of craft power. When you craft, you are creating a path for that water to flow through, like digging channels. Each act of magic, then, has two components: the energy source, and the channel.

We know people are naturally aligned to certain craft types. If the magic of your soul is aligned with scissors, it will flow much more intuitively through scissors-shaped channels. But it's still possible to use a rock shape instead — it just takes more effort and precision to get the results you want.

Across all craft types, of course, there are techniques to learn and skills to practice. You can work on building paths that can hold more power, or direct it more precisely, or filter out certain parts of it, or transfer it more efficiently. And you can build them towards all sorts of different destinations, for different purposes. Some of these skills are more universally applicable, and some are specific to the particular kind of craft you're doing.

Some types of crafting aren't so neatly divided into the three styles — maybe this one is technically under the paper umbrella but is fairly intuitive to scissors types as well; maybe that one can actually be accomplished equally well using any of the three approaches. Some, like bodycraft, are seen as an entirely separate type... but really, none of them are quite as separate as people tend to assume. They're all just different styles of controlling the flow of water.

The techniques for building channels are fairly consistent and scientific. A bit abstract, but they can be taught and even somewhat quantified. However, there's another component at play: the well of the soul. And this varies quite a bit by person.

There's the obvious craft types, of course, but there are also differences in flow strength and consistency, the amount of power the well holds and the rate at which it replenishes itself, and subtler quirks and inclinations. Even when you know the technical methods of a craft, it can take some fine-tuning to get it to work for you. Often this means customizing the technique, but it can also include altering the source.

Because, people change, from day to day and even minute to minute! Strong emotions can change the flow and flavor of the water. When you've got a favorite skill that you know inside and out, you can expect consistent results, perhaps even automatically adjusting the channel as needed to take advantage of variations in the source. But when a skill is new or already a bit of a poor match for you, you may need to put some real effort into centering yourself, or thinking papery thoughts, or hoping really hard that it will work.

Hoping really hard, because all craft is about willpower. You want to change something, and you change it, channeling your energy and emotion through specific techniques — or just pouring it out with minimal guidance, and whatever happens happens.

Which brings us to wishcraft.

A wish is just the energy, without any channel. You deliberately hold your wish in your heart and let it flavor your magic, then externalize it and let that magic flow where it may. This means it's much more flexible than rock-paper-scissors crafts, because you don't need to know the best path down the hill for the water to be able to find it! This also means it's much less predictable, because you can't know what will be the best path down the hill until the water finds it.

Since the magic has no guide other than your emotions, the effect of those emotions is much more obvious when performing this type of craft. Instead of just nudging the results, they define the results; your wish tells the water which way is down. The stronger the wish, the stronger the pull!

(In actuality, the pull is there during all types of crafting. But if you're building pipes that are pointed straight "down" anyway, you don't tend to notice gravity's exact direction and strength unless it's the wrong direction. You see "this isn't working well, I need to focus up" or "this worked just fine, and at the very end here you can see my own personal splash pattern", without much nuance between.)

When performing wishcraft, sometimes the destination is close enough that the pull of the wish is all you need. Sharpening a knife is well within the reach of deliberately channeled craft, so it's easy enough for Siffrin to whisper, "please be sharp," and let a trickle of their magic find the easiest path to sharpness.

If the destination is too far for your own magic to reach, though, there are other sources of power. There are puddles and storms and ice-melt waterfalls, the vast network of magical energy that keeps the universe running. Wishcraft lets you tap into these sources; performing a ritual signals your need to the universe in its own language, attempting to open up a connection through which power can flow. If rock-paper-scissors craft is creating a series of gutters and pipes and wheels to guide your wellwater, wishcraft is building a rain cistern or trying to dig deep enough to hit a natural aquifer.

The more complex and precisely-executed the ritual, the better the connection to the universal source. Once that connection has been made, the energy of the universe flows into your own, taking on the flavor and gravity of your wish. Now mixed, all of the water spills downwards, taking whatever path is necessary to reach the bottom.

Sometimes it doesn't make it. Sometimes the pull is not strong enough to pass the obstacles; sometimes there is not enough water, and it evaporates along the way. More of one can make up for a lack of the other, but only to a certain extent. But sometimes, it is enough, and the energy reaches its goal and pools. Once your wish has been fulfilled, you no longer have cause to wish it, and your connection to the universe's energy closes, and the stream dries up, and the water at the bottom stills. Eventually, it will evaporate into the air and sink back into the ground, returning to the sources from whence it came.

The King had a strong wish. He poured out his entire being, and that energy sang with longing. He is just one person, but he completed every ritual he could, tapping into every possible source. It all built up until finally, a terrible rain fell over Vaugarde, and each small drop fell towards perfect stillness.

Vaugarde had a very strong wish. So many people aimlessly poured out their energy towards "please free the country" and "please defeat the King", and these wishes merged into a confluence of craft with a powerful gravity — but since they weren't tapped into a greater source, there simply was not enough water to smash through the obstacles.

Until Siffrin made a wish that pulled in a similar direction. And Siffrin's wish had a tidy ritual behind it, a strike through rock to reach the spring water behind. A trickle of power from the universe mixed with Siffrin's wish, then joined with the people of Vaugarde's and suddenly that great gravity had a source to pull from. Power erupted from the spring of the universe, a river rushing towards "save the country" and "stay with my friends."

Eventually, eventually, the water nearly reached the bottom — finally, Siffrin beat the king — but from there, the gravities diverged. The water, having reached one goal, crashed back towards the other. Siffrin looped again, and... gave up.

A trickle with nowhere to go may slow and stop. A stream that is pulled nowhere may simply pool where it is. A rushing river, however, does not still so easily, caught between momentum ahead and vacuum behind.

In the awful torrent, Siffrin made a new wish, which pulled in a similar-but-different direction. A new source, a new goal. First a sharp drop sideways — cutting off from the initial sources — and then a deep pool, from which a stream of "I wish it could be over" and "I wish I could get out of here" and "I wish for someone to help me" continued to pour.

(A pool is not... the same thing as a well. But then, is not all water the same? A well, an aquifer, a spring, a river, a waterfall, a lake, an ocean, a storm. It's all water. And some parts of the universe are called people, and this part called themself Loop.)

Now sequestered, Loop's abandonment of their initial wish no longer tainted that wish's water. The well of Siffrin remained intact upstream, and poured out the same initial wish, with the same ritual connecting it to the same spring of the Universe. And the river continued to flow towards salvation and companionship, and its inevitable rocking between the two. (And the stream ran parallel, seeking freedom and help.)

Trapped between its goals, the water raged, great terrible waves one direction and then the other. The new Siffrin's wish soured, and the gravity of it distorted, until he gave it up. And oh, how the water crashed! How the valley flooded in terrible waves, how the world cracked!

Then

Settled

As Siffrin found their wish again

For this time salvation did not mean the end of companionship

So the wish, fulfilled, could let go of its source

And the calm water could gently flow back into the ocean

Until the last of the river ran dry.

(Though, there was still the cut-off pool. Loop's crashing hell of endless rush and wave was over, and finally they were out, all the way out. Maybe they got all the help they needed, too, and their wish quietly relinquished its star-source. Without a source, the pool would eventually dry up, but who could guess how long that would take?

Or maybe their wish continued to pull, pleading, "help me, someone, anyone." With the ritual connection still open, the pool would continue to replenish itself, each drop saturated with the flavor of their wish. And who could guess what ripples that would cause, the next time they tried to craft?)

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

This is not an elephant.

Humans are notoriously prone to pattern-seeking and pattern-matching. It's an evolved trait. It's better to over-react to a false positive than under-react to a false negative. It also makes us bad at perceiving randomness (this has been studied).

Nostradamus' schtick was based entirely on post-hoc reinterpretation. It's called the Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy. You shoot bullets at a barn and then run up and draw a target around the largest cluster and claim to be a sharpshooter. You cherry-pick out the ones that work for you, ignore the ones that don't, and pretend that saving it after the fact is as good as predicting it beforehand.

Believers themselves tell us that the bible is metaphorical, which authorizes them to invent from it what they will and attribute it to their imaginary friend as divine revelation, knowledge or morality.

If Revelation was accurately prophetic, then it would have dates, names, places and other specifics. And yet, the bible doesn't even know North America exists, and apparently it can do little better than "coincidences."

This is remarkably underwhelming for a book which purports to provide the best explanation of the nature of an existent deity, and which forms the basis of the supernatural beliefs of 4 billion people (I'm including Islam, since it rips off Jesus, Judgment Day, a number of prophecies, and other biblical myths and legends).

We are often told that the universe is "fine-tuned" - such as the distance of the Earth from the Sun, and our DNA being "code" - and yet the same believers celebrate apocalypse fantasy stories - with literal dragons - written as vague prose as meaningful and accurate. If divine knowledge is being conveyed, then we should expect it to be as finely tuned as the universe itself supposedly is.

But if you have to squint to see the correlations, then its meaning relies upon you to create it. Therefore, any book will suffice to inspire that meaning. Because confirmation bias is also a human cognitive flaw.

It's weird, though, that the bible can supposedly get the future end-of-the-world right, but gets tripped up on gimme questions like slavery, rape and murdering children. I guess that's just the sort of thing we should expect from a book that inspires people to be excited about the complete destruction of the world.

"To no one's surprise, modern Christian apologists, armed with stacks of diplomas from Bible colleges, have ginned up books and blogs by the hundreds to validate the conflicting, nonsensical New Testament stories.

The very fact that Bible stories require a small army of trained apologists to Jesusplain the contradictions is prima facie evidence the stories are fabrications."

-- Robert Conner

[shaylogic]

This is really the lips episode, huh?

Bonus from next ep:

[despazito]

"going to therapy makes you a worse person because you learn the words and therapy incantations to be more evil and manipulative" ok I guess we should all just kill ourselves

[softpine]

anon who lovingly warned me about carpal tunnel when i picked up crocheting must want to kill me with hammers now that i've added 2 hours of guitar hero per day into the mix

[news4dzhozhar]