I Love That The Dinosaurs Being Portrayed As Animals And Not Part Of A 24/7 Fight Club, But The Only

Anyone else feels like they overshare everything with others and at the very same time haven’t opened up at all to anyone

“Ancient spirits roam the wilderness, their voices sound in the wind, as though they never left. We were merely lost souls ready to return to the Earth Giver, waiting, hoping. I could feel the cold ground beneath my paws, and I knew it was time.” Eunho, smilodon: died 14,983 BCE and resurrected during the Megafauna Awakening, 2073 CE

I’m not sure if I’m alone in this, but as an aromantic person, I wish my romantic friends understood the emotional labor it takes for me to lend an ear to their dating woes and to provide sound romantic relationship advice when I have no solid basis for understanding said relationships in the first place. 

I tend to approach dating advice from a humanistic point of view, rather than a romantic one. That is, I’m more concerned with relationship outcomes and the physical and emotional impact of relationships than the romantic value and excitement of a relationship. That’s mostly because I am aromantic. 

I appreciate that people think of me when they’re in need, but at the same time nothing makes me want to tune out more than issues related to romance. It takes tremendous effort for me to stay engaged in a conversation involving the needs of romantic people, which might make me sound like a bad person.

At the same time, I don’t think romantic people really consider the impact this has on aromantic people. I cannot speak for every aromantic person. However, we all have our own boundaries and needs. For aromantics, that could mean that discussing romance is an exhausting activity with little to no pay off. 

I do care about the well-being and safety of my friends, but I don’t often care about their romantic pursuits. I am genuinely happy for them finding fulfilling relationships, but I am not emotionally invested in the details of their romances. I do want to support my friend, but not at the expense of my own well-being. 

The most difficult part comes down to giving relationship advice to friends whose partners or potentially partners present aromantic behavior. I want to gently remind them that not everyone experiences romantic feelings the same way that they do, but then amatonormativity rears its ugly head from said friends.  

The amount of times I’ve heard a friend describe a partner or potential partner as emotionally constipated is distressing, along with friends describing said persons as a potentially abusive because they wont open up to them or engage in romantic behavior … all the while ignoring their own impact on others…

All of this being said, I think it’s okay as an aromantic person – or any person really – to step back and say that you’re not comfortable or you’re not the right person to talk to about romance. It’s not your job to empathize with romantic feelings for your friends’ sakes when you can’t feel it in the first place. 

I like to think of relationship anarchy as the foundation that shapes my understanding of aromantic theory.

It creates an inherently anti-amatonormative setting in which relationships are reevaluated and reconstructed based on the collective needs of the people involved. It's the reason I will always be against strict definitions of relationship types and the implicit requirements that come with that. The only people who can define a relationship and what that relationship entails and which label to give it are the people involved in said relationship. The only way to do that is through effective communication. The only way to fight amatonormative relationship hierarchies is through doing exactly that: discarding societies norms and instead explicitly defining your relationships based on mutual understanding, communication and respect.

Relationship anarchy gives aspec people the freedom to have any type of relationship they desire instead of being locked out of certain levels of intimacy simply because of some societal norm that dictates what you can and can't do based on which label you apply to a relationship.

why do i have to find an actual job instead of being the apprentice of the old witch who lives in the woods?

Hey just so you all know, the Prehistoric Planet Uncovered bonus episodes are actually being put up on the Apple TV official YouTube channel!

While it is really preferred that you do not pirate this series, if you absolutely have to for whatever reason, PLEASE watch the uncovered episodes on the official YouTube channel to show your support. These mini episodes are only around 5 minutes each and they really give a fascinating insight into all the science and research put into the show.

If we want more accurate dinosaur media where the dinosaurs actually behave like living animals, we need to show as much support as we can no matter how small.

[Edit: Updated to include all 5 Uncovered episodes]

Spooky birds, well, actually rooks. They always look a bit scary with their gray faces, but also very interesting. The perfect Halloween bird ( a bit early as it is only September).

The aromantic agenda is a good one.

Go and think about what kinds of relationships you want. Don't think about labels like romantic or platonic or sexual, think purely about what relationships would make you happiest.

When I realized I was aromantic, I was asked things like "Would you still date? Would you have a QPR? Will you ever kiss?"

But the aromantic community didn't ask that. Instead, they focused on "What do you want in a world where anything is possible?"

And I realized I want to be alone, surrounded by friends and family I love who are close enough, I can bring them fresh baked scones when I overbake.

They asked me "What do you want?" and the question was so broad, I could weigh labels in my hand like queerplatonic partner and nonpartnering and significant other. I could look at these and shrug and say, "What I want is to not worry about questions I don't care about." I could shelve these indefinitely. Maybe even forever. And just enjoy being myself.

The aromantic community celebrates exploration. Tells people asking if they are aromantic, "This is a personal decision. Your personal decision. If this label helps you, take it. If this community helps you, stay as long as you need. You don't have to be labelled anything, aromantic or otherwise, unless it would bring you comfort. You don't have to be anything you aren't."

It's a good community with good philosophies born from a unique experience, not rooted in missing out, but in being forced to consider what you want when you don't want what's expected.