I'm just sitting back and taking a break from research and writing posts and thinking about things in the "Bigfoot Community".
More of an "Asylum" actually. And, no. I did not coin that name : "Bigfoot Asylum". But it really does fit more than the "Community" name most days.
Well, that's the first thought, really. This is just one big "Asylum". And we're all in the "TD&HG Ward". [Tall Dark and Hairy Giant]. Because things are certainly nuts around here most days.
Anyhow, been pretty busy these last couple months with both research and personal things. Finding time to write, putting thoughts and discoveries into the written word, dealing with the day to day stuff that blocks your view of the world have all found their way into keeping posts from being completed and shared.
'nuff said. Let's move on to another random thought.
Self-proclaimed experts and professionals. Ah, what a thrill.
NEWS FLASH !!!!!!!!!!!
THERE ARE NO EXPERTS OR PROFESSIONALS.
There are no degrees being handed out for sasquatch research. Yes, one can study cryptozoology in colleges, both in person and on line. But that will not make you a professional or an expert in researching sasquatch. It may help you in learning how to research and will certainly give you a background in the sciences.
And from that thought to the next !
The so-called expert advice. A researcher can only give advice based on their own experiences and the results that they have achieved through their own methods. This does not mean they are 100% correct, or that you are 100% wrong. Or even that they are the only ones with answers. [They be the only one to have been kind enough to answer your question, but that doesn't make them right].
One of my favorite thoughts : [LOL] Closed minds. Guaranteed to spread headaches and arguments throughout the Asylum. Ok. Fine. You have a theory [or photo or video]. You love that theory [photo, video]. You hug it to you and bring it out and display it every chance you get. And then someone throws some little something at you from their research or from their point of view or their experience and you explode into fury and staunch denial. That, my dear reader, is a closed mind.
NEVER DISCARD INFORMATION THAT CONTRADICTS A BELIEF OR THEORY.
Explore that contradiction. Look for support for it. Set it aside for awhile. But do not ignore it. Either you will find evidence eventually to support that little ding in your theory, or you will find it's not applicable to it, or you will find it false. But never, never, never close your mind to something that seems preposterous, unlikely, not happening in a million years. You never know what's in the future.
Which brings us to : Encounters you don't believe. You don't have to believe every encounter or experience story you read or hear. It would be unwise to do so. People can and will lie about or manufacture or embellish events for many different reasons. However, just because something sounds improbable to you right at this moment, doesn't make it untrue. File it away. After all, if several different researchers didn't keep newspaper clippings and letters written to them, diary entries and such from the 1700s and the early 1800s, we would have a great gap in the history of sasquatch. The Wildman and Gorilla sighting stories would all be lost to us today. [and many probably are because people branded the witnesses as liars or jokesters].
Criticism : the inability to accept it. Come on, now. So little Susy Suspicious doesn't see the sasquatch in your shared photo. And Danny Doubter tells you that you are wrong. Throwing a fit about it and screaming and telling them that they are meanies to question you isn't going to help anything. First off, if you don't want to hear someone tell you that you did not capture what you think you did, don't share the picture. People are going to disagree with you and if you can't take others opinions, keep your research to yourself. You will learn that in life, not just in this asylum, that not everyone is going to agree with you. It doesn't help to get angry or to play the attacked martyr. When someone tells you that in their opinion, they are not seeing, hearing, or understanding what you are claiming, IT IS NOT A PERSONAL ATTACK. However, if you start slinging insults at them, that does become a personal attack. Swearing at and calling people names will not help your cause. Oh, and by the way, that and not your "evidence" is probably what got you kicked out of the group. Trust me.
Trolls : Just because someone disagrees with you and your evidence, theories, analyses, etc., doesn't make them a troll. Some day you will meet up with a real troll in your group and you will understand what it truly means.
And last [for today] hoaxers. [This is a two-parter].
A word that is flung around like confetti. A favorite past time now is compiling lists of those that the "experts" avow are hoaxing us. Some times all you have to do is post a photo of a sasquatch that doesn't look just like "Patty" and you are a hoaxer. On a broader sense, those that are around that do not believe in the reality of sasquatch label EVERYONE who produces any sort of photo or video or print cast as a hoaxer. Because it's not real. Hmmm. Well, they are entitled to their opinions, of course.
And for part two. It is discouraging that although many proclaim this asylum to be so special and so much better than other groups, communities, organizations, it is no better. Kissing butt and impressing people is still an Olympic event here. People who have been proven [even self-confessed to their 'crimes'] to be hoaxers, abusers of research, thieves of others' work, and other really disgusting acts, slither around the feet of others until they find someone who is willing to compromise the integrity of what we do. They kiss butt, they grovel, they make deals and suddenly they are welcomed back into the community with open arms and declared wonderful. They are lower than scum and they bring down the community as a whole. They are not jokesters, they are not funny men bringing us a laugh or two. What they handed out to those looking for answers was BUNK. They intended to deceive and mislead and whenever possible make money and reputations on their lies. But that's all right now. They kissed enough butts and we're all supposed to smile and say it's all ok.
It's not ok.
Because this is two-faced. If the snakes crawl on their bellies and suck up enough to the self-proclaimed experts and leaders of this asylum, they are welcomed back to do it again to new researchers and interested people. But if these experts and leaders do not like someone or their methodology or their discoveries, they allow their petty little jealousies to label these others frauds and hoaxers and demand that they be exiled from our presence.
Ah, if I screen my thoughts, I have no more words.
Rant is over. If I've made you stop and think a little, good. If you believe I just wasted a post, that's fine too.
Nancy
"I'll spark the thought; what you do with it is up to you."
Awesome. I know that's cliche but it's still awesome. Your honesty and your constant consideration for others is/are the reason(s) we came, and we stay! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Stephen. Much appreciated.
ReplyDelete