Apologies and the Core Theory

I'm not entirely sure why I decided to post the big clincher to the 'series' way early yesterday, but you'll have to forgive me for holding it in reserve. I have an order for this stuff, research into what came before needs to happen before I go into what happens next.

That said, I apologize for my scatterbrained post from yesterday. Everyone occasionally has moments when they are at less than their best. I won't let it happen again. It was kind of a freak circumstance.

Right. On to business. First, before I forget any further, I talked to James a few days ago. In my head. It was creepy as shit, but interesting. Got some info on his Paths, which is different, apparently, from the Path of Black Leaves. I have some theories on that, but those'll keep till I've done more research.

And now, my topic for the day- Core Theory.

I kind of feel a little guilty for tearing into Robert's work so soon after his death, but his Core Theory has been such a defining force for the stalked that I can't afford to ignore it and I've delayed it long enough.

Honestly, even now that it's been thoroughly discredited, the Tulpa theory, the concept of the Sages, and even the belief so many of us had that there's some obscure and/or complicated way of defeating slendy for good are all still alive and well among us. How many of us treat Nick, Ryuu, and Kay just a little bit differently, a little bit more respectfully, because they're the Sages now? How many times do people mourn over not knowing Slendy's weakness, as if this is a video game and there's a cheat code that will ensure victory? I've already discussed the Tulpa theory in relative detail.

Basically. Core Theory was an exercise in simple human arrogance. What the crap made us think we had some mystical power to change an eldrich abomination by thinking about it? That's the sort of thing no self respecting adult should even consider. It's foolish, arrogant, and self indulgent. We saw the first thing that resembled hope in this dark mess and grabbed at it, without stopping to consider what exactly it was we were signing on for.
I've seen the old blogs, where everyone was picking titles for themselves or getting handed titles by people they looked up to. It honestly reminds me of little kids playing dress up and thinking the clothes actually made them what they were pretending to be.

We learned, but slowly. And the lesson cost us. We lost a lot of good people trying to make Core Theory work. Hell, and even after Core Theory fell, Zero and Amelia still staged the doomed and frankly absolutely idiotic Solstice battle. My dear Quixoties, there are far better ways to lose your life than this.

Even after all of that, so many of us flocked to Robert every time he made a comeback. We still made a fuss when Maduin passed on the sage titles. And Nick, Ryuu, and Kay, you took them. You let Maduin pass you a title and validated it by treating it like it meant something.

Edit: Because I'm an asshole, it didn't immediately occur to me how terrible that sounds. To clarify. Kay, Nick, Ryuu? You were ALREADY that awesome. Sure, you deserve the attention and respect the titles have gotten you, but taking the titles was not the way to go. Because it doesn't change anything, just perpetuates a system that does more harm than good.

Edit the second: Because Cam ACTUALLY just smacked me. Sorry, guys. Really. As I said below. You want the titles, that's fine. You seem to have done a pretty good job of not expecting the title to do the work for you. What I'm trying to say is that I personally don't think it was a good idea. At all. I recognize I have no say in what you do with your lives. And I also recognize that I wouldn't recognize tact if it smacked me upside the head with a fish. I think it was a bad idea, and I think the best way to get anywhere with getting our lives back is to finally leave the last bits of Core Theory behind. I didn't mean to attack you, though I recognize that this is what I did. And yes, Cam is editing this for clarity and to save me a lot more foot in mouth. Doesn't mean it's any less true from me.

Titles aren't inherently bad. You know what, you want a title, that's fine. Some people like them, and that's their own damn business. What IS bad and DOES need to stop right now is the idea that taking a title makes you any different or better than you were before you started using it. That's bullshit. Giving yourself a fancy new name and patting  yourself on the back doesn't do JACK FUCKING SHIT. So remember, kiddies. If you want a title, make sure you give it the power, and don't expect it to give you the power.

If we ever want to get anywhere, that has to stop. The Core Theory needs to die. We will never get anywhere if we rely on DISPROVEN superstitions.

That said, honestly, the Core Theory was what saved us, even if it was wrong. Because, as I noted yesterday, look at the bloggers a year ago, then look at us now. We're united, we're fighting, we're learning and working together. THAT is the real power of the Core Theory.

We are FIGHTING. Look at us, we're so much stronger than we were. Just regular men and women all over the world banding together to trade notes and sympathies and offering comfort and crash space to each other. This is the key to EVERYTHING. If we want to defeat Slendyshit, it won't be because we weakened it. It will be because WE are strong enough now to defeat him.

That, I think, is what was responsible for that whole Revenant/Conduit debacle. It's been noted that it would be most effective as a distraction, and guess what, it was! Because we were too fucking busy running around chasing superheroes to notice how much stronger we've all become. And even now that we know the superpowers are fake, we haven't really noticed the power in our unity. If even Slenderp is worried enough about what we've become to throw out a big, fancy, power/energy/time consuming distraction, I'd say we're on the right fucking path. Don't you think?

So. Put down the fucking titles, stop looking for a miracle, and pay attention to what we can do. Because, you want to know a secret? All the titles do is tell you what you ALREADY KNOW about yourself. Or at least, what you should know. You don't need a title. You just need to know who the fuck you are and what you can do. We all need to take a long look at ourselves, join up with our neighbors, and brace ourselves for the day when our unity outclasses his horror.

Be ready.

~Elaine