Losing humanity

I agree with AlfredoER, I've also seen the hate and it makes me feel sad sometimes but I don't feel that bad about it, as long as I can keep doing what I please.

I honestly have not experienced any hate due to my love of Anime, on the other hand I have experienced genuine hate when I was a homeless street punk so maybe im just immune to the hate vibes given of by general ignorance. In fact I revel in other peoples ignorance to the subject or any other subject I find relevant... Smug superiority... the best kind of ego-verification ^^

I like spreading the "Good Word" about anime. Most people I know only remember it as DragonBall Z or Sailor Moon or Digimon or Pokemon... Then I introduce them to shows such as Blue Exorcist or talk to them about Naruto. It gets them going and in a few weeks they're not hatin'. I am a fierce defender of my favorite shows, but if people start talking like they're connoisseurs or something, that's when I step in. I've told people to stop heckling the kids who express their love for anime more than I do. Sometimes they haven't stopped and.. well... I've gotten in trouble for whatever happens next. I don't appreciate how the school systems allow these dickwads to be so intolerant of lifestyles that don't pertain to them. I feel like it's up to me to do something about it. :/ This'll be my third school I've changed into since the beginning of high school. xD

Good for you guys! Let's show 'em who's boss...otakus aren't afraid to be themselves, like the general populace who are most afraid of themselves. Their sheer cowardice paralyzes them to even think about enjoying something if half the population doesn't already know what it is.

> Fullmetal love So true.. so damn true...

Im so secretive about my hobby in workplace lol... am still afraid of majority's norms that might reject me since im in a professional medical field... this reminds me on Ore Imouto... thats why am still tryin to find anime groups in my area but no luck so far... One thing i dont get it... some ppl call us Weebos in any online forums i went to...

Well the quick answer, get a thick skin kuz life is a lot more complex than worrying about some small judgement on what you like. The long answer, most people are so defensive because of how they where treated at a earlier time in there life, quiet possible then to start resenting anything different, outside a comfortable and familiar zone. They then react and base the result on how it is handled(An example; dog shits on floor, he will keep doing it unless something is said about it, if you praise him he will want to keep doing it, if you scold him, but see's that other dogs can get away from shitting on the floor, he will probably continue, but if all the factors are there to teach him an acceptable way to poop, giving the social structure, and social acceptance by those others in our environments for ourselves to fit in a comfortable way). These behaviors can lead to anything from weird glances to extremes of violence, even in form of a peer pressure or "mass peer pressure"(aka.why and what levels we tolerate as a society, like the death penalty ect). This is nature, remember we are still all animals, refined but still have that primal evolution in our genes.

Your title, "Losing humanity." What a bold statement on the subject, but to find some humanity, or try and at least acknowledge there are a lot more people in this world that don't act like those ignorant people you mentioned, which to say, I find it just as ignorant to fuel that argument or try and engage more uncivil behavior. Yes, we would want everyone in the world to hold hands and sing love songs till the world implodes on itself, but for cereal? IF you want to be heard about the subject, then the better way to go about it is not to sweat the small stuff, be happy and comfortable doing what you like and who you are. If you really want to change how people look at any particular "genre/race/stereo-type" then let me tell you people are going to think they way the do no matter what, we can only informal ourselves, then after that we can inform others. But that's politics for you, blah blah blah. :) Personally I find my own humanity, as I am a man of my own convictions. I will always follow my soul to what I hold to true. It is what is and I can only speak for myself. I own up to it. In this life we have to have a great deal of humility and empathy to have humanity. BUT HAY, im not some fancy whoever the PHUCK, I am just another random person in this world coil eh? cheer up, there lots of us thinkers and evolutionists' that still have faith in the rest of the world's humanity, not lost, but not all found.

A lot of the time I find immaturity to be the main reason why fans of anime/manga/etc. are looked at differently, like we're still kids/childish because we like "cartoons". Obviously this is not the case because a lot of themes and stories in anime/manga/etc. range from being aimed at kids to adults and have deeper agendas depending on the series. It's like being into any other fantasy novel or movie, just with a visual aspect and subculture that is overlying it. When I would cosplay at school (more in high school but maybe twice in middle school), sure I'd get odd looks and asked what I was doing/wearing, but some people were amazed that I'd have that much determination/pride/self-confidence (not really coming up with the word I want here...but these are close) to do that. If I had sewn it or worked on it, all the better because they would be surprised that anyone could do that. I would also draw a lot and people would look over my shoulder and try to see what I was doing since apparently artistic talent was praised where I was. O.o; Made my own prom dress from a drawing that was sort of gothic lolita themed and fit in at the dance because every other girl was wearing something out of the usual also.

I agree with Mop. Society has this image of what an "Otaku" or "Weaboo" is from what they read about on the internet and on the news. Liking anime/manga is seen as something childish and isn't really appreciated as a form of art (Which I firmly believe it is(with exceptions of course.)) I don't want to repeat Mop, but the definition she gives of an Otaku/Weaboo is a definition widely accepted by people outside of the fandom. Now is this definition true for all anime fans? No. It's just a way to degrade people. Although I don't get called a weaboo or otaku, nor do I label myself as such, I just try to ignore it. Responding just gives the terms more power and instigate the use of them in a negative way even more.