"You’re worthy of love, exactly as you are."

@Bruce M I absolutely LOVE this book and movie! 💕

@needtoescapetheV0ID Who? John Green? Sure, I guess. I stand by my assertion, though.

@HopelessErik - I meant as an author. The Fault in Our Stars is in that group of books that I can read over and over and not get bored, and I can open to any page and just start reading it. I haven't yet finished Turtles All the Way Down, but I love it so far.

@needtoescapetheV0ID John Green and I graduated from the same college in Ohio, but not at the same time. I guess I just got sick of hearing about him as one of our “famous alumni.”

@HopelessErik - Oh, that makes sense I suppose.

@needtoescapetheV0ID He’s an amazing advocate!

@Gmoki Agreed!

???

@needtoescapetheV0ID What needs explanation? I’ll walk you through it.

@HopelessErik - I didn't know if it was like a poem, or a reference to something, or if you just have a flowery manner of speaking.

@HopelessErik - Also, your profile picture concerns me; are you alright??

@needtoescapetheV0ID Oh. I guess it’s tasteless, but I found it an amusing take on our cultural moment. As marginalized and exploited people advocate for themselves, there’s always a way for capitalism to take its cut. Also, the Michael Myers character is, I think, a metaphor for our fear of death. So, to answer your question, no, I’m not alright, but I’m also not a danger to myself or anyone else.

@needtoescapetheV0ID Far too many years in university have made it all but impossible for me to communicate like a normal person. I think in paragraphs and footnotes. It’s pathetic and sad, really.

@HopelessErik - That's pretty smart, actually

@HopelessErik - Damn

@HopelessErik I think you should speak with your therapist about why you feel that love needs to be earned. What makes us fundamentally unworthy of love? Do you think the only people who deserve joy are people who suffer first?

@davisgi24 Try asking strangers if they love you. When they say no, explain that love doesn’t need to be earned. I hope someone will post your bail.

@HopelessErik I think you’re purposely misunderstanding what John Green is saying, and combatting it with something you think makes you sound edgy and intellectual.

@davisgi24 Yes: unearned love is unappreciated love.

@HopelessErik - Okay, now I think you're just trying to seem, as they said, edgy and intellectual. However, you are starting to sound like an emo middle school student who spends way too much time on social media.

@needtoescapetheV0ID I really don’t care what you think. Evaluate the claim propositionally, rather than emotionally; it’s at least open to debate.

@HopelessErik - The thing you're missing is that being loved by the people who know you is not "earning" love- it's simply being loved by those who actually know who you are. Of course strangers don't love you in the same way, because they don't and can't see the person that you truly are. That doesn't mean you have not "earned" or are unworthy of love. I think you have your argument backwards: We are fundamentally worthy of love unless and until we do something horrible enough (first-degree murder, sexual assault, etcetera) to not deserve it. I love people until they prove that I shouldn't. Not in the same way as I love my family and friends, of course, but I care about people and wish for them not to suffer. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean I'm putting all my trust in strangers, because that's a good way to get murdered. What I'm saying is, I care about other people simply because they are people with their own lives and feelings and suffering and love. I know very well that humanity has given me enough reasons to lose all faith in our species, but I still believe that humans can be good. And look, being a queer person with a mental health condition, I know damn well that a lot of the world hates me, fears me, or just doesn't want me on Earth. But what is it going to solve to hate humanity in return? I like to think that most people, when you subtract anything that may contribute to otherwise (history of abuse, trauma, religious indoctrination, or just plain old mob mentality), would choose to be good. Although humans aren't inherently good, we aren't inherently evil either. We are born deserving of love unless and until we choose evil. In fact, have you considered that maybe getting that love will be the very reason that people will choose to be good? Remember, hurt people hurt people. If you want humanity to be better, be that change. I like helping people, even if I don't personally know them, because I want to make the world and other peoples' lives better. And I do not believe that someone needs to "earn" love in order to be loved, to receive help, or to be treated with kindness. I want to be the reason someone doesn't lose their faith in humanity. And who knows, maybe they will continue that cycle! In summary, I understand your perspective, because humanity can really... suck, to put it nicely. However, while hating humans and acting like a nihilistic misanthrope isn't going to help us at all, showing fellow humans love just might.

@needtoescapetheV0ID - Fuck, now I'm having an SO-OCD thing of "oh, but what if I'm actually straight and I just lied?" Ugh. Look what you've done 😂

@needtoescapetheV0ID Thank you. That was a substantive, thoughtful comment. I’ll need to re-examine my commitments, or at least the grounds for them.

@seaman128 Not everyone is Christian.

@qualia And not everyone is an atheist so what's your point?

@seaman128 He is a Christian, so don’t worry, he clearly cares a lot about what God thinks about everything. It just isn’t relevant to talking about the mortal, earthly issue of OCD that can’t be fixed with prayer.