Are Many of You Weird?

[brotherted]

Okay, so while it might seem like this was designed to invite a flame war, that's really not my intent. It's just an honest question, expressing a feeling that others might have felt.

While I'm very much into the whole tickling thing, I'm pretty sure I'd never go to a meet-up or live event because I have the feeling I'd encounter some strange, bizarre, tragically bohemian, psycho-talking, shut-in living, weird people. Not all, some. Or to be milder, maybe just some poorly socialized people. Not all, some.

But perhaps enough to creep out the vibe, if you will.

Now for my disclaimers. I know "weird" is in the eye of the beholder; I know some might think I'm weird (and no doubt have). I know if some of these "weird" people didn't exist, this website which I enjoy may have never been made.

So, I'm not looking to insult people on this board, fill them with righteous indignance or elicit angry rebukes as to what a hypocrite I am. Rather, I'd just like an honest conversation. Have others out there have felt the same way? Namely that we like the idea of a meet-up in the abstract -- if we knew that "people like ourselves" would be there (however each of us would individually define that). But without such a guarantee, we're likely to accidentally encounter some folks living on life's edge of sanity -- with some sad and deep-seated problems that go far beyond the most innocent manifestation of our little hobby.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this (hopefully besides that I'm a hypocrite a-hole)?

A good analogy might be bondage. While most of us have probably tried it in our personal lives, I think we could all imagine that some meetings of bondage fans could draw some hard core, mentally unhealthy people. I don't feel like a hypocrite for trying bondage myself while also expressing wariness about meeting a group of bondage website subscribers in person.

 

[ILove2Tickle1]

Heh. I'd have to say that everyone is weird, just in varying degrees.

 

[blackmagicjack1]

Not sure what you are looking for in this conversation, but I'll say two things on the matter. First everyone wants to be around people similar to themselves or at least capable of understanding and accepting them. Two, no matter what the culture (yes, tickling can be a culture) there are extreme versions to the point of unhealthy.

As for meeting these liked minded people, well everytime you put yourself out there you take a risk.

 

[the phantom1]

I kinda understand what you’re getting at. I listen to heavy metal and have attended concerts since I was 14. Even though I dont consider myself normal I definitely dont fit the role of a metal punk, but some of the people at the concerts did (and boy are they creepy). However, for the most part the people at these concerts seemed more like free spirits who wanted to have fun rather than drug addicts and anarchists.

I guess what i'm trying to say is that if a certain group has a negative stereotype it's probably because a couple people went and ruined it for the rest of us, and understanding how people in the tickle scene are portrayed (lurking perverts) I doubt that any of them are bold enough to attend group sessions.


Then again, bold doesn’t mean squat if they're horny enough 😛

 

[tantalus]

"...have the feeling I'd encounter some strange, bizarre, tragically bohemian, psycho-talking, shut-in living, weird people. Not all, some. Or to be milder, maybe just some poorly socialized people. Not all, some."

Sounds like church.

 

[z284ca]

tut tut.. numpty 😛 we're all fine, in fact some of us are down right awesome!

 

[=dash=]

I kind of see what you're getting it, but like many people have allready said most of the users you'll find here are perfectly normal people who just love tickling. I wouldn't say i'm completly normal though, we're all weird in our own ways like Ilove2tickle mentioned.

I doubt i'd go to a group session myself though, not because i'm afraid of meeting the people there, i'm just pretty shy irl, sure i'm not the only one. >_>;

 

[Hungarian21]

Heh. I'd have to say that everyone is weird, just in varying degrees.

That was weird... 😀

I dont think anyones weird for being here. They could be weird for other things, say they stalk their ex-girfriends or someething... 😛

 

[Journia]

I know I am wierd to other people.
I do all kinds of things most would find strange....
hang around ladies younger than me and date them....
Date older women and hang around them.....
Act like a headless horseman on th morning of october thirty-first......
with a head.....

 

[Umojar]

Only people that get to know me know that I'm weird. I'd want to go to those group things too, but since it's something I've never talked about to anyone, I can see it being pretty awkward.

 

[Excess]

Well, I know I'm pretty normal (by social standards of course), so if I went to one, that'd be one less weird person there. Really, of course there will be some more unusual people there, you gotta expect that. But really, what does it matter in the long run? Is it going to have some lasting, dramatic experiance on your life? I recommend just being who you are and not worrying about it.

 

[P[a]pi]

To me weirdness is a relative thing. Everyone here would be thought of as weird by people who don't like tickling.

However, a guy who doesn't like tickling a chick's feet would be thought of as weird by probably a majority of the people here.

And really, it doesn't matter if you think people are weird or not, as long as you keep it to yourself. There is no point in saying, "You are weird," to someone.

 

[Excess]

To me weirdness is a relative thing. Everyone here would be thought of as weird by people who don't like tickling.

However, a guy who doesn't like tickling a chick's feet would be thought of as weird by probably a majority of the people here.

And really, it doesn't matter if you think people are weird or not, as long as you keep it to yourself. There is no point in saying, "You are weird," to someone.

See, while I say I would be "normal" by typical social standards (iow, the standards of normal in terms of mainstream), according to Papi, I'd be considered weird here by the majority. (that is, I don't mind tickling feet, but I don't find them as special as other places on the body, unlike the majority here) Moral; the only reason you could say something is "weird" is cuz the majority agrees, which only proves a statement to how different people are.

 

[P[a]pi]

Well Excess, I don't think your weird haha. But you are right, you might be in the minority since feet aren't your favorite tickle spot. They are probably my favorite spot or at least one of them, but I still tickle my girlfriend everywhere because I like to explore her whole body.

And I agree that the word "different" is a much better word than "weird". Maybe someone on here loves to tickle a chick's nose or ears the most. That's not weird, just different.

Drinking paint is weird haha.

 

[Excess]

Oh, I know that I'm in the minority in that case, but as long as no one makes me feel out of place for it I'm ok. I was actually refering to feet not being my favorite part of the body (I'm quite mainstream in terms of favorite body parts 😛), but yeah, same point. I'm mostly an equal-opportunity ler as well.

But yeah, different is a much better word. People tend to use "weird" cuz it's refering to something they don't understand, and therefor they find it unusual that someone else could.

 

[Timewarp]

I'm socially inept, random, and guilty. All wraped in a package of conflict.

I couldn't be anymore insane...

 

[Journia]

Only people that get to know me know that I'm weird. I'd want to go to those group things too, but since it's something I've never talked about to anyone, I can see it being pretty awkward.

Let's get to know Umojar everybody!!!

 

[Reed_7891]

a great thread if i ever saw one 🙂

personally i think the level of oddity is in the eye of the beholder 🙂

and btw -dash- i love your avatar! GO LINK!

 

[Cbarton]

To quote Mike Warnke (comedian-evangelist) from his album "Live...Totally Weird!"

1. If weird stuff happens where normal stuff is supposed to happen, that's weird!
2. If normal stuff happens where normal stuff is supposed to happen, that's normal!
3. If Weird stuff happens where weird stuff is supposed to happen, that's normal!
4. If normal stuff happens where weird stuff is supposed to happen, THAT'S WEIRD!

Therefore, weirdness is a relative concept!

Here, ticking is normal stuff. Out there, our forms of ticking is on the weird end of the scale. It's all based on the filter you're looking through.

For Example: I'm a teetotaler (non-drinker of alcohol to those of you in Rio Linda). To me, drinking beer is weird. Why would someone want a glassful or can of something that smells like stagnant water from inside a rotting tractor tire, looks like a foamy urine sample (which in my line of work means you're kidneys are shot), and makes you do dumb things that you either don't remember doing or wish you could forget about. But to many of my friends in college and at work, I'm the weird one for never touching the stuff. Who's right? I am, of course. because it's my opinion and my post... 😉 But to Joe 6-pack, I'm weird, He's normal and his viewpoint is right.

 

[nessonite1]

Yes. Yes I am weird. Nothing I do is done in a normal way. xp

 

[GEORGIATKLER]

Believe It Or Not...............................................

Not Until Her Shoes Come Off. (damn You, Gravity Enabler) My Exorcist Says No, My Psyciatrist Says Yes, My Imaginary Freind Says "do I Know You?", So I Guess It's A Tie? ( And Not In The Good Ol' Bondage Sense Of The Word) We All March To A Different Drummer In Some Way Or Other. Conformity Is In Itself Weird, Unless You've Got That "stepford Wives" Royalty Thing Going On. Btw For Christmas Be Sure To By Me The New "where In The World Are Brittney's & Linsey's Panties"? Game.

 

[Kalamos]

Yes.

...

I turned my HGUC Gundam models into poseable loudspeakers.

 

[brotherted]

So maybe my language wasn't very precise.

What I meant by "weird" is poorly socialized.... Not adept at reading people, not aware when they're annoying someone else, not seeming comfortable in their own skin. Someone who isn't good at making friends among a group of strangers because they're not good at relating to other types of people.

So I guess when I said "weird," I was really talking about "socially awkward."

So yes, it would be my fear that at some kind of a meet-up, an unacceptably high proportion of these poorly socialized people would show up en masse. (Particularly the men.) Not all, but an unacceptably high proportion.

You guys agree? Aren't some of these posters among us likely to be weird in this way, and we'd only really sense if & when we met them in person?

 

[brotherted]

Of course it could apply to members of any group, but are tickling fetishists (or fetishists of any time) more likely to be poorly socialized than say, members of a ski club, or a softball team?

I'd say so. Wouldn't you?

 

[brotherted]

Realize though I am making a distinction between the average user on the website, as you say, and the average person who attends a meet-up.