Jono Starsmore (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
furnaceface) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2012-11-16 08:13 am
furnaceface) wrote in fandomhigh2012-11-16 08:13 am
Entry tags:
Living on the Outskirts, Friday, Period 2
"Next week there's no class on Friday, so I suppose this week I ought to give you all something properly heavy to chew on until we get back, hm?" Yes, Jonothon was cruel, sometimes. At least it came in the form of a generally harmless sort of cruelty that he could inflict on his students by way of just doing what he was expected to get up there to do?
... There was some strange sort of logic in there if you squinted.
"Every now and again, no matter where you are, you'll step into something that's entirely over your head. Running... sometimes running won't be an option, particularly on Fandom, which seems to enjoy blocking the Causeway off when things are going their worst. Sometimes standing up and fighting isn't enough, either. Pushing for a fight that you cannot win can lead to you getting hurt, and in some situations can bring about even worse consequences."
He gave the room a wry smile. Yes, he was aware that this one wasn't going to be a popular topic with some of the more fiercely independent students.
"And sometimes, whatever that problem you've run into is, it's something that requires a solution you're simply not equipped to provide. Somebody's hurt and you need a healer to step in, in order to save their life. Things have gone rotten in a horrible way back home, and you need to round up the cavalry - something that's surprisingly easy to do around here, if you haven't needed to yet - to come help you clear up a situation that needs more firepower than even you can provide. Yes, it's okay to ask for help.
"I'm certain you've all had to do it at some point or another, to just swallow your pride and admit that you can't do something alone. You might have had to bargain, or beg, or turn to somebody you don't like, or don't even trust for assistance. I'm not telling you to throw caution to the wind. If you don't feel comfortable asking for help, there's probably good reason for that. But don't rule it out completely in all situations... putting pride before necessity can lead to some pretty terrible consequences that could have been avoided. Please, do try to bear that in mind. You are not weak if you need to ask for help with something. Different people have different skill sets, and you might excel in something that the people you're asking for help might not be able to do, in turn."
He gave a wry smile to the group.
"Being aware enough to know what you can't do on your own, and then being sensible enough to do something about that while considering the consequences of whatever choice you make is a sign of strength in its own right. Today I'm not going to make you lot do trust-falls or anything like that, since there are more than a few of us and there's not enough room in here for that sort of activity," and he was pretty certain someone would end up cracking their head open on the floor if they did, "so it's going to be another discussion class today. Share with the group one time that somebody asked for help and it went well for them. That somebody doesn't need to be you, if you're not comfortable sharing. And, if you really feel like proving me wrong today, go on and scare the class with a horror story about how asking the wrong person for help went horribly awry. We all have those stories too, I'm sure."
It was counter-productive, perhaps, but he didn't want his students blindly asking people who couldn't be trusted for help before taking the time to make an educated decision about who they turned to, either. When it mattered the most, he wanted them to be careful. Just not so careful that they damned themselves with stubbornness or fear.
[Open!]
... There was some strange sort of logic in there if you squinted.
"Every now and again, no matter where you are, you'll step into something that's entirely over your head. Running... sometimes running won't be an option, particularly on Fandom, which seems to enjoy blocking the Causeway off when things are going their worst. Sometimes standing up and fighting isn't enough, either. Pushing for a fight that you cannot win can lead to you getting hurt, and in some situations can bring about even worse consequences."
He gave the room a wry smile. Yes, he was aware that this one wasn't going to be a popular topic with some of the more fiercely independent students.
"And sometimes, whatever that problem you've run into is, it's something that requires a solution you're simply not equipped to provide. Somebody's hurt and you need a healer to step in, in order to save their life. Things have gone rotten in a horrible way back home, and you need to round up the cavalry - something that's surprisingly easy to do around here, if you haven't needed to yet - to come help you clear up a situation that needs more firepower than even you can provide. Yes, it's okay to ask for help.
"I'm certain you've all had to do it at some point or another, to just swallow your pride and admit that you can't do something alone. You might have had to bargain, or beg, or turn to somebody you don't like, or don't even trust for assistance. I'm not telling you to throw caution to the wind. If you don't feel comfortable asking for help, there's probably good reason for that. But don't rule it out completely in all situations... putting pride before necessity can lead to some pretty terrible consequences that could have been avoided. Please, do try to bear that in mind. You are not weak if you need to ask for help with something. Different people have different skill sets, and you might excel in something that the people you're asking for help might not be able to do, in turn."
He gave a wry smile to the group.
"Being aware enough to know what you can't do on your own, and then being sensible enough to do something about that while considering the consequences of whatever choice you make is a sign of strength in its own right. Today I'm not going to make you lot do trust-falls or anything like that, since there are more than a few of us and there's not enough room in here for that sort of activity," and he was pretty certain someone would end up cracking their head open on the floor if they did, "so it's going to be another discussion class today. Share with the group one time that somebody asked for help and it went well for them. That somebody doesn't need to be you, if you're not comfortable sharing. And, if you really feel like proving me wrong today, go on and scare the class with a horror story about how asking the wrong person for help went horribly awry. We all have those stories too, I'm sure."
It was counter-productive, perhaps, but he didn't want his students blindly asking people who couldn't be trusted for help before taking the time to make an educated decision about who they turned to, either. When it mattered the most, he wanted them to be careful. Just not so careful that they damned themselves with stubbornness or fear.
[Open!]
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