Why I Decided to Become an Elitist

[Tiggy]

It's an objective measure of accomplishment Kallera. It's a statistic that can be shown with numbers. Zero ego exists in statistics. See this is the problem. Even when you can show something objectively it's still all about ego to some people. You can't win anything with you people.

[Kallera]

It's an objective measure of accomplishment Kallera. It's a statistic that can be shown with numbers. Zero ego exists in statistics. See this is the problem. Even when you can show something objectively it's still all about ego to some people. You can't win anything with you people.

Elitism is not an objective measure of accomplishment. It is a subjective perception of ego stemming from accomplishment. A person can act elitist one day and friendly the next, or instructive the day after.

[Izsha]

Barack Obama could post in the 'what do you do for a living?' thread saying POTUS and someone would get all huffy about how that dude is just rubbing his ego in people's faces.

In a thread that has become a semantic fight over what elite and elitist mean, a raider says "I consider myself in the elite class because only 2.7% of the server beat fcob and I'm one of them as an objective measure of my status as elite", but that simple statement of fact used to back up an argument (about a definition) is taken as an egotistical attack. This is what we're talking about.

But here on the internet, our success is apparently a direct attack on others who aren't as successful. I still blame the everyone gets a participation ribbon generation, but that's for another time.

[Tiggy]

Elitism is not an objective measure of accomplishment. It is a subjective perception of ego stemming from accomplishment. A person can act elitist one day and friendly the next, or instructive the day after.

You are too close minded in your definition of elitist. It has been shown, by definition, that elitist itself does not have negativity by definition. Only through bias of the user is the word negative.

I can, statistically as I said above, say I'm elite. Simply knowing that I am, and believing the numbers to be true and confident that they are right, would make me elitist with zero ego about it and zero negative connotation. It's a belief about myself based purely in statistical facts.

But do continue to preach negativity. I'm sure pushing more prejudice into the word is good for everyone. All you are doing is projecting your personal bias on others. Do look up the definition of bias. You may find it enlightening.

[Magusrex]

And I think you are a rude elitist (yup, since this is what this thread is about, it describes you to a tee!). I don't learn the same as you and that makes me lazy and selfish? You are a jerk, plain and simple. Also, I don't want someone to explain everything to me. I said I learn better when someone is there to explain things to me. It's pretty pathetic that you throw out insults at people because they don't learn the same as you do.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the way you learn, and absolutely nothing wrong with the way I learn. Everyone learns differently, and if I have nice friends and an FC who are willing to help me learn in a way that is easiest for me, there's definitely nothing wrong with that. There is something wrong with judging others for not being able to learn the same way as you though.

You are being dishonest...please link a video that uses language you can't understand for this game.....crickets. Please explain how knowing what is going to be cast, when it will be cast, the visual triggers and seeing a successful completion are not helpful? There is no way that seeing something successfully completed doesn't help. Describe to me to me why that wouldn't help at least a little, I want to understand. Some video are better than others, I usually watch more than one, now that I have watched some, I know who makes good ones and I watch those. Would you be interested in who makes the better ones?

It isn't like any of us who watch the videos go perform flawlessly every time. The encounter starts to slow down with every attempt, practice is certainly more important. However, the knowing what is going to happen when, can help prevent you from make stupid, easily avoidable mistakes, allowing you and your team to get deeper in your attempts sooner. Avoiding those early wipes allows you to practice the later mechanics more often and sooner before the timer goes out which is absolutely critical to a team of non experienced people having a shot at completing something like Titan EX before the timer runs out.

There is so much to be learned from watching videos. A very long time ago(years) I learned how bad/slow it was to use my keyboard to turn. I learned how slow mouse clicking abilities is, If you are looking at buttons it crushes your situational awareness. I learned how to design my HUD in such a way as to be able to see all the critical information in one spot without having to gaze all over the Screen(IE near where my chr is positioned) I learned the value of a multiple monitor setup. I learned how important it is to focus target the boss so I always know what and when it is using its abilities regardless of who I am healing or targeting. I could go on and on. What I am getting at is that there is so much to learn by seeing how others do things, I question whether you have even tried and just spout off "I learn differently " as a lame ass excuse.

[Rendecrow]

You are too close minded in your definition of elitist. It has been shown, by definition, that elitist itself does not have negativity by definition. Only through bias of the user is the word negative.

Definition and the common use of a word are two very different things. I assure you that in an MMO when someone uses the word "elitist" 9 out of 10 times it is in a negative way. Heck, there are many "bad words" out there that by the dictionary definition are not bad, such as the word for a female dog, but when used in common language is very bad. Just because the definition is not bad does not mean that the common use is not bad.

[Tiggy]

Definition and the common use of a word are two very different things. I assure you that in an MMO when someone uses the word "elitist" 9 out of 10 times it is in a negative way. Heck, there are many "bad words" out there that by the dictionary definition are not bad, such as the word for a female dog, but when used in common language is very bad. Just because the definition is not bad does not mean that the common use is not bad.

The entire point is the "common usage" in this context is using the word with a specific bias attached to it. The word, by definition, carries no explicit bias and can, as the op is saying, be used in a non-negative manner. The bias itself is the problem. Not the meaning of the word elitist. The bias itself is a specific prejudice. Prejudice, historically, is awful. Anyone arguing for the continuation of this bias is simply propagating a negative prejudice. This does no good for anyone what-so-ever. We should always fight prejudice tooth and nail. Not roll over because that's just how things are. The only way to remove the prejudice is to take the word back just as the OP is trying to do. African American men took the N-word back generations ago. It is the exact same concept at play here.

Simply accepting the prejudice does nothing to fix it.

It's sad how many people in this thread are fighting tooth and nail to propagate a prejudiced world view. We as a species should be trying to overcome this. Not remain actively complacent in using words that divide us as a people. Prejudice is the tool of hate and the people who spread it the wielder of hate.

[Skivvy]

Barack Obama could post in the 'what do you do for a living?' thread saying POTUS and someone would get all huffy about how that dude is just rubbing his ego in people's faces.

In a thread that has become a semantic fight over what elite and elitist mean, a raider says "I consider myself in the elite class because only 2.7% of the server beat fcob and I'm one of them as an objective measure of my status as elite", but that simple statement of fact used to back up an argument (about a definition) is taken as an egotistical attack. This is what we're talking about.

Ah yes, but would the President come here and make a long speech about how he is an Elitist, and that those in lower positions just don't try hard enough and want things handed to them, and proceed to drone on about all these exaggerated behaviors of those below him?

I can see that ending well. Much like this thread.

The entire point is the "common usage" in this context is using the word with a specific bias attached to it. The word, by definition, carries no explicit bias and can, as the op is saying, be used in a non-negative manner. The bias itself is the problem. Not the meaning of the word elitist. The bias itself is a specific prejudice. Prejudice, historically, is awful. Anyone arguing for the continuation of this bias is simply propagating a negative prejudice. This does no good for anyone what-so-ever. We should always fight prejudice tooth and nail. Not roll over because that's just how things are. The only way to remove the prejudice is to take the word back just as the OP is trying to do. African American men took the N-word back generations ago. It is the exact same concept at play here.

Simply accepting the prejudice does nothing to fix it.

It's sad how many people in this thread are fighting tooth and nail to propagate a prejudiced world view. We as a species should be trying to overcome this. Not remain actively complacent in using words that divide us as a people. Prejudice is the tool of hate and the people who spread it the wielder of hate.

It's a bit ridiculous to write off the common usage of a word in a very specific community. We are gamers, typing on a gaming forum, and I'm pretty sure you know how gamers typically use the term "elitist". What is all this fluff about fighting tooth and nail to propagate a prejudiced world view of a word? Good looooord. Whether or not you approve, this is the meaning that the community as a whole has chosen.

[GenJoe]

Ah yes, but would the President come here and make a long speech about how he is an Elitist, and that those in lower positions just don't try hard enough and want things handed to them, and proceed to drone on about all these exaggerated behaviors of those below him?

I can see that ending well. Much like this thread.

Behind closed doors among the large campaign contributors, it would go quite well.. Even for a Democrat
For a Republican, I'm sure it goes even better.


Point is.. it's all about what audience you speak to.
What OP did is to make the case in a public forum where there's a mixture of people on both sides, that's why it's causing a stir.

[Kallera]

The entire point is the "common usage" in this context is using the word with a specific bias attached to it. The word, by definition, carries no explicit bias and can, as the op is saying, be used in a non-negative manner. The bias itself is the problem. Not the meaning of the word elitist.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/elitist
"Elitist or élitist
adjective
Characteristic of or resembling a snob:
snobbish, snobby.
Informal: high-hat, snooty, stuck-up, uppish, uppity.
noun
One who despises people or things regarded as inferior, especially because of social or intellectual pretension:
snob.
Informal: snoot.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved"


From https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elitism:

"The term elitism is also sometimes used to denote situations in which a group of people claiming to possess high abilities or simply an in-group or cadre grant themselves extra privileges at the expense of others. This form of elitism may be described as discrimination..."

Look, if I meet a person, and am convinced that they have seen more of the game than me, and they insist I do something i disagree with based solely on the gear that they have, what is that? Snobbish behavior.

If they say I should do something i disagree with or else a certain mechanic will kill me, that is not snobbish behavior.

And the very fact that you have to call it that way makes your comparison fall flat on its face.