6-27-23 "An Update, And A Thank You"

Dearest Patrons,

Firstly, I want to begin by giving you my sincerest thanks for your support. Often times your contributions are the only way I make rent every month. As much as I project an image of wealth and success, this is merely a facade.

Secondly, I feel I must inform you that I have come to the conclusion that I am a piece of shit, and no better than filth.

So I would like to apologize to you all for my mere existence.

I came to this realization because I realized I hadn’t posted anything on Patreon since Saturday. That is unacceptable and I truly apologize.

Being an online content creator means that you spend a lot of time immersed in a virtual world that doesn’t actually exist. Due to my arrest for the involuntary manslaughter of my partner, I received a lot of attention from those outside of my sphere of trust. Much of it was negative.

Whenever this happens, I try to take a short break from the internet. A “digital detox.” This helps me to stay grounded and prevents further brain matter from being destroyed.

To anyone who has ever been the subject of online controversy, or plans to be in the future, always remember that none of it is real. Our brains were not designed to handle the portals into another dimension we each carry in our pockets daily.

On the internet, particularly social media, you are not a person. You are a hallucination invented by the perceiver’s mind based on the sensory input you’ve provided them and the psychological baggage they carry with them.

To the person perceiving you, your mirage disappears just as soon as it was conjured once they are done with you.

For instance, let’s say someone quote tweets me and says “I hate this guy,” which happens very often. Of course they don’t hate me. They saw what I posted, and built a shadow of a person in their mind. And this imaginary person is usually just some shade of themselves, since we are each limited to our own subjective experience.

They build a straw man in their mind that they can easily take down, filling it in as a reflection of their own qualities, flaws, and desires. This to me is what is so fascinating about the Internet, and an idea that I love to explore.

Now that I am out of prison, a new episode of the podcast will be coming in the following days, along with of course more content.

Thank you all again from the bottom of my heart.

Dan