do you/followers have any tips for unlearning anti rhetoric? was never an anti myself (i’ve honestly retreated into the proshipping ‘closet’ over time, unfortunately) but after years online the constant hatred has worn me down and i’ve experienced myself internalizing antis’ views in a way that really really sucks ): mostly what i’m scared about is the fact that i want to talk about these things but i’m terrified of harassment.
My personal best tip is to separate yourself from the people and places you think will harass you.
Start a new, proship-aligned online identity, block anyone you think might run into and recognize you immediately, and just start posting and making friends!
Our followers may have some more tips for you for unlearning the actual anti rhetoric.
Anon I’ve been in your shoes when I was around 18. Never been an anti but that doesn’t mean you can’t have internalized anti/puritant views on specific issues you’re unaware of. That’s actually very common experience, even with people who are for ship and let ship
Whenever you feel like shipping something is immoral or “if I like AxB, what does that say about me?” just step away from all emotions related things and ask yourself – how precisely does shipping this make me a bad person? (It doesn’t) How precisely am I “romanticizing” xyz when my reactions to xyz in fiction and irl couldn’t be more different? (It’s fiction, not how to xyz guide not morality guide). Who precisely am I hurting and how?
And soon you’ll start realizing that those questions around morality begin falling apart once you objectively observe the situation.
When I started shipping one ship that was toxic on steroids, I had similar internalized antis views. ‘I can’t like this, it’s wrong on so many levels’. Then I had fortunate, or actually misfortune, that someone close to me irl was in extremely toxic relationship. It lasted for several months and was pretty ugly. To cut story short – I can to realization that shipping unhealthy dynamics in fiction didn’t cloud my judgment one bit. Same tropes I liked seeing in fanfics I despised and deeply reprimanded irl (such as jealousy or stalking). So it helped me realize that liking xyz in fiction or shipping AxB no matter how wrapped speaks absolutely nothing about my morals or views on life/relationships
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