Broad topic for argument essay

Hello, me (18M) and my partner (18F) of 1.5y are planning to go to the same college and were planning to dorm together for several months. A couple weeks ago they changed their mind, they told me they decided they were going to try and transfer to a different school a couple months in and we shouldn’t dorm together because they’d be leaving. A week ago we had a real discussion and they said it was because we “argue too much and I’m too opinionated”. That’s paraphrasing, they said it in a nicer way but that’s the gist of it. I felt really hurt by this but understand that’s how she feels and agree that I do struggle with people disagreeing with me, especially on important topics. I get how this sounds especially coming from the man in a relationship but we really don’t argue much, especially compared to other couples. Our arguments are about very unique topics for people our age though (personal, I don’t want to explain) and I think she meant it more in that way of content > volume. Back to the point: I don’t think I see our relationship lasting at college that apart from each other. We had another tough conversation and they told me that they do not want to break up with me by any means and is just not ready to live together. I understand where they are coming from but disagree personally as I am willing and ready to commit to living together. I told them that I’d think about whether or not we should stay together because if we just break up at college we shouldn’t wait to take the bandaid off. I don’t think that we’d last at college apart just for them to transfer (3 hrs away). I’m at a crossroads and am very appreciative of your help. Let me know if I can add any more useful info and thank you for taking the time to read.
Tl;dr: Me and Gf disagree about living together @ college.

In this post, I make the claim that one of the best historical parallels for Renly is the roman emperor Hadrian. Before reading this, I recommend that you check this out: https://reddit.com/pureasoiaf/comments/lpu99h/the_tragedy_of_renlys_childhood/.
So let’s plunge right in.

1. Hadrian and Renly both lost their parents when they were young, Hadrian was around 10 when his dad, Hadrianus Afer died along with his mother, while Renly was around 1 year old when Steffon and Cassana died off the shore of Cape wrath. Hadrian was taken in as a ward (not adopted) by his cousin, the future emperor Trajan, who seems to have not have liked his cousin much, just looked after him and set up his education, similar to how Robert and Stannis just had Cressen and the Storms End staff look after Renly. Hadrian was very interested in Greek Culture and much more Hellenistic, earning him the mocking nickname of the Greekling, similar to how people make fun of Renly for spending more money on his wardrobe than a woman.
   
2. Neither Hadrian nor Renly were born into the ruling family, We all know what happened with Robert’s rebellion, while in Hadrian’s case, the emperor Nerva was forced to adopt Trajan due to fear or rebelliousness. It is said that it was Hadrian who told Trajan of the news of his adoption (doubtful). After their relatives were placed onto the throne, neither of them got very important jobs (or in Renly’s case, not do much with the power.), with Hadrian having a normal roman public career, which might have got him some power in the old republic, but which was mostly just honorary by this time.
   
3. Both of their successions/usurpations of the throne were spearheaded by women, in Renly’s case Olenna and Margaery are two of the most important people that allowed him to claim the crown, while In Hadrian’s case, it was claimed by Plotina(Trajan’s wife) that Trajan had adopted Hadrian on his deathbed, which could not be easily verified as Trajan had died returning from a grand Persian campaign, leading many to suspect, me included, that this was a fictitious story.
   
4. After killing some senators who might have opposed him, Hadrian shocked the Roman world by withdrawing from Trajan’s Persian conquests, realizing (correctly) that the empire had overextended. Similarly, Renly offers Robb further autonomy and even allow him to keep calling him king, which goes against everything that Aegon’s conquest did by having only one king in westeros, similar to how Hadrian’s abandonment went against the roman ethic of imperial expansion.
   

Now, we come to the part I have been wanting to deal with and which is the reason I started writing this: their love lives, more specifically, I think Renloras is a reversal of the Hadrian Antinous story
Both Renly and Hadrian were gay. Neither of them seems to have shown even the slightest interest in sleeping with their wives. Hadrian was also quite controlling of his wife, famously sending away Suetonius, author of the twelve caesars for being too friendly with his wife, Trajan’s grandniece, who he seems to have almost loathed, but was on very good terms with Plotina, who shared his hellenistic values. We don’t enough about Alerie to know what her relationship with renly was
Somewhere on his many travels, Hadrian met a boy called Antinous, who might have been only around 13-14 when Hadrian first met him, while Hadrian would have been around 47, while Renly and Loras have a much less troubling age gap of five years, cuz even grrm knew that was too much of an age gap I guess. It is said that Hadrian was deeply in love with Antinous, whether Antinous was or was not will probably never be known, similar to how some readers think Loras was just a fling for Renly (I’m unconvinced by that), but Hadrian was fucking obsessed with this dude, similar to how Loras was to Renly. Royston Lambert says of their relationship: “The way that Hadrian took the boy on his travels, kept close to him at moments of spiritual, moral or physical exaltation, and, after his death, surrounded himself with his images, shows an obsessive craving for his presence, a mystical-religious need for his companionship.”
Then their deaths. Similar to how most of westeros is confused about who killed Renly or have the wrong culprit in mind, usually Brienne, we don’t know how Antinous died, except that that it was an ‘accident’ on the Nile, with some reports that Hadrian killed him in a blood magic ritual, which almost certainly didn’t happen seeing how Hadrian reacted to his death, (although if we assume it was true, there is a sort of parallel with Hadrian’s reaction and Stannis’ thoughts about Renly, but that’s off-topic.)
Hadrian deified Antinous after returning to Rome, and built temple after temple for him, with many towns enthusiastically taking up the worship of the new cult to curry imperial favor. Loras might not have gone to such a great extent, but his mass killing spree is exactly what might be expected of a young man in love who finds his lover killed, while Hadrian’s obsessive building is what an old administrator who built so much stuff that historians say we could make a good account of his reign with just them, is also sorta expected.
There’s a further parallel if we’re going by perceptions of hadrian:

“The caprice of Hadrian influenced his choice of a successor. After revolving in his mind several men of distinguished merit, whom he esteemed and hated, he adopted Ælius Verus, a gay and voluptuous nobleman, recommended by uncommon beauty to the lover of Antinous.2” (Edward Gibbon, The decline and fall of the roman empire.)

Gibbon seems to think that Hadrian appointed men to powerful positions just because their beauty attracted him (as a hadrian lover, I thoroughly disagree.) . As the post linked above makes a pretty convincing argument for, the Tyrells are a pretty good stand-in for the beautiful men, in both a figurative and literal sense with Loras.
Tldr; Renly is a lot like Hadrian.

In this post, I make the claim that one of the best historical parallels for Renly is the roman emperor Hadrian. Before reading this, I recommend that you check this out: https://reddit.com/pureasoiaf/comments/lpu99h/the_tragedy_of_renlys_childhood/.
So let’s plunge right in.

1. Hadrian and Renly both lost their parents when they were young, Hadrian was around 10 when his dad, Hadrianus Afer died along with his mother, while Renly was around 1 year old when Steffon and Cassana died off the shore of Cape wrath. Hadrian was taken in as a ward (not adopted) by his cousin, the future emperor Trajan, who seems to have not have liked his cousin much, just looked after him and set up his education, similar to how Robert and Stannis just had Cressen and the Storms End staff look after Renly. Hadrian was very interested in Greek Culture and much more Hellenistic, earning him the mocking nickname of the Greekling, similar to how people make fun of Renly for spending more money on his wardrobe than a woman.
   
2. Neither Hadrian nor Renly were born into the ruling family, We all know what happened with Robert’s rebellion, while in Hadrian’s case, the emperor Nerva was forced to adopt Trajan due to fear or rebelliousness. It is said that it was Hadrian who told Trajan of the news of his adoption (doubtful). After their relatives were placed onto the throne, neither of them got very important jobs (or in Renly’s case, not do much with the power.), with Hadrian having a normal roman public career, which might have got him some power in the old republic, but which was mostly just honorary by this time.
   
3. Both of their successions/usurpations of the throne were spearheaded by women, in Renly’s case Olenna and Margaery are two of the most important people that allowed him to claim the crown, while In Hadrian’s case, it was claimed by Plotina(Trajan’s wife) that Trajan had adopted Hadrian on his deathbed, which could not be easily verified as Trajan had died returning from a grand Persian campaign, leading many to suspect, me included, that this was a fictitious story.
   
4. After killing some senators who might have opposed him, Hadrian shocked the Roman world by withdrawing from Trajan’s Persian conquests, realizing (correctly) that the empire had overextended. Similarly, Renly offers Robb further autonomy and even allow him to keep calling him king, which goes against everything that Aegon’s conquest did by having only one king in westeros, similar to how Hadrian’s abandonment went against the roman ethic of imperial expansion.
   

Now, we come to the part I have been wanting to deal with and which is the reason I started writing this: their love lives, more specifically, I think Renloras is a reversal of the Hadrian Antinous story
Both Renly and Hadrian were gay. Neither of them seems to have shown even the slightest interest in sleeping with their wives. Hadrian was also quite controlling of his wife, famously sending away Suetonius, author of the twelve caesars for being too friendly with his wife, Trajan’s grandniece, who he seems to have almost loathed, but was on very good terms with Plotina, who shared his hellenistic values. We don’t enough about Alerie to know what her relationship with renly was
Somewhere on his many travels, Hadrian met a boy called Antinous, who might have been only around 13-14 when Hadrian first met him, while Hadrian would have been around 47, while Renly and Loras have a much less troubling age gap of five years, cuz even grrm knew that was too much of an age gap I guess. It is said that Hadrian was deeply in love with Antinous, whether Antinous was or was not will probably never be known, similar to how some readers think Loras was just a fling for Renly (I’m unconvinced by that), but Hadrian was fucking obsessed with this dude, similar to how Loras was to Renly. Royston Lambert says of their relationship: “The way that Hadrian took the boy on his travels, kept close to him at moments of spiritual, moral or physical exaltation, and, after his death, surrounded himself with his images, shows an obsessive craving for his presence, a mystical-religious need for his companionship.”
Then their deaths. Similar to how most of westeros is confused about who killed Renly or have the wrong culprit in mind, usually Brienne, we don’t know how Antinous died, except that that it was an ‘accident’ on the Nile, with some reports that Hadrian killed him in a blood magic ritual, which almost certainly didn’t happen seeing how Hadrian reacted to his death, (although if we assume it was true, there is a sort of parallel with Hadrian’s reaction and Stannis’ thoughts about Renly, but that’s off-topic.)
Hadrian deified Antinous after returning to Rome, and built temple after temple for him, with many towns enthusiastically taking up the worship of the new cult to curry imperial favor. Loras might not have gone to such a great extent, but his mass killing spree is exactly what might be expected of a young man in love who finds his lover killed, while Hadrian’s obsessive building is what an old administrator who built so much stuff that historians say we could make a good account of his reign with just them, is also sorta expected.
There’s a further parallel if we’re going by perceptions of hadrian:

“The caprice of Hadrian influenced his choice of a successor. After revolving in his mind several men of distinguished merit, whom he esteemed and hated, he adopted Ælius Verus, a gay and voluptuous nobleman, recommended by uncommon beauty to the lover of Antinous.2” (Edward Gibbon, The decline and fall of the roman empire.)

Gibbon seems to think that Hadrian appointed men to powerful positions just because their beauty attracted him (as a hadrian lover, I thoroughly disagree.) . As the post linked above makes a pretty convincing argument for, the Tyrells are a pretty good stand-in for the beautiful men, in both a figurative and literal sense with Loras.
Tldr; Renly is a lot like Hadrian.

A few years ago during that time when I was in high school, me and my ex friend went to different schools, I wanted to go to the same school as her but I couldn't since it was too far.
I told her that I couldn't go to the same school but she told me she was glad I didn't go to the same place as her because if I did, me and her wouldn't be friends at all.
You know the reason why she said that? She said if I went there, other people would take me away from her and that she would hate me which I found that stupid. Fast forward a few years later I had a boyfriend during college (he's now an ex) When I went out to town with my family, she called to me crying (while I was in a resturant) because apparently I've been ghosting her and ignoring her saying I've been too busy to even talk.
During this time I was struggling with my mental health, my relationship and college, She would start arguments with me saying I don't have time for her, not texting back saying I'm drifting away from her. Not to mention she wrote a poem about me(I have the poem on my phone) , I didn't know what to say and she asked you're not mad I wrote a poem about you? You won't sue me right?
And I was like it's fine but in my head it wasn't fine. She would make it about herself, I listened to her constantly complaining and she would trauma dump the past. She brought up the fact I didn't turn up to choir practice while I was getting bullied.
She blamed me for that not the girl who bullied me, not to mention she and the bully were friends on Facebook, the girl who bullied me would talk trash about me to her and she would tell me the horrible things the bully said about me, I was so hurt and betrayed yet I still kept her as a friend.
2 years go by and this was before Covid hit, the day she arrived I took her to my dance practice so she could watch before my day. She complained saying that she's tired, didn't take her meds, telling me she wasted her money to come visit me. I was embarrassed when she was having a tantrum infront of everyone that I had to take her somewhere else.
It felt like a burning iron everytime she complained I was flustered and I felt tired just by listening to her. On the evening the day before my birthday party, there was no food at the house since my mother was busy preparing for my debut. She hasnt eaten food or taken her meds but blamed me again, so we both had to walk to mcdonalds in the evening around 8pm just for her to eat.
The day of my birthday party, everything was going well, I introduced her to my college friends and others but after the party we went back to our rooms getting ready for bed, she asked me why didn't you introduce me to those boys? Why didn't you spend time with me? I didn't know what to say anymore because I was tired genuinely that we didn't talk until morning.
Then after a few days I haven't heard from her, She was talking to one of my guy friends but the thing is she would only talk to me if she had problems with him and would come crying in call and texting me about it. I have been reassuring her every time she had problems with my guy friend and it was tiring, he even mentioned to me she was controlling and bossy and he was right .
I never complained about anything between me and her but she wanted to make problems that I didn't talk to her or wasn't talking to her enough, I gave her space and I gave myself space but she still complained why I didn't message her but I did several times but in other days I wouldn't talk to her because I was scared.
I never talked about my mental problems and my trauma with my SA past to her because she'll make me feel worse and trauma dump and mention the past about me leaving her repeatedly when I was bullied by the same girl she was friends with.
I wanted to cut ties with her but I was afraid that she will get mad at me because she had issues with her behaviour for always getting angry and shouting at me when we get into an argument in call and would blame me.
But I was genuinely afraid at the same time losing my only friend because I had no one else to talk to. After a month or two I was messaging her and she brought up the vaccine topic, during that time she was a student nurse and I didn't really want to talk about it but she insisted telling me I should take the vaccine. If I didn't take it apparently I would affect her "family, friends and patients" but what about me? What am I to her? Me and her live in different cities 1 hr away from each other, so how can I affect them if I live so far away? That doesn't make sense.
She told me If I didn't take it she told me people would think I'm a dirty pest and a scumbag.
I was so done, honestly so done after she posted our private conversation on her private story but apparently she deleted it afterwards just for me to see? Not sure if I believe that. I blocked her on every social media and after that I felt better, the heavy burden I held for so long was gone. I was happier without her.
I never even got birthday gifts from her even when I gave hers every year so I stopped gifting her. I wasted 9 years of friendship and stopped trusting people after that.

Do you have a 'job' that you hate and love at the same time? I do, I trade dumb online stuff, I don't like making it my whole personality because those bros are annoying and full of air. Also it's a ponzi, scratch that, it's a scam, scratch that, broad adoption of ít would be a universal nightmare and dystopia. However.... I do seem to be somewhat okay in it. And while I used to have to stay put in one place to work, that does not seem to be necessary now. So I could pick my shit up, go somewhere else and then just do the same soul sucking thing there. (had to filter out the actual word because it's banned on r4r)
I already spent an entire paragraph to the topic but let's stop there, it's might boring. Hi, I am 34, Dutch, and I just moved for a while to Bulgaria, then back home, now I am in Malaysia sweating my balls of. I like history, social-economic issues, cultural things, gaming, but mostly history though, that used to be my major in another life.
I am looking for a woman, girl, however you wish to name it up to my own age. But you know, not too far under it. I'd like for you to be intelligent, witty, well read (hopefully about history or at least some other social science), but don't worry about the specifics, if you think I am prince charming just dm and we can see where things go you know. What I would like to mention is that I have autism and while it's not 'extreme' it is definitely there. There will be an influence on whatever happens between us because of it and I'd rather be open about it than hide it under the carpet. I might not always understand very well what you mean, but believe me I am trying, so a little acceptance would go a long way. In my past relations it was noted by them that I did not 'act autistic', but really, I am.
Hit me up if you think I sound like someone you'd drink a cup of coffee with. I do have to mention I am a little nsfw

What are their SPECIAL stats? What skills do they have tagged? What traits? Which faction do they side with? Do they have a favorite weapon or armor set?
Let’s have fun with this! Be as detailed as you like. You can just give the broad strokes, or you can tell the tale of their whole journey from Goodsprings to the second battle of Hoover Dam. Did they just go straight through the main quest, or did they explore the rest of the Mojave, Big MT, Utah, the Sierra Madre and the Divide? Do they even survive long enough to make it to New Vegas, or do they get ripped apart by a Deathclaw on the road?
—————————————————
Here’s mine:
Zaphod Beeblebrox from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (the radio series and novels, not the movie).
Strength - 3
Perception - 7
Endurance - 3
Charisma - 9
Intelligence - 5
Agility - 3
Luck - 10
Tagged skills - Speech, Barter and Survival
Traits - Logan’s Loophole, Wild Wasteland
After waking up in Goodsprings with 2 splitting headaches, Zaphod thanks Doc Mitchell for saving him, but before the Doc can give him a full personality test, Zaphod cuts him off and asks where he can get a strong drink. He blows right past Victor and heads straight to the Prospector Saloon, where he does his best to ignore the argument between Joe Cobb and Trudy, and just drink until he runs out of caps. Unfortunately for him, after spending about 12 hours getting drunk, Cobb and the Powder Gangers show up and shoot the town up, so Zaphod is forced to sneak away.
The next week or so is a giant haze as Zaphod is drunk for pretty much the whole of it. He gets a lot of stares from people who aren’t used to seeing folks with 2 heads and 3 arms, but they assume he’s a radiated mutant like the Brahmin. He’s not especially interested in following Benny. While he’s certainly pissed off at Benny for shooting him in his favorite head, he’d rather not get shot in the other and figures it’s a better idea to avoid the guy.
Zaphod keeps hearing about this New Vegas place, and he feels it sounds like his kind of place. With no hope in sight of getting to a working spaceship, he decides to make his way there to enjoy the prostitutes, drugs and booze until a spaceship finds him. And if one never does, well there are worse ways to live out the rest of your life.
Zaphod drunkenly staggers his way to the strip, charms his way past the securitrons, makes his way to The Tops (Gamorrah is a bit too aggressive for his taste, and the Ultra Lux is a bit too pretentious and uptight), and feels like he fits right in with the Chairmen. He spends a few days being the life of the party at the roulette wheel, when Benny notices him, and, ironically, decides he doesn’t want a confrontation either, so he high tails out of there before Zaphod can spot him.
Zaphod spends the next few months doing pretty much nothing except drinking, gambling and bedding every woman he can. He overhears news every now and then that sounds important, but he doesn’t really pay much attention, except for when someone mentions the president of a place called “California” got assassinated, and he muses about running for the job himself now that there’s an opening. He was, after all, president of the whole galaxy for a time, so how hard could it be to run just one country? (or was it a planet?). But he decides ultimately it wasn’t worth the effort.
Sadly, the party doesn’t last much longer as those freaks at Gamorrah set off a bunch of gas bombs on the strip, and then some dudes with no sense of style (skirts and hockey pads, really guys?) start marching in and rounding up all his gambling buddies. Zaphod manages to sneak away into the desert, with no money, no booze, and a terrible hangover. But, he recalls, he’s faced worse odds and still managed to find a good time. Plus, he further recalls that at some point while he was partying at The Tops, some hoopy frood with a gas mask, a really cool voice, and stylish braids told him something about a big mountain full of advanced technology. If he can track that place down, maybe a spaceship would be in the cards for him after all…

A couple of days ago I made a post on this subreddit asking people for ways to win an argument against my friend and prove to him that Islam isn’t real I got some really good replies as well as did my own digging on this server and some other research and compiled it all into a 500 page google slides doc Once I presented it to my friend I got the worlds biggest headache trying to discuss the topic with him No matter what I said he said it’s the wrong interpretation or that the Quran didn’t come down at once it came at different times meaning that what was said at that time wasn’t suitable for a later time I talked to him about a post I saw here that talked about the origins of the word jahannam and how the comparison the Jesus made was not referring to hell being jahannam but a place like jahannam ( gehnna a valley in Jerusalem ) and he said well simply we don’t believe the Bible is correct and we can’t confirm the words of the Bible since it’s been changed so many times I proved the scientific accuracies and he complained that I was leaning to one side ( that god doesn’t exist ) which I told him from the beginning but he still cried about it and said to include islams reply to that and when I asked him what he meant he said to include the opinions of scholars to which I responded there is no point as even if I do you will disagree with those scholars and find one that you will agree on and after he admitted to it I added seven Sunni and Shia scholars and he said yeah this is good but it still doesn’t prove anything when in reality the scholars all talked about the so called scientific miracles not scientific miracles but rather metaphors and when I asked him about the Shahh Al bukhari he said we don’t believe in that as we are Shia It’s just wonderful how they don’t believe in any evidence 😂 And when my friend who is also a Muslim but Sunni was hearing our convos he told him not to pay attention or read my doc as it could change his beliefs which is just amazing brainwashing imo I just want to prove to him that there is nothing amazing or special or true about the Quran I want him to not believe anymore and I want so much proof that the Quran is bs that he can’t even think of arguing So please help me out below about some topics or all topics to cover in my new document disproving Islam Some really good things to include into it As always have a good day

What are their SPECIAL stats? What skills do they have tagged? What traits? Which faction do they side with? Do they have a favorite weapon or armor set?
Let’s have fun with this! Be as detailed as you like. You can just give the broad strokes, or you can tell the tale of their whole journey from Goodsprings to the second battle of Hoover Dam. Did they just go straight through the main quest, or did they explore the rest of the Mojave, Big MT, Utah, the Sierra Madre and the Divide? Do they even survive long enough to make it to New Vegas, or do they get ripped apart by a Deathclaw on the road?
—————————————————
Here’s mine:
Zaphod Beeblebrox from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (the radio series and novels, not the movie).
Strength - 3
Perception - 7
Endurance - 3
Charisma - 9
Intelligence - 5
Agility - 3
Luck - 10
Tagged skills - Speech, Barter and Survival
Traits - Logan’s Loophole, Wild Wasteland
After waking up in Goodsprings with 2 splitting headaches, Zaphod thanks Doc Mitchell for saving him, but before the Doc can give him a full personality test, Zaphod cuts him off and asks where he can get a strong drink. He blows right past Victor and heads straight to the Prospector Saloon, where he does his best to ignore the argument between Joe Cobb and Trudy, and just drink until he runs out of caps. Unfortunately for him, after spending about 12 hours getting drunk, Cobb and the Powder Gangers show up and shoot the town up, so Zaphod is forced to sneak away.
The next week or so is a giant haze as Zaphod is drunk for pretty much the whole of it. He gets a lot of stares from people who aren’t used to seeing folks with 2 heads and 3 arms, but they assume he’s a radiated mutant like the Brahmin. He’s not especially interested in following Benny. While he’s certainly pissed off at Benny for shooting him in his favorite head, he’d rather not get shot in the other and figures it’s a better idea to avoid the guy.
Zaphod keeps hearing about this New Vegas place, and he feels it sounds like his kind of place. With no hope in sight of getting to a working spaceship, he decides to make his way there to enjoy the prostitutes, drugs and booze until a spaceship finds him. And if one never does, well there are worse ways to live out the rest of your life.
Zaphod drunkenly staggers his way to the strip, charms his way past the securitrons, makes his way to The Tops (Gamorrah is a bit too aggressive for his taste, and the Ultra Lux is a bit too pretentious and uptight), and feels like he fits right in with the Chairmen. He spends a few days being the life of the party at the roulette wheel, when Benny notices him, and, ironically, decides he doesn’t want a confrontation either, so he high tails out of there before Zaphod can spot him.
Zaphod spends the next few months doing pretty much nothing except drinking, gambling and bedding every woman he can. He overhears news every now and then that sounds important, but he doesn’t really pay much attention, except for when someone mentions the president of a place called “California” got assassinated, and he muses about running for the job himself now that there’s an opening. He was, after all, president of the whole galaxy for a time, so how hard could it be to run just one country? (or was it a planet?). But he decides ultimately it wasn’t worth the effort.
Sadly, the party doesn’t last much longer as those freaks at Gamorrah set off a bunch of gas bombs on the strip, and then some dudes with no sense of style (skirts and hockey pads, really guys?) start marching in and rounding up all his gambling buddies. Zaphod manages to sneak away into the desert, with no money, no booze, and a terrible hangover. But, he recalls, he’s faced worse odds and still managed to find a good time. Plus, he further recalls that at some point while he was partying at The Tops, some hoopy frood with a gas mask, a really cool voice, and stylish braids told him something about a big mountain full of advanced technology. If he can track that place down, maybe a spaceship would be in the cards for him after all…

Hi all,
I wanted to share a little bit about succeeding in S2 from the perspective of someone that is not a 'natural' essay writer nor from a humanities background. Someone that started at a very average S2 score despite lots (and lots and lots) of effort.
I have now sat GAMSAT 5 times in total and I think this underscores a severe lack of exceptional ‘talent’ in any specific area of GAMSAT, and speaks to the fact that you CAN make huge improvements in your scores over time with the *right* type of effort.
(Long post for context but feel free to scroll to TLDR)
Context: I am from a science background and have been out of uni for ~6 years now. I have never been a writer and apart from finding the humanities quite interesting, have never explored its theory in a structured way. I am also not a huge ‘reader’ as many people that seem to do well in this section might be. I am just a person that has opinions on things (as does every one of you!).
My first sitting I signed on with a prep company that had a very structured and formulaic approach to essay writing. They gave students ways to explore topics and ideas to ground them when prompts felt ‘difficult’ + strategies to always be able to ‘write something’. And although I am sure this helped me learn more about the humanities and the fundamentals of classic essay writing - my scores were not great. The first sitting, after ~5 months of intense essay practice critiqued by professionals I came away with a score of 62 and utter confusion about where I had gone wrong. In the 3 sittings following this I did basically the same thing again and again thinking I just needed more practice (I wrote hundreds of ‘classic’ essays, critiqued them and worked on my timing). My scores in subsequent sitings improved slightly however maxed out at around 68 in S2.
I felt myself really confined by the classic essay style most resources espouse. I would find myself spending loads of mental energy thinking about things that I thought were really important for a 'good' essay - like exactly how my topic sentence would link to the next line, or how my analysis would ‘tick the boxes’, if my example was the best one to use or if my concluding statement was linked to my opening one (you get the picture). This would drain my creativity and also created so much friction in my writing.
I knew I could do better, but when it came down to putting my thoughts on paper, it fell apart.
This year I decided to attack S2 differently. I dispensed with the classical framework and wrote pieces that were interesting for me to write. That I genuinely enjoyed creating. I often wrote reflectively and explored the prompt in a way that related to my life or my view point. I wrote essays starting with ‘When I was a child…’ or ‘In my life I have …” (whatever felt to me like a nice opening to the topic in my little brain). This way of writing both allowed me to write more clearly (I didn’t have to hyper-analyse it as much and therefore it came out less clunky) but also with much more relevance to things I actually knew about! This sort of writing naturally lends itself to be a little more creative or reflective but by no means does it have to be wildly different to a usual essay - it just had a little more flare and less strict* structure. I still wrote something that resembled an introduction (sometimes simply through vignette), I still had 2-3 analysing paragraphs, I still had something that felt conclusive at the end. But by stretching the bounds of each area, I came up with writing that was much less prohibitive and more exploratory.
This paid off - I went from 68 to 80, simply through writing in a way that felt true to me.
By far my greatest and most valuable piece of advice would be to write in a way that feels most natural and enjoyable to YOU. I am sure this has been said before, but I can’t quite underscore how much of a difference this makes to overall execution on the day, as well as ability to grind through essay after essay & continue to make improvements.
TLDR: Try very hard to quieten the noise around what makes a ‘good’ GAMSAT essays and be selective about which recommendations work well for you (and which do not). There are literally a million ways to create a solid piece of writing and if the ‘classic’ analytical or discursive structured essay does not roll off the tongue for you - take this as a sign that it is OK to explore other styles of writing. This is not to say that every person should try to write poems (I never wrote a poem), or to write creatively. All this means is that *if* you feel the classical structure of an essay is distracting you from what the goal of S2 is (to respond thoughtfully to a prompt from your own perspective) than consider stretching the bounds of your writing.
**Disclaimer** - this advice won't be for everyone. For some people, writing in a very formulaic defined way is the best way to get their thoughts across - and this is fine! I am just sharing my experience of finding a much better way for my brain. I have many friends that I studied for GAMSAT with who wrote great (classic style) essays and scored super well with them! These people probably would have hated/not been comfortable with my style of writing. Choose your own adventure, but make changes if something is not working.
If people are interested I am happy to post links to my best essays where I explored this type of writing
Good luck with your essays everyone!
Please feel free to DM if you have any questions :)

*CONTAINS SWEARING*
This is gonna be a hefty and most likely triggering post for specific groups of people out there (meaning people who struggle with anger, people who don't want poltical content/opinions etc), so please stop reading and leave if you figure this is gonna be rough for you. This will (mainly) be about the conflict between Palestine and Israel. (and apparently a long one) No hate towards any specific groups of people, but I do have a lot of *frustration regarding behaviours*.
Before I start, I want you to remember some facts about me as you read;
I am autistic
I am heavily influenced by world peace, hate, racism and other unfair situations
I have incredibly high standards for myself that I strive to not break, including, but not limited to, being kind and respectful *always*, despite being in a bad mood, not liking someone, or disagreeing, especially political disagreements
I have always, and will always, stand against widespread hate, racism and other discrimination towards any specific religions, ethnicities, nationalities, cultures, etc.
I also want you to know that I named this throwaway accordingly.
So let's get this shitshow started then, shall we.
As the details of the conflict stands, it is beyond obvious to me that this is racism and, literally, a Holocaust. Not *the* Holocaust, but *a* Holocaust. Oxford Languages has the term defined as a destruction or slaughter on a mass scale, especially caused by fire or nuclear war . I'd say that's very much accurate. Proof to come.
Regardless, this situation has had me very pressed the last almost 8 months, as I know most other people have been too. Without getting too much into the conflict itself, I want to talk a little about what I've seen from the Jewish community.
This is where I advise anyone who struggles with anger especially to leave and try to keep your day positive. If you have a magical potion to stay stable after this, who am I to stop you...
Alright, onto the dreaded part. And yes, I am stalling.
I have never, and I truly mean *never* had any hateful thoughts or opinions about religions (other than Christianity but that's one for another time), and as we are all aware of, The Holocaust had massive effect on the world some 80 years ago. I have always seen Jews as victims due to this, but in recent times I've realised that a lot of them, too, see themselves as victims. The issue is that they aren't the victims right now. They (Israel) aren't defending themselves, they have nothing to defend themselves against. Israel is currently doing the exact same thing as Germany did to them, to Palestine. Sure, maybe at some point who knows when, Palestine *was* the land of Jews, but since then, multiple religions have been thriving together on that land, including Jews. They were never excluded. From what I've understood, there weren't any wars or conflicts going on within the country that didn't happen elsewhere. The issue began when in the late 1940's zionists brutally murdered families to steal their homes. I'm sure the situation was so much more complex than that, but in a nutshell that is basically it. The fact that everyone today have been so desensitized from the travesties happening around the world is depressing and hope-killing. I truly am well on the way to giving up, and at this point in time I'm so angry all the time due to the Middle East's situation.
So a few weeks ago, probably closing in on months at this point, I randomly got a notification from reddit about someone posting on /Jewish. They didn't say anything explicit, so I pressed the notification and I was met with the worst victimization and ignorance I've ever seen. I truly believed most jews would see this for what it is, and not let some racist maniac spoon-feed them propaganda and hate, but I was brutally and humbly proven wrong. They were mocking proPAL parades, hating on news anchors and civilians alike calling this a genocide, insisting that Israel has no other choice, saying "casualties happens in war", convincing each other that zionism is a good thing, and feeling sorry for themselves when friends and families cut contact because they said they supported Israel and saw this as the only solution. Some might have been genuine problems, idk, but for the most part, that subreddit seems to only be about hating the rest of the world because their great grandparents were killed. I know I sound like a complete asshole, but the world isn't antisemetic anymore - they are actively looking for it and then using that one person telling them to stop feeling so sorry for themselves as proof that everybody in the world wants to throw them back in gas chambers.
I commented on my personal once where I mentioned that judaism and zionism are two separate things and got downvoted to oblivion. Someone replied saying that my comment was very much exactly what they too feel, but I got downvoted *simply because* I referred to them as separate entities. That is another criticism they've recieved lately; the pure idea of zionism is on the complete opposite side from what Judaism stands for. I've seen so many of the members there calling Jews protesting against Israel "self-hating" and traitors.
I've also made so many replies that I never sent because I know for a fact they would do anything in their power to ban me from ever using reddit again, and I wouldn't be surprised if I got doxxed and harrassed IRL from it. I saved them all, though. I found that it was kind of therapeutic to get it out, but it still bugs me that I never found a way to say it to them. I once also made a post about my rage for their behaviour connected to this genocide, but I thankfully stopped myself before I posted it. I'm so enraged by their sheer ignorance and hypocritical behaviour, all the while Gaza is still being eradicated and slaughtered, war crimes happening day in-day out, inhumane atrocities by the IOF being posted and hailed, and they have the audacity to say that they are the victims? That Israel has no other choice but martyring tens of thousands of CHILDREN? Starving the entire Gaza Strip, segregating West Bank, literally teaching their young in school to hate and attack arabs? That last one might not be true as I don't speak Hebrew or Arabic, so anyone could've just made up the translation, but I still feel it's worth mentioning in case it actually *is* real.
My point is that the guts they have to claim to be so moral, yet still be so unfaced from what's happening in Gaza is beside me. Sure, for those living near the Gaza wall, I'm positive that hearing bombs and screams were traumatizing as fuck, but to then leave for work the next day and claim that "shit happens"? It's insane! It's inhumane. They can leave whenever they like, children can play football (soccer) in the streets and not having to worry about shit, hotels and restaurants with 5-star ratings thriving, plants and flowers still blooming, absolutely no threats on a daily basis. The fact that people are still calling this a war, something necessary, is beyond devastating to me. There are millions still siding with zionism, claiming there's nothing wrong with the belief that you have an innate right to some dirt simply because your holy book says that thousands of years ago, your religion lived there, and simply because of that religious fact you are rightfully owed thousands of young lives, the death of an entire country with its own culture, just to feed the irrational religious political system? How in God's name has that ever, *IS* that still okay? If Muslims were the ones saying that shit, they would've been completely destroyed by now, today's generation wouldn't know what the fuck Islam was. They are still being slaughtered though, because they're saying it's *not* okay. How is that not racist again?
My brother and I got into a heated argument a few days ago about this. I am very much *for* Palestine to have human rights and to own their own land - he is very much *against* "ugly blackies" having any rights because they're *not* human. Boi when I tell you I got so angry I started crying. And the worst part about that fight? He claims that Jews aren't any better, however they still deserve to defend themselves against children running on the beach. "But Hamas-" is so over-used and outdated by now, it just proves that he doesn't follow up on statistics and evidence. Even if there only were one-sided news (from Gaza), the fact that the ICJ ruled Israel's actions a genocide and war crimes still proves everything he claims to be "n*****'s propaganda". And the fact that he so underminds my autism and *need* for factual evidence before discussing it also goes to show that he genuinely does not care about anything other than the black "terrorists" being eradicated. I said "So you're not just a racist, you're just plain racist?" he just scoffed and looked at me as if I just said the most nonsensical bullshit gibberish ever, practically saying "I'm not gonna say anything, but it really took you that long to realise?" Either that, or he actually didn't comprehend the words coming out of my mouth, like it was a foreign language or something. Because he genuinely does not have a single reason to be racist.
He can't even blame suicide attacks because 1) not all are carried by muslims, and 2) between 1981-2015 around 45,000 were killed by suicide attacks worldwide, where in 2019 the total death toll was only 1,699 more than amount of attacks; whereas in Gaza, between Oct 7 to present there are about 34,000 confirmed palestinian deaths, and assumed around 42,000 with unconfirmed deaths. If, in 36 years, "muslim terrorism" killed about the same amount as Israel has in almost 8 months, how on earth are Arabs the terrorists?
And I've also seen the argument that 30,000 is nothing compared to the total population in Gaza, as if that makes it okay. I will, again, make example of The Holocaust. When 30,000 Jews were martyred, people were already catching on, and this was without the technology we have today.
How have we been allowing this to happen to Palestinians *with* our technology today? Why haven't people been doing more; striking our jobs, cummute chauffeurs striking, proper permanent boycotts, more coverage from news anchors and private people alike? Even if it is to officially reclaim your love for white supremacy, you're still talking about it. Why are people still not reading up on this? Why does millions still not know that this *didn't* begin on October 7th? And why are there still those who claim that the past doesn't matter today? I have so many questions, and if I do get an answer I will only end up with more questions. How hasn't the world stopped over this? Why are people so okay knowing that there are children being intentionally murdered every single day? How can you go to work and talk about Dave's new tie? Or your 6 year old's birthday party with 15 other 6 year olds? Hasn't it crossed your mind that if the roles were reversed, your precious princess would be the one burried under tons of rubble, dying slowly while simontaniously starving, dehydrating, suffocating and crushing, and *knowing* that absolutely no one cares because you're [skin color] and it's normal for your kids to be horrendously massacred? "Oh but the Taliban-ISIS-Al Qaeda" OKAY so what are you gonna do to help save innocent lives and suffering??? How are you gonna contribute to STOP these organizations that have manipulated and murdered to rule their country and are intentionally making the citicens miserable? Are you even aware that your own govurnment is essentially the same fucking thing, just disguised as a well dressed, polite gentleman? Aren't you sick of all those ads on TV showing brown children with flies in their eyes? Or your mama telling you to think about the starving children in Africa? Because I am.
I am so sick and tired of how inhumane humans have come to be. You don't see animals (and I'm trying my best to not mention how humans *are* animals, guess I failed) intentionally kill another animal simply because they're that animal. They kill prey; polar bears kill seals, seals kill penguins, penguins kill fish, fish kill amoebas, and you can get to that result from absolutely everything. What you don't find as a natural event is a golden, brown mane lion attack and kill an albino lion simply because it's albino. You don't see a school of fish swim away from one with two heads, because "*omg Jared is such a freak with his two heads*." So why the FUCK DID WE START DOING THAT? Where did this hunger for power come from? You *will* see a female lion tell the king that enough is enough, and he *will* accept that. I could go on and on for DAYS if I got the chance, but I don't wanna get too off topic here.
I've started a list of all the universally illegal shit Israel has done, and once I'm satisfied with it, I'll make one comparing Israel to Palestine, and then Arabs/Muslims as a whole. I can guarantee that I will still hear "on-sided sources" still, or "You can't trust Wikipedia!" Have you ever tried to edit or create an article on Wikipedia? I have, and I had to confirm that I had a degree or a current valid work ID to prove that I was elgible to speak on the topic. I tried to make a site for myself... Sure, there are more trustworthy sites, but even in a discussion about wether or not being trans is a mental illness, where I quoted and linked all of the most well known official sources like WHO, I was still slapped with "but this shady ass article from a random Deutch website that explicitly says everything I've said, yet still isn't actually saying the same thing because I misquoted and mixed the words to form my own sentence says that it is" when they literally linked a website called "disabled world". I will say though, I agree with that name. Today's world is so non-funtional for neurotypical, hetero, white MEN, it's no fucking wonder everyone else are classified as disabled or whatever. Also, on that disabled topic, if you've made it this far, please don't say "differently abled". A quote unquote quote (heh geddit? cuz it's rephrased and I don't have the book near me rn to directly quote) from Devon Price's "Unmasking Autism" that I really like: "You wouldn't say "a person with Asianness", you'd say "an Asian person"." We are disabled because today's world isn't made for us, and for the most part isn't even accomodated or accessible to us. We are different, yeah, but literally everyone is. We just got that term because we can't do the same things as you (assuming you're neurotypical) without aid. We are able, just not like you. Of course, if an autistic person tells you they prefer "person with autism", listen to them! But most of us embrace it as a part of us because we can't just get rid of it. Autism is what make me me, I wouldn't be me without my autism, so I *am* autistic, for better or for worse. :)
I find it kinda ironic that I started this as a venting about a lot of Jews' hypocritical behaviour, and now ending up on autism. Yaknow, cuz Dr. Asperger during WW2 experimented and tortured autistic people, and found out that some where more alike him than others, which then coined the term Aspergers for the Autistic Community.
Anywho, I feel better now, so thanks for letting me vent a little (a lot). I want to finish off by restating my intro; I have not, and will not tolerate any hate, racism or discrimination towards any religion, ethnicity, nationality, culture etc. This post is not intended as a rant about how aweful jews are, because they're not. I just wanted to air some frustration over their behaviour regarding I/P genocide. This is also not about *all* Jews, but that's the same discussion as "not all men" so I'll leave it at that.
I will delete this account in a week, so if you have any questions, be fast ig. If you find I've mis-phrased, used irrationally insensitive wording or any other complaints that calls for a repost, I will fix it and post an updated version. My DMs will also be available if that should be of interest, but I will not be responding to hate or personal attacks for my opinions. If the issue is my wording, again, tell me and I'll fix it.
At this point I've written so much that I don't remember if I found anything myself that I figured was worth fixing, and I've proof read it so many times that my eyes are crossing and giving me a headache lol
Gosh I'm scared of posting this. I don't want anyone to read this and think I support what A. H. did in 1940 cuz I cannot begin to describe my hatred for that man

Hi all,
I wanted to share a little bit about succeeding in S2 from the perspective of someone that is not a 'natural' essay writer nor from a humanities background. Someone that started at a very average S2 score despite lots (and lots and lots) of effort.
I have now sat GAMSAT 5 times in total and I think this underscores a severe lack of exceptional ‘talent’ in any specific area of GAMSAT, and speaks to the fact that you CAN make huge improvements in your scores over time with the *right* type of effort.
(Long post for context but feel free to scroll to TLDR)
Context: I am from a science background and have been out of uni for ~6 years now. I have never been a writer and apart from finding the humanities quite interesting, have never explored its theory in a structured way. I am also not a huge ‘reader’ as many people that seem to do well in this section might be. I am just a person that has opinions on things (as does every one of you!).
My first sitting I signed on with a prep company that had a very structured and formulaic approach to essay writing. They gave students ways to explore topics and ideas to ground them when prompts felt ‘difficult’ + strategies to always be able to ‘write something’. And although I am sure this helped me learn more about the humanities and the fundamentals of classic essay writing - my scores were not great. The first sitting, after ~5 months of intense essay practice critiqued by professionals I came away with a score of 62 and utter confusion about where I had gone wrong. In the 3 sittings following this I did basically the same thing again and again thinking I just needed more practice (I wrote hundreds of ‘classic’ essays, critiqued them and worked on my timing). My scores in subsequent sitings improved slightly however maxed out at around 68 in S2.
I felt myself really confined by the classic essay style most resources espouse. I would find myself spending loads of mental energy thinking about things that I thought were really important for a 'good' essay - like exactly how my topic sentence would link to the next line, or how my analysis would ‘tick the boxes’, if my example was the best one to use or if my concluding statement was linked to my opening one (you get the picture). This would drain my creativity and also created so much friction in my writing.
I knew I could do better, but when it came down to putting my thoughts on paper, it fell apart.
This year I decided to attack S2 differently. I dispensed with the classical framework and wrote pieces that were interesting for me to write. That I genuinely enjoyed creating. I often wrote reflectively and explored the prompt in a way that related to my life or my view point. I wrote essays starting with ‘When I was a child…’ or ‘In my life I have …” (whatever felt to me like a nice opening to the topic in my little brain). This way of writing both allowed me to write more clearly (I didn’t have to hyper-analyse it as much and therefore it came out less clunky) but also with much more relevance to things I actually knew about! This sort of writing naturally lends itself to be a little more creative or reflective but by no means does it have to be wildly different to a usual essay - it just had a little more flare and less strict* structure. I still wrote something that resembled an introduction (sometimes simply through vignette), I still had 2-3 analysing paragraphs, I still had something that felt conclusive at the end. But by stretching the bounds of each area, I came up with writing that was much less prohibitive and more exploratory.
This paid off - I went from 68 to 80, simply through writing in a way that felt true to me.
By far my greatest and most valuable piece of advice would be to write in a way that feels most natural and enjoyable to YOU. I am sure this has been said before, but I can’t quite underscore how much of a difference this makes to overall execution on the day, as well as ability to grind through essay after essay & continue to make improvements.
TLDR: Try very hard to quieten the noise around what makes a ‘good’ GAMSAT essays and be selective about which recommendations work well for you (and which do not). There are literally a million ways to create a solid piece of writing and if the ‘classic’ analytical or discursive structured essay does not roll off the tongue for you - take this as a sign that it is OK to explore other styles of writing. This is not to say that every person should try to write poems (I never wrote a poem), or to write creatively. All this means is that *if* you feel the classical structure of an essay is distracting you from what the goal of S2 is (to respond thoughtfully to a prompt from your own perspective) then consider stretching the bounds of your writing.
**Disclaimer** - this advice won't be for everyone. For some people, writing in a very formulaic defined way is the best way to get their thoughts across - and this is fine! I am just sharing my experience of finding a much better way for my brain. I have many friends that I studied for GAMSAT with who wrote great (classic style) essays and scored super well with them! These people probably would have hated/not been comfortable with my style of writing. Choose your own adventure, but make changes if something is not working.
If people are interested I am happy to post links to my best essays where I explored this type of writing
Good luck with your essays everyone!
Please feel free to DM if you have any questions :)

Long story short, I just got in a heated argument with my father over how he treats my 13 year old brother (more on that later). I am 21 years old and they still control a lot of my life. I am financially independent (technically, more on that later as well).
For some background. I was raised VERY religious. Those Christian moms you see on social media that was my father. I never went to prom (because godforbid I got out in the world). I went to a public high school but was still super sheltered. My life outside of school consisted of coming home and working on homework, the extra homework he assigned me, yelling because I never did "good enough," and church youth group (which I hated because I am not a Christian). I made good grades, mostly As, the occasional B, and one C (in chemistry, but I mean come on that shits hard). That was never good enough. Every single assignment I did he had to look at. Study guide for an exam. He had to look at it. Discussion board reply. You guessed it he looked at that too. I didn't get a phone until sophomore year of high school and when I did I got one of those shitty 80 dollar Samsung phones that you couldn't do shit on (and where he checked all my texts, notes, and emails). I was very sheltered. The extent of my fun was shooting the shit with my friends in the cafeteria at lunch and on the bus. I wasn't allowed to go to birthday parties or sleepovers or even go over to a friends house. He is raising my brother the same way, but way worse. If I am ever blessed with kids one day he has taught me what not to do.
Thankfully I am now in my third year of college. I picked a school he didn't want me to go to. Not because of money or anything he just said "you aren't going to a party school. There are too many idiots there you don't need to be around." I rebelled and committed to that school. Hands down the best decision I have ever made. I have a full ride scholarship that pays for my tuition (although it is dirt cheap for in-state already). I also have a scholarship that pays for rent for my 1100 dollar a month apartment and gives me about 500 spending money every month. I consider this my second best accomplisment as screwed up as that may sound. My father controls my money. All of it. I have a credit card that I use and then he pulls that money out of my account. I have no idea how much money I have and what he is doing with said money. He also has access to my Schwab and Vanguard accounts. He says he does this to help me with investing but I know there is more to it. He still wants to control me. I don't even know my damn login to the banking app for Christ sake (sorry not sorry dad for using the Lords name in vane). I know I should have fixed this issue sooner but I didn't want to fuck up our relationship. I am not sure what to do about this.
Another major problem came from this sheltered/overbearing environment I grew up in is my inability to say no to things I have never done before. Throughout my time in college I have experimented with drugs and alcohol (cocaine, weed, molly, lsd, shrooms, xans, oxy, you name it, pretty much with the exception of meth and heroin, I've done it and not just once). I am not proud of this (minus the fun I've had on psychs and even then not one of my better attributes). As a result of his abusive parenting style I have a hard time saying no and give in super easily to peer pressure. So much so that the first friends i met at college I still hang around with. These guys I probably shouldn't be around (the type where daddy pays for everything so they get a four-year drug fueled adventure in college). Don't get me wrong they aren't all that bad but just not the type of people I though I would be hanging around. I never thought I would be sleeping around, going to clubs on a Tuesday, and doing lines of coke off my island at 4pm but here we are. I am not proud of this but feel like I started doing these things because I was finally free. It is so hard to stop now. I think that I hang around them as a sense of rebellion to my parents and a sort of "f u" if you will. I know it is wrong but it feels good to finally be free. I have developed a raging nicotine addiction as well (something I am definitely not proud of). My parents have no idea. I have had to lie to them about things for the past three years.
I don't know if that is a result of my own actions or the years upon years upon years of constant yelling by my father. I mean for fucks sake the man never told me good job on anything. I got an A on a test it wasn't good job. It was "show me the test and what you got wrong," followed by a thirty minute yelling match about how I fucked up on the test. When I got into college on a full ride it wasn't good job it was "that is all because of me and the things I gave you." When I graduated high school it wasn't good job. It was my mom, god bless her she is great but tied down by my father, putting on a dinner party for me with all the neighbors and my parents friends. My dad was there but never even spoke to me (he just bullshitted to his friends about how I was such a hard worker (mind you he never told me this) and other things that narcissists do). I never was told good job when I got Eagle scout. That fucked me up, all of it. I am not one to want praise or one of those participation trophy people but come on that's fucked up at least in my mind. I never heard good job once.
He does the same shit to my brother but worse. My brother is 13 and in seventh grade at a private Christian K-12 school (one of those rich schools where the parents drive benzs and the kids have gucci shoes and shit). My father doesn't send my brother there because it is a better school, trust me, it is not by any stretch of the word. He sends him there to look better (aka "my kid goes to a private school you peasants" type of behavior). Recently, my brother was caught playing a computer game (papa's pizazaria on coolmathgames). Off topic but that is still the best one and you cannot change my mind. When he caught my brother they went at it for four hours. Now my dad checks my brothers search history, backpack and every single piece of paper in every binder every single day. He has moved my brothers desk into the living room and made my brother buy, with his own money, 300 dollar noise cancelling headphones to somehow be able to focus down there. My brother now has developed a twitch and the habit of twirling his hair. It was gotten so bad that some of his hair is falling out because of it and my dad refuses to take responsibility for it. The kid is so stressed that you would think he is on coke or meth the way he acts. He told me that he is scared when my dad comes home from work. I brought this up with my dad and asked him how he feels about his child being scared of him. My dad said nothing. Not one word. I am asking advice/thoughts on this situation.
To end things off I want advice on what I should do moving forward. I am home for the summer and working a job up here but am really considering not working and going back down to my school. I never had a normal childhood and can't stand my brother being treated this way. He is not allowed to go outside and play with the neighbor kids, watch TV, search ANYTHING on his computer, and take breaks longer than dinner away from his "schoolwork." I can't handle this shit anymore. I understand that part of my situation is my doing but I think it partly stems from the years of manipulation and control on behalf of my father. Am I overreacting? What would you do?
P.S. One final thing I wanted to say to get off my chest is that I do not respect this man. He yells at my mother constantly about how when she lets him be a kid and do kid things she is "setting him up for failure." I don't mean yelling I mean cussing and screaming to the point when I go to bed I can hear my mother crying. It hurts me to hear her cry it really does. I'm a bigger dude, 6 foot, 210, built. But that shit hurts. A fucking lot. I'm at the point where he needs to be confronted about it. I have lost every ounce of respect I have ever had for him. This may be an overreaction but I don't think so. He still controls my life. He tracks where I go in school, what I buy, etc. I have to lie to him sometimes but I am okay with that. This is the first real fun I have had in my life. I am doing pretty good in school, 3.1 gpa in a major I (not him) am happy in. I already have a job lined up outside of school making 58k straight out the gate. He has no idea because I don't tell him shit, he doesn't deserve to know in my mind. This is a man who will act super nice around everyone but our family. He is super active in the church and scouting, although he doesn't let my brother go anymore. He constantly gives to charity and volunteers around the community. You would never know this if you watched how our family operates on any given day behind closed doors. The only conversations I have with him now are about "why is there a charge for mexican food on the credit card. you should be studying," or my personal favorite "why is there a charge for x amount of dollars at a convenience store at 9:00 at night. Only bad people hang outside after dark (by bad people he is referring to everyone who is non-Christian by the way)."
This man has held me back so much even in college. I understand that this is partly my fault because as a legal adult I could have stopped this but I did not want to ruin our relationship. He stopped me from going on trips because "people could be drinkng" and has told me that on my 21st birthday (last week) that if he ever catches me drinking or vaping or anything I will not be allowed back into the house. I want to get clean but I do that shit as a fuck you to him. I apologize about cussing so much in here I'm just frustrated and need to get some stuff of my chest. I can't be the only one with parents like this. Right? I refuse to let this situation continue on. Should I do something about the way he treats me and my brother and mom? What do I do? What would you do? FYI cutting him out of my life entirely is not ideal because my mom and I still get along great. I would do it if there was a way to still be able to see my mom as they live in the same house. Minus certain political issues (mostly economic stuff) my dad and I don't agree on anything. He is the most judgemental person I have ever met in my life. I have met upwards of 1000 people in the past couple of years and he is by far the most judgemental person I have ever met. There is not even a close second.
Am I overreacting? What would you do in this situation? God bless and thanks for any and all responses/similar stories you all are willing to share. This seems like a great group of people. Stay blessed and if you need someone to talk to I am here for anything.

Hey everyone,
I'm currently working on my Theory of Knowledge (TOK) essays and presentations and looking for tips on how to improve them. Any advice on structure, argumentation, or critical thinking would be greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone has experience using AI tools for TOK assignments, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks!

I think we are witnessing a 'silent anti incumbency' this election. As someone from Gujarat I did not vote this time (previously voted for BJP). Was surprised to know a lot of my cousins have done the same this time. All Gujarat based small business owners. Me and 3 of my cousins were having a conversation and topic of election came up. I showed them my fingers and said ' I have not voted this time', incidentally all of them did the same and said that they refrained from voting too. All are aged 30-40.
Basically the argument was lack of growth in business, and low morale. But due to their being no decent opposition to the ruling party, we all decided to stay at home.
I felt this was an interesting point, and could be one of the biggest driving factors of low voter turnout.

yeah. i (17F) pretty much was always the good child at home, well behaved and independent. my parents praised me for my independence at young age and made me proud, thus i tried my best to do everything on my own.
in contrary, my younger brother, diagonised with adhd and undiagonised autism, was always the ‘naughtier’ child. he’d be causing trouble around and wasn’t able to take care of himself. my parents and even me, always had my attention on him.
at the age of 6, my parents and especially grandparents would always tell me to take care and to put up with my brother for whatever he does, cause i have to be a good sister and ‘he’s just young.
this continued until i’m current 17, he’a 15. and everything just got worse. my brother was unwilling to go to school, unwilling to bath and everything. he was playing his pc and phone all the time. he would scream at anyone that chats with him (including my parents and grandparents), and even tried to physically hurt them. they would always argue at home, and my parents were always so worried about him. and of course, i was a ‘good’ child, so they just regarded me as ‘she can take care of herself so we don’t have to care’.
i hated arguments. i grew with arguments and fights, as my parents were divorced and would argue everytime they met. and now whenever my brother talks with any of my family members they would argue. i love them, so it hurts me a lot.
i didn’t know why i was truly hurting. i just thought i was childish. until i learnt the word glass child. i then reflected upon my life - didn’t i basically live for my brother? i gave him all the opportunities, took care of him even when i was mentally unstable. i love him of course! but it’s taking a toll on me as i hate to see him hurt, i hate to see my family fight.
then i thought about my parents. did they ever cared about me? i love them and i know they love me. but did they ever ask me how my day was? why was every call to me asking me how my brother is? (he wouldn’t answer their calls). i recalled when i was alone with my mother - why does the topic always trial back to my brother? it made me feel like i don’t belong here .
i always wanted to tell my parents, but i don’t want to burden them. i dont want to seem ungrateful. i don’t want them to be guilty of themselves. and they may not even listen. i guess i’ll just continue being the good child then.

https://youtu.be/rXexaVsvhCM?si=MymQl0fzj3JbMOlc I found this discussion fascinating. Have you seen this? Discussion Topic: Evaluating Claims Against Evolution
Scenario: , a scientific round table discussion suggested that evolution is mathematically impossible. Let's explore and critically analyze this claim together.
Discussion Prompt:

1. Understanding the Claim: What do you think the basis is for the argument that evolution is mathematically impossible? Are there specific mathematical models or calculations presented in the discussion that we should examine?
   
2. Evaluating Evidence: How can we assess the validity of these mathematical arguments? What evidence from evolutionary biology and genetics might counter these claims?
   
3. Scientific Consensus: Despite this discussion, the vast majority of scientists support evolution as a well-substantiated explanation for the diversity of life. Why do you think there is such a strong consensus, and how should we weigh this against isolated claims?
   
4. Philosophical Implications: If the argument against evolution were to be proven valid, what would be the implications for our understanding of life and our place in the universe? How would this impact the atheist worldview?
   
5. Critical Thinking: How can we use critical thinking and scientific literacy to evaluate controversial scientific claims? What strategies can we use to discern credible scientific arguments from those that are less robust?
   

First off, this is more of a vent rather than a AITAH post, but other subreddit just removed my post for no reason, so I’ll have to drop it here.
About a couple weeks ago, I have an argument with my friend. It started with me trying to call out his bad behavior by calling him on the phone. That bad behavior is him letting me “taste my own medicine” as he call it. I don’t know how to react to that, but after two years I finally figured out that what he should be doing is “talking directly” instead of using indirect approach like that. It just unnecessary made me feel bad. The argument started with me calling him out and how I told him he should be changing his behavior, and ended with him trying to cut me out for life. I thought to myself “just calling him out can make him so frustrated that he has to cut ties with me?” And I’m even calling him out privately, not in public, but his take is that we have been like this so many times leading up to now. He said that I’m the one that can’t be talked directly to, but then whenever he feels bad as a result of my behavior, he just doing some indirect a-hole thing subtly like singing song, saying things about no one in particular, and, as mentioned before, letting me taste my own medicine. From the argument, it really sounded like he has been considerate all this time and can’t stand how “untouchable” I am. I think I’m always open to a direct conversation, but the “bad thing” he did to me shouldn’t be a substitute to that. Anyway, we just cut ties to each other, but I still really missed the good part about him, how we can be good friends together, confide in each other, but there was one time where he confide in me, and he probably didn’t like the answer, so when I tried to confide in him too, he just goes off topic as a way to get back at me. This led to years of uncomfortable feeling within me. So one day, I decided to call him out, and the rest is as above.
Sometimes, I just wished I could’ve known what would happened next before committed myself to something. But then who are the real A-hole in this situation?

Ok this year's prompt about selfies wasn't too bad but for a lot of past years' prompts they would just be super uncontroversial like "courage is good" or "make good decisions" and you'd just have to go from there. Coming up with 2-3 points to build body paragraphs off of was annoying too.
I get why College Board does this, since if they were too choose a truly controversial topic it would probably be too political or cause too much outlash for the organization.
But that also makes it so hard to get the sophistication point. It was already hard enough to come up with 2-3 supports off of essentially no stimulus (unlike synthesis and rhetorical analysis where the evidence is all there), but since the prompts are usually already so well accepted/established and broad, it's hard to find counterarguments/qualifications or broadly contextualize the thesis (which are the two main ways imo to get the sophistication point, besides just writing well which can be hard and unreliable during a timed writed).

I am NOT the Original Poster. That is u/JazzlikeOriginal358. They posted in AmItheAsshole
Trigger Warning: discussions of transphobia
Mood Spoiler: moving in a positive direction
Original Post: March 22, 2024
I'm having a bit of family drama and need a reality check about if I am being unreasonable here. I really need the perspective of LGBT+ sensitive individuals because the drama surrounds transphobia perpetrated by JK Rowling.
My step daughter is going through a pretty tough time. The last couple years have been really rough on her. She has been dealing with bullying at school, being held back a year, not getting along with her mom's new husband, self harm and identity issues. Lots of questioning of her sexuality and gender. (We have been working on getting her a good mental health team of doctors and therapists to help her navigate all of this, please know we aren't throwing her to the wolves or internet to deal with it all herself).
I've been in her life since she was 7. We've always had a pretty good, though not terribly close, relationship. I have not taken on a parental role, but have always tried to make myself available for her.
Until last year, her mom had primary custody and her dad had weekends with alternating holidays. Last year due to the issues with her school and mom's house, my stepdaughter requested that custody arrangements be changed.
Since she came to live with my husband and I full time, there has been quite a bit of friction between the two of us. One of the biggest points of contention is my Harry Potter fandom, particularly "The Bookcase", and my supposed transphobia (due to my apparently "wrong" stance when it comes to the politics regarding trans issues in our country)
I grew up in the hayday. So many of my childhood and teen memories are tied to the franchise. My friends and I were all really into it. We attend midnight book releases, dressed up in costume for movie releases, threw HP themed parties when we wanted to hang out, etc. In many ways it shaped the course of my entire life, those same friends and I joined our high school's botany club because herbology. That unlocked a lifelong passion of mine and my career is working with plants.
Over the years I've collected quite a bit of memorabilia, many of which are gifts, and they have always been displayed on my most prized possession. A monstrously large custom bookcase my grandfather, a former woodworker, built for me when I was a teenager. I love this thing. The shelves are live edge black walnut slabs. All around the casing my grandpa carved beautiful HP themed imagery. Owls, cauldrons, shooting stars, lightning bolts, an adorable little rat at the bottom and nibble marks from said rat, etc. It's both sentimental and valuable (the slabs of walnut for the shelves alone would be pushing a grand, let alone attempting to value the hand carved craftmanship). The bookcase has always been proudly displayed in my home. It currently lives in our living room.
During one of our family therapy sessions, my stepdaughter expressed that seeing my HP shelf made her feel really uncomfortable because of the author and that she was really disappointed in me and her father for being so supportive of a biggot. I apologized for making her feel uncomfortable in her own home, and said that I would take down the HP stuff.
So I packed up all the HP themed merch off the shelves. Made sure I didn't have the books or anything on display that said "Harry Potter" anywhere. I bought some LED grow lights and converted the bookcase into a plant shelf to display succulents. I bought some witchy, but not overtly harry potter, themed pots for the little guys so they'd go with the shelf.
This was not an acceptable compromise for my stepdaughter and has remained a point of contention. With my stepdaughter hurling that I/we (referring to my husband) broke a promise by saying we would get rid of the Harry Potter stuff. I tried to explain to my stepdaughter that, while I do not agree with JK Rowling's political stance at all, the media has a special place in my heart because of my childhood association with it and that the shelf was very important to me because it was a gift from my grandpa, but she maintains that none of that should matter because in 2024 it is nothing but a symbol of transphobia and hate.
At first my husband was supportive of me and my desire to keep my bookcase, but lately the arguments are wearing on him and he asked me if I would reconsider keeping it in the living room. Suggesting we rent a storage unit to house it in.
After the most recent blow up about it, I kinda lost my temper. I didn't yell or anything, but I did very firmly tell my stepdaughter that this is my home and my bookshelf stays. If it is such a big problem for her, she can always go back to live with her mother.
I knew it was a low blow pretty much as soon as I said it. I quickly apologized but it was out there. My stepdaughter has been on an emotional downward spiral.
My husband and I have been arguing almost nonstop. I think it is mostly stress because he is at his wits end with how to help his daughter but he is becoming pretty mean and nasty towards me. Telling me to "grow up and just get rid of the fucking bookcase"
I know I was a dick for saying my stepdaughter could always go back to live with her mom (and I suspect that will be the main topic at hand in our next family therapy session).
But am I really being unreasonable in wanting to keep my beloved bookcase?
EDIT: Thank you everyone. Honestly. Thank you for those who shared their insight and advice and thank you to the people who have asked me hard questions that made me think. Especially those who asked what matters more, a bookcase or a/my child?
I've been reflecting really hard on what my bookcase means to me an why it is so important. I'm hitting some deep truths I don't think I was ready to recognize about how I really feel about my relationship with my step daughter.
All in all I think we just need to shelf things until our next therapy session. (I'll see myself out...)
Relevant Comments:
Commenter: Can you temporarily put it in storage until she’s off to college, then take it back out? That way it will be safe, and everyone can take a deep breath and calm down a little.

OOP: I looked into storage units when my husband suggested it, for the size and climate/humidity control we would need it would cost us approximately $7,500 to store my shelf until she goes to college.
It's cost prohibitive.

Commenter: Why can't you just move the bookcase into the primary bedroom?

OOP: It's 7' x 4' x 1', made of solid wood, and we have a L shaped stair case.
The only way it is going upstairs is if it is completely dismantled and rebuilt. I don't have the skills, knowledge or tools to do that and hiring out a task like that is cost prohibitive especially because it would have to be done again when moving the bookcase back out.

Commenter: NTA. You need to put that bookcase in a room with locks, because your husband is going sell it or damage it.

OOP: My husband isn't an emotionally unstable monster. I don't believe he would ever do anything like that to me. I wouldn't have married him if he was that kind of person.
(to another commenter): I have absolutely zero concern about my husband doing anything to it. He isn't that kind of person. He is incredibly stressed out about all of this and has said shitty things in anger but this isn't some tv show where he and my stepdaughter are going to have daddy and daughter bonding time with a sledge hammer.

Commenter: I think he was just frustrated and worried about his daughter. Hopefully you can talk it out with him and he will apologize for the "grow up" comment.

OOP: That is my impression in regards to him too.
I can't imagine how hard it must be to see your child suffering and not being able to fix that pain.
I've been doing my best to give him grace due to the circumstances.
It is something we will address when he has the spoons to do so.

Commenter: One question: who owns or rents the house you are living in? If it is yours you can suggest that your husband move out and get a place of his own to his daughter liking

OOP: My husband and I purchased it together. We are both on the mortgage.

Commenter: Then time to figure out who stays, who goes, and how the equity...if any...is split.

OOP: I don't intend to divorce my husband and throw away a decade plus long relationship because he said one shitty thing to me during a period of great stress for him.

Commenter: If he destroys the bookcase to show solidarity with his daughter, what will you do?

OOP: Have him pink slipped.
That is not the action of a reasonable adult. I would be very concerned for his mental state.

Commenter: I wonder if she made similar unreasonable demands in her mother’s home or at school that lead you to the conflict there?

OOP: Part of the issues with her homelife with her mother involved my step daughter demanding that her mother choose between her now husband and her because mom's husband's political views.
So, this isn't exactly left field behavior.

Commenter: Your stepdaughter needs a massive reality check and probably different therapists.

OOP: oof. We are on our 5th

More on therapy:

Yes. She meets with a psychiatrist as well as her therapists.
(to a different commenter) We are in family counseling already. Couple's counseling is likely to happen if there isn't a resolution to this current bookcase issue in the very near future.

Commenter: Info needed: what is your ‘wrong stance’ when it comes to trans issues?

OOP: I'm kinda middle of the road when it comes to the trans political issues, and mostly take the stance of "I don't know, I have my own feelings about the issues but as it is not my area of expertise I am not beholden to them and I will leave these big problems up to the people who have made learning about them their focus of study"
Like, I get my feathers ruffled when medically uneducated politicians try to interfere with any kind of health care. Like seriously ruffled.
I believe that people facing gender identity issues should have free and easy access to health care and therapy to navigate those issues.
I believe that society in general should strive to use preferred pronouns if only as a matter of politeness.
But when it comes to things like trans people in sports or having afab only "safe spaces" - I see both sides of the argument and refer back to my "I think this should be left up to the people who focus on this and not form a super strong opinion either way based on my lay opinion"

OOP is voted NTA
Update Post: May 12, 2024 (1.5 months later)
Some one asked if I could update this situation, and I'll try my best to summarize the past several weeks.
My husband and I spoke about the situation. He apologized for being snappish with me, and agreed that SD was being unreasonable about the bookcase. He ultimately agreed to back me about it. He and I are just as tight as we ever have been.
I once again apologized to my SD for the remark I said out of frustration about her moving back with her mom. I reiterated that our home is her home too and she is always welcome here. That even though families sometimes fight and disagree we ARE family.
But the general argument about HP, JK Rowling, and my bookcase continued to escalate for a couple weeks. And then the discontent about that started to bleed over into complaints about me. She started to be more disrespectful and sarcastic.
During all of this we were still attending our family therapy sessions. Our therapist was pretty certain that the misbehavior was anxiety related and didn't suggest that we give in to the demands to have the bookcase removed and wanted to just keep working on the things we all have been.
Well, SD's disrespectful attitude hit a climax. She called me the c word and some other choice things within my husband's ear shot. My husband honestly kinda lost it on her. I don't think I have EVER seen him that angry before. He was bright red and vein popping angry as he marched her to her room and declared "YOU WILL NOT SPEAK TO MY WIFE IN SUCH A WAY".
This was probably the first time my SD had ever seen her dad angry, let alone anger directed at her. It left her pretty shook. Like that was her rock bottom. We ended up needing to do a couple emergency session with her counselor because there was concern about her relapsing with some self-destructive issues she has been working on.
But that incident lead to us having a break through. Her counselor invited my husband and I into one of her sessions, and she had a bit of a break down. Basically she was dealing with a lot of existential dread and a lot of fear due to politics and it being an election year.
That ended up being an excellent opening for us to bond. This is gonna sound silly but I was able to pull up my social media timelines back from 2016 and I showed her some of the things I had written or had shared with me back then.
She was able to see that I shared a lot of the same fears that she has.
So we have all had some really big talks about things like feeling helpless when things are out of your control, about disengaging from the media machine for your own mental health, etc.
Things have been on the upswing since then. Before she left for her mom's this past weekend she even gave me a mother's day gift. An adorable little planter that says Caution: Mandrakes.
I love it. I put one of my favorite props in it and it is front and center on the bookcase now.
Relevant Comments:
To a downvoted commenter:

your continued support of JK Rowling through fandom will likely be an issue for other LGBT people in your life

The only other LGBT person in my life sent me bertie botts every flavor beans in my christmas package this past year...
Commenter: This poor girl is terrified of being kicked out from another set of abusive parents and is forcing herself to buy merchandise to support someone who wants her dead to make her stepparent happy. This update is horrifying, for real.

OOP: Hope you stretched before this reach.
SD was not kicked out of her mom's home. That was a choice she made. She is in no danger of being kicked out of our home either.

This post will repeat weekly through the month of December. Please repost or cross post as a way to promote this subreddit. Or ignore this one and check out our others! I apologize if it's cramping your style, but when I work hard on certain posts I want to be sure they are useful! I also am working on making these shorter so they don't get lost in the madness....
Scroll down for the Character Questions and create a thoughtful and empathetic profile of your main characters for your projects!
As always please use these as sparks to create and feel free to post your responses and ideas in comments or separate post! This is YOUR subreddit so go ahead and post away!
Prompt: Imagine a dystopian world where an oppressive government has successfully erased all forms of personal identity and history. In this society, individuals are assigned generic roles and are forbidden from expressing their unique thoughts, emotions, or experiences. Write a short story or reflective essay exploring the life of a character who discovers a hidden underground community that encourages self-expression and reignites the importance of personal narratives.
In your response, consider the following:

1. Character and World Building:
   • Describe the protagonist's background, their assigned role, and their initial perception of the oppressive world they inhabit.
   • Develop the hidden underground community, including its purpose, structure, and the means through which it safeguards personal stories.
   • Create a contrast between the protagonist's initial world and the underground community, highlighting the impact of personal narratives on shaping identity and resisting oppression.
2. Plot Analysis:
   • Outline the protagonist's journey of discovery, including their initial skepticism, the influential encounters they have within the underground community, and the personal sacrifices they make to preserve their identity.
   • Explore the challenges and conflicts faced by the protagonist, both externally (e.g., encounters with government authorities) and internally (e.g., the struggle to confront their identity).
3. Deep Introspection:
   • Prompt the protagonist to reflect deeply on the uncomfortable subjects that the government's erasure of personal narratives seeks to suppress. These could include topics such as individuality, memory, trauma, and the power of storytelling as a tool for empathy and resistance.
   • Encourage the protagonist to evolve their thoughts and perceptions throughout the narrative, considering the consequences of silence and the potential for personal growth through self-expression and sharing.
4. Requirements for Responses:
   • Conduct research to explore real-world examples of societies that suppress personal narratives or attempt to erase collective memory.
5. Prompt: In a post-apocalyptic world, a devastating pandemic has wiped out most of humanity. The survivors are forced to live in isolated communities, each with its own set of strict rules and customs. Write a short story or reflective essay exploring the life of a character who questions the existing order and embarks on a journey to unite these fragmented communities. Consider the role of unity, diversity, and collaboration in rebuilding a shattered world.
6. Prompt: Set in a future where advanced AI technology has permeated every aspect of society, write a story or reflective essay following a protagonist who begins to question the boundaries between human and machine. Delve into the ethical implications of human-AI relationships, the erosion of human emotions, and the potential consequences of blurring the line between artificial and genuine experiences.
7. Prompt: Imagine a world where climate change and environmental degradation have irreversibly altered the planet. Write a story or reflective essay from the perspective of a character who is part of a group striving to restore balance and heal the damaged Earth. Explore the connections between personal responsibility, collective action, and the intersections of social and environmental justice.
8. Prompt: Transport yourself to a society where strict social hierarchies are based on a person's genetic makeup. Write a short story or reflective essay following a character who challenges this system and advocates for equality and inclusivity. Examine the role of genetic determinism, discrimination, and the power of individual agency in reshaping social structures.
9. Prompt: Imagine a world where art and creativity are considered illegal, seen as tools of subversion and chaos. Write a story or reflective essay from the perspective of an artist who risks everything to defy this oppressive regime and reclaim the power of artistic expression. Analyze the significance of art as a form of resistance, its ability to inspire change, and its impact on personal and societal transformation.

Remember to consider the following for each of the prompts to insure a well rounded and thought out premise that will engage the audience and allow room for growth in the plot.
Prompt 1 - Post-Apocalyptic Community Building:

• Consider the unique customs, rules, and societal structures of each isolated community.
• Explore the protagonist's motivation for questioning the existing order and their vision for uniting the communities.
• Analyze the challenges and conflicts faced in the journey of uniting fragmented communities and the potential benefits and drawbacks of unity.

Prompt 2 - Ethical Implications of AI Technology:

• Reflect on the protagonist's personal experiences and interactions with AI, including the blurring of boundaries between human and machine.
• Explore the ethical dilemmas and consequences of advancing AI technology.
• Analyze the impact of human emotions, genuine experiences, and the potential loss or transformation of human qualities in a society heavily influenced by AI.

Prompt 3 - Environmental Restoration and Social Justice:

• Consider the protagonist's role in the restoration of the damaged Earth and their motivations for taking action.
• Explore the intersections of social justice and the environment, including the disproportionate impacts of climate change on marginalized communities.
• Analyze the challenges of collective action, personal responsibility, and the potential for transformative change in healing the planet and addressing social inequalities.

Prompt 4 - Genetic Hierarchy and Social Change:

• Reflect on the protagonist's experience within the rigid social hierarchy based on genetics.
• Analyze the implications of genetic determinism and discrimination in shaping social structures.
• Explore the role of individual agency, activism, and the potential strategies for challenging and reshaping the genetic-based hierarchy.

Prompt 5 - Artistic Expression as Resistance:

• Consider the protagonist's personal experiences as an artist within an oppressive regime.
• Reflect on the significance of artistic expression as a form of resistance and its power to inspire change and challenge societal norms.
• Analyze the risks, sacrifices, and potential outcomes associated with defying an oppressive regime through art.

1. Chick Lit: Write a chick lit novel or short story following a relatable protagonist navigating the challenges of love, career, and self-discovery. Explore themes of friendship, personal growth, and finding balance in a fast-paced, modern world.
2. Young Readers' Adventure: Imagine a group of young friends who stumble upon a hidden portal to another realm. Write an adventure novel or short story as they embark on a quest to save a magical world from darkness. Delve into themes of friendship, bravery, and the power of imagination.
3. Historical Fiction: Set in a time of significant historical events, write a novel or short story highlighting a lesser-known figure or group of people. Research the historical context meticulously and emphasize the character's resilience, struggles, and contributions during that tumultuous period.
4. Fantasy: Create a fantastical world filled with mythical creatures, magic, and ancient prophecies. Write a novel or short story following a young protagonist who discovers their extraordinary abilities and must navigate a treacherous journey to fulfill their destiny. Explore themes of self-discovery, heroism, and the blurred lines between good and evil.
5. Mystery/Thriller: Write a gripping mystery or thriller novel following a seasoned detective or amateur sleuth investigating a perplexing crime. Develop complex characters, suspenseful plot twists, and an intricate web of clues and red herrings that keep readers guessing until the very end.
6. Science Fiction: Set in a future where technological advancements have transformed society, write a novel or short story exploring the ethical and societal implications of groundbreaking inventions. Examine themes such as artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, or virtual reality and their impact on humanity's future.
7. Romance: Craft a heartwarming romance novel or short story centered around two individuals from different backgrounds or opposing sides. Explore themes of love, forgiveness, and the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
8. Coming-of-Age: Write a coming-of-age novel or short story following a young protagonist's journey of self-discovery, identity formation, and navigating the complexities of adolescence. Explore themes of friendship, personal growth, and the challenges of transitioning into adulthood.
9. Psychological Thriller: Create a psychological thriller novel or short story that delves into the intricacies of the human mind. Focus on a protagonist who becomes entangled in a web of deception, manipulation, and paranoia. Explore themes of trust, perception, and the blurred lines between reality and illusion.
10. Family Drama: Write a novel or short story exploring the dynamics and complexities within a multi-generational family. Include themes of love, secrets, and conflicts that arise as family members navigate their relationships, face past traumas, and strive for reconciliation.

Considerations for each prompt:

• Genre-specific elements: Ensure your story incorporates the defining characteristics and tropes of the chosen genre, such as the tone, pacing, and narrative conventions.
• Character development: Develop dynamic and relatable characters who undergo significant growth or transformation throughout the story.
• Plot structure: Create a compelling plot that introduces conflict, builds tension, and resolves in a satisfying manner, adhering to the common structure of the chosen genre.
• Themes and messages: Select themes that resonate with the genre and explore them through the characters' experiences and narrative development.
• Reader engagement: Craft a story that captivates the intended audience, keeping them invested in the characters and eager to uncover what happens next.

1. Historical Romance: Write a one-page historical romance set in a lavish ballroom during the Victorian era. Focus on the forbidden love between a spirited debutante and a mysterious gentleman from a different social class.
2. Science Fiction Comedy: Craft a one-page comedic story set in a futuristic space station. Follow the misadventures of a clumsy maintenance technician who unwittingly saves the day against all odds.
3. Paranormal Mystery: Pen a one-page mystery story set in a haunted mansion. Introduce a skeptical paranormal investigator who must solve the mystery of a ghostly apparition that has been terrorizing the inhabitants.
4. Literary Fiction: Write a one-page literary fiction piece centered around a character's contemplation of the fleeting nature of life and the importance of cherishing the present moment.
5. Action Adventure: Craft a one-page action-packed adventure story set in the jungles of an unexplored island. Follow a daring archaeologist's quest for a hidden treasure while battling against treacherous obstacles and rival adventurers.
6. Psychological Drama: Create a one-page psychological drama following the internal struggles of a troubled artist as they grapple with their inner demons and seek redemption.
7. Magical Realism: Write a one-page magical realism story set in a sleepy coastal town. Explore the extraordinary occurrences that happen when an enigmatic mermaid washes ashore and disrupts the mundane lives of the townsfolk.
8. Thriller: Craft a one-page thriller story involving a race against time. Follow a determined protagonist as they try to decipher cryptic clues and prevent a citywide disaster.
9. Fantasy Adventure: Pen a one-page fantasy adventure story set in a whimsical realm. Follow a young hero's quest to retrieve a stolen artifact and restore balance to the land, encountering fantastical creatures and overcoming obstacles along the way.
10. Historical Fiction Mystery: Write a one-page historical fiction mystery set during the Roaring Twenties. Follow a quick-witted detective as they unravel a web of deceit and intrigue surrounding a glamorous underground speakeasy in the heart of the city.

Considerations for each prompt:

• Engaging Beginning: Choose a compelling starting point that grabs the reader's attention and hooks them into the story from the very first sentence.
• Concise Plot: Craft a tightly woven plot that can be fully developed within one page, with an introduction, rising action, climax, and resolution.
• Strong Characterization: Develop distinct and memorable characters, even within the limited space, by providing key details that bring them to life and make them relatable to the reader.
• Descriptive Language: Use vivid and sensory language to paint a clear picture of the setting, engage the reader's imagination, and create an immersive reading experience.
• Resolution or Twist: Provide a satisfying resolution to the story or introduce an unexpected twist that leaves the reader intrigued and wanting more.

Protagonist Character Profile:

1. Name:
2. Age:
3. Gender:
4. Physical appearance:
5. Background:
6. Personality traits (list at least five):
7. Core values and beliefs:
8. Motivations and goals:
9. Biggest fear:
10. Internal conflicts:
11. External conflicts:
12. Strengths:
13. Weaknesses:
14. Childhood experiences and their impact:
15. Education and professional background:
16. Relationship status and dynamics:
17. Quirks or peculiar habits:
18. Psychological disorders, if any:
19. Familial relationships and dynamics:
20. Support system (friends, mentors, etc.):
21. Traumatic experiences and their effects:
22. Coping mechanisms:
23. Emotional vulnerabilities:
24. Resilience and determination:
25. Personal growth throughout the story:

Protagonist Character Questions:

1. What drives the protagonist to take action and pursue their goals?
2. How does the protagonist's childhood shape their behaviors and choices?
3. What values does the protagonist hold dear, and how do they influence their decision-making process?
4. What inner conflicts does the protagonist face, and how do they attempt to reconcile them?
5. How does the protagonist's education and professional background contribute to their strengths and weaknesses?
6. What traumatic experiences has the protagonist overcome, and how have these experiences shaped their worldview?
7. How does the protagonist cope with stress or adversity?
8. What relationships and dynamics are most significant to the protagonist, and how do these relationships evolve throughout the story?
9. In what ways does the protagonist exhibit resilience and determination in the face of challenges?
10. How does the protagonist approach personal growth and self-improvement?
11. What psychological disorders, if any, does the protagonist struggle with, and how do these disorders impact their thoughts and actions?
12. How does the protagonist's physical appearance contribute to their self-perception and interactions with others?
13. What unique quirks or habits does the protagonist possess that make them stand out?
14. What are the protagonist's primary desires and aspirations?
15. How does the protagonist's internalized fear drive or hinder their actions?
16. How does the protagonist navigate and resolve external conflicts?
17. What coping mechanisms does the protagonist rely on during times of stress or emotional turmoil?
18. How do familial relationships and dynamics influence the protagonist's actions and decisions?
19. What significant life choices or dilemmas does the protagonist face throughout the story, and how do they respond?
20. In what ways does the protagonist's support system impact their growth and resilience?
21. How does the protagonist's personal development and self-discovery contribute to the overall narrative arc?
22. How does the protagonist's background and experiences shape their perception of the world?
23. What are the protagonist's core beliefs and values, and how do these impact their interactions with others?
24. How does the protagonist handle setbacks or failures, and what lessons do they learn from these experiences?
25. What external influences or societal pressures affect the protagonist's decision-making process?

Antagonist Character Profile:

1. Name:
2. Age:
3. Gender:
4. Physical appearance:
5. Background:
6. Personality traits (list at least five):
7. Core values and beliefs:
8. Motivations and goals:
9. Biggest fear:
10. Internal conflicts:
11. External conflicts:
12. Strengths:
13. Weaknesses:
14. Childhood experiences and their impact $ Go on

1. Education and professional background: 16. Relationship status and dynamics: 17. Quirks or peculiar habits: 18. Psychological disorders, if any: 19. Familial relationships and dynamics: 20. Support system (friends, mentors, etc.): 21. Traumatic experiences and their effects: 22. Coping mechanisms: 23. Emotional vulnerabilities: 24. Strategies for achieving their goals: 25. Methods they employ to antagonize the protagonist:

Antagonist Character Questions:

1. What drives the antagonist to oppose the protagonist and act as an obstacle in their journey?
2. How does the antagonist's background and upbringing contribute to their negative behaviors and motivations?
3. What core values and beliefs does the antagonist hold that align with their antagonistic actions?
4. What personal goals or desires does the antagonist seek to fulfill?
5. What is the biggest fear or insecurity that drives the antagonist's actions?
6. How does the antagonist's internal conflicts manifest and impact their decisions?
7. What external conflicts arise as a result of the antagonist's actions, and how do they handle these conflicts?
8. In what ways does the antagonist exhibit strength and power, and how do these traits affect their interactions with others?
9. What are the antagonist's weaknesses or vulnerabilities that can be exploited by the protagonist?
10. How have childhood experiences shaped the antagonist's worldview and motivations?
11. How does the antagonist's education and professional background contribute to their methods and strategies?
12. What familial relationships or dynamics influence the antagonist's actions and choices?
13. What unique quirks or habits does the antagonist possess that make them distinct or memorable?
14. Are there any psychological disorders or conditions that contribute to the antagonist's behavior?
15. How does the antagonist cope with stress or emotional turmoil?
16. What strategies or tactics does the antagonist employ to achieve their goals and antagonize the protagonist?
17. How do the antagonist's actions impact their relationships and interactions with other characters in the story?

18.How does the antagonist perceive and justify their actions, even if they are considered morally or ethically wrong?

1. What external influences or societal pressures contribute to the antagonist's motivations or actions?
   
2. How does the antagonist's physical appearance contribute to their demeanor and portrayal in the story?
   
3. What significant life choices or dilemmas has the antagonist faced, and how have these shaped their character?
   
4. What is the antagonist's reaction to setbacks or failures, and how do they adapt their strategies?
   
5. How does the antagonist's support system or lack thereof impact their actions and decisions?
   
6. What past traumatic experiences or events have influenced the antagonist's worldview and behaviors?
   
7. How does the antagonist's emotional state or emotional vulnerabilities influence their actions and interactions with others?
   

Hi everyone,
I completed the "Free Activity of the Day" in toefl go and scored 4/5. However, when I asked ChatGPT to evaluate my essay using the official TOEFL writing rubric (https://www.ets.org/pdfs/toefl/toefl-ibt-writing-rubrics.pdf), it gave me a score of 3/5.
I would appreciate it if someone could rate my essay and provide feedback on how I can improve my score to 5/5, and also how would you rate it? with a 4 or a 3? :(
Thank you!
There are a lot of debates on whether it's an important part of child's education to take them on field trips or not. As far as I am concerned, taking child's to field trips can make them feel more independent giving them the security to do more things on their own. For example, I remember that on primary school I went on a camp to a forest. At that time I was afraid of darkness and about not sleeping on my parent's bed, but in that trip, I noticed that all my classmates where able to sleep by it's own, so when I came back home I never slept with my parents again.
I understand both Kelly and Paul's opinion concerning the topic and I would like to agree with Paul because field trips help kids to know new things that can change their futures. Moreover, as it happened to Paul, they can find their interests in live.
So, I definitively believe field trips are a crucial part of child's education.
https://preview.redd.it/x3fctdhtya1d1.png?width=1804&format=png&auto=webp&s=195c60775decaef1de888bef2612e94b5e639444