[12 Dec 2004|02:37pm]

Glossary of how I'm using these two words:

Cool*: Seen as better by others and, consequently, more deserving of attention.

Filter*: When you talk to people, the amount you change what you really mean to say because of your audience. Everyone does this to some extent. If you have truly convinced yourself you do not, not that many people have, you're wrong; it is simply stored in the back of your mind and you do it on impulse.



Further in the entry there are #1/2/3/4/5/6/7 I may refer to in the entry.



UPDATED for an EASIER READ and a SHORTER READ. (But still very, very long.)





What would be the ultimate livejournal entry, as far as comment whoring? Similiarly, what would be the ultimate way to climb the social ladder in real life?



To begin with, this entry would definately not be it. Likely moreso not because of the previous sentence. Before I wrote either of the two preceding sentences, you thought I was trying to imply this was the best entry. Now you're thinking I'm trying to "drama-queen" you into thinking I don't care if it is, and make you think it is. I know people see through such basic attention whoring, you're smart enough for that, right? Look how hard I'm trying, I complimented you to attempt to block your disagreement. Anyway, try to read the rest, even though you already think I'm trying way harder than everyone else to get attention.



Many people are too dumb to realize an intelligent entry; they have it pounding in the back of their head that the person writing the entry is trying too hard to be cool*, and they do not realize that everyone, despite the style of entry, is writing, perhaps, even moreso, to be cool. There are different gradations of trying to be cool, true, but you cannot really tell from one's actions.

Even though I still explained that in the last paragraph, and used the logical trick of "You aren't smart unless you see this," this would still not be the best possible entry. People think they are trying to be persuaded moreso than in a normal entry, which is, probably for the most part, untrue. Truth doesn't do very well in a society of filters*.



{*0*Premise to follow: You may have convinced yourself otherwise, but if you think about the things you do and the reasons you do them, a very big part of it is to be cool*. What you think when you think to yourself, "Why do I do this?" may be a lie. Of course your conscious self wants to believe you do not. Think harder. In the back of the mind, you are doing it for other reasons too, your conscious self is covering it up with another reason for doing the thing you're doing, which is likely to also be true. This doesn't, however, take away the fact that there are other reasons you are doing things. For example, covering up making an attention-whoring livejournal entry by saying you are doing it to inform. This is an easy one to see through, of course, but you may be truly convincing yourself of things like this.



Impulse does not mean truth, either. Your impulse might be to make a livejournal entry because of what happened, but again, in the back of your mind you ARE thinking "I hope people think I'm cooler for writing this," in some manner. A line I heard somewhere before, "You are dominated by your mind." Scary, but true to different extents depending on the person.}



For example, say you reply to all your comments. You could cover it up with, "I'm not replying to get more comments, I'm replying because I want to reply and people get angry if I don't reply to what they have to say." Sure, this is a reason, but in the 'back of your mind' of course you realize you're also getting more comments and you like this idea. Some could also come out and say, I don't comment on my comments. This is also, similiarly, trying to make themselves look cooler. Some could not mention it at all, which may be the coolest, by letting people realize you are 'not caring' by themselves, because pointing it out would be clear-cut 'caring'.

Back to reality - everyone cares.



Now, let's see if you can get around lying to yourself. Maybe you won't admit it here, because of your method of climbing the social ladder, and maybe your conscious self will argue with the 'back of your mind' to tell YOU this isn't true, but let's see.

Here are the ways I can think of for people to be cool. There are more, and #4 is a type of #2, I know. #3, what I'm doing, may also be seen by others as a type of #2. Since I honestly pointed it out, it may be seen as a type of #1.



All of these methods could be exhibited by people who care equally about being cool; from the method they use, you can't really tell. Many use different methods at different times.



-1- By 'bragging' that you're good at things, or good things happen to you? (Look at me! I'm cool!)

-2- By 'bragging' that you're bad at things, or bad things happen to you? (Look at me! I'm uncool!)

-3- By acting like you don't care if they think you are cool? (Look at me! I don't care!)

-4- {Just better acting that you don't care if they think you are cool.} Trying to seem like a big intention of yours isn't to try to make people think you are cool, when it is in actuality? (People don't realize this one much yet. It is a style of #3 (Look at me! I don't care!) without enough (Look at me!) for people to notice that are just as likely to be trying just as hard. TRYING to NOT TRY is TRYING.

-5-By superceding the fact that everyone cares to some gradation, and making others realize this? Less filters, more truth. (Look at me, I'm truthful and smart!) I'm trying to do this with this entry.



All are ultimately trying to somehow get others to think you are cool. #2 is the easiest to spot. We call them drama queens. #1 is a little harder to spot. #3 can be pretty difficult to spot; but if they blatantly point out they don't care it makes it a form of #1 and easier to spot.



The best working method seems to be #4. You might need a sense of delayed gratification for this. You act like you are doing things with the smallest intent of being cool. You don't make it (Look at me!). At our age, many people have already made the connection that (Person doing (Look at me!) --> Therefore --> Trying to make people think he is cool.) Many have not made the connection that (Person seeming to NOT TRY --> person is just as likely TRYING to NOT TRY if they have realized TRYING doesn't work --> Therefore: Trying to make people think he is cool.)



Refer to *0* again if you think you don't try at all, or that you don't TRY to NOT TRY.



Again, yes, there are different gradations of trying to be cool, but you cannot tell by which # people use. You can tell, maybe, if they have a sense of delayed gratification; #4 may take longer for people to realize in you. After you've built up a lot of cool*ness from being #4 you can probably pull off some #1ing with still being cool*.



To seem the most cool*, at our age in highschool when people don't realize it's all the same shit, use #4. Search for a middle ground, so people don't recognize a #1/#2/#3. Finish your entry with, maybe, a picture. Pictures of yourself, significant other, friends. Don't try to be too much #1 (Look at me! I'm cool!) with pictures, either. Again, after you've built up a lot of cool*ness from being #4 you can probably pull off some #1ing, maybe displaying drugs or alcohol in your pictures, with still being cool*.



Marking entries as no-comment is a good method if you can handle delayed gratification. Also, if you realize your entry won't get many comments, you can mark it as no-comment so your journal looks like it gets more comments per entry; people disregard the no comment entries. I've done that a few times, I think. Then, when you do have a comment entry, you will get a larger amount of comments because people were not able to previously comment. Do this on interesting updates, those in the style of #4, many times, and you will eventually build up enough cool*ness to revert to #1/#2/#3 sometimes.



The ultimate livejournal entry would not be this long. Why?



-5-An entry too long is likely to not be read by a society of lazy people.



-6- A long entry seems more #1.

Others feel the need to not associate with those making #1(Look at me! I'm cool/uncool!) openly 'attempting to grab attention' entries. They do not realize even those making #4 style entries could be hoping just as much for comments, or more. Those doing #4 are just as much trying to grasp attention, you don't really know how much they are trying by what style they use, they are all styles of grasping attention. In later entries, (well maybe now I couldn't since people are reading this and won't truly believe my #4ing, but) I could pretend not to care for your comments, but not straight out say it. I could make an entry that seems like it isn't trying at all to say (Look at me! I want attention via saying things i did are really cool or uncool). It could subtly hint it, however. And I'd still be trying to be cool, just doing the best thing in society to be cool; not hint as much at my trying.



Again, even if the person writing #4 style entries, or any style entries, truly thinks they aren't trying to be cool.. refer to *0*. If people feel they shouldn't read this because they feel they are giving too much attention to someone 'trying too hard,' realize, again, everyone could be trying just as hard, you don't know; they are just using a different method to 'try hard', such as #4. Some have convinced themselves they truly are cool, when they are actively trying maybe more than others.



You can link a lot of these things I'm saying about LJ to real life.



If the #5 method (making people realize all the methods are just that, methods of trying to be cool) really doesn't end up working for me, I'll probably end up trying to delay my gratification and be a #4'er. In the long run, it's the best thing to do.



Being truthful is not the best way. Why did I say that? People associate truth as a positive thing, and they may try harder to be open-minded because of that. Again, why did I say the last sentence? Open-mindedness is also usually seen as a good moral to follow. Why did I say the last few sentences? I'm trying to retain my moral of being truthful, and using the word truth makes you read it more because you associate truth with being a good moral...



I edited this to make myself more cool*. Again, this does not mean I'm trying harder or less hard. Intentionally not editing it to look cool* and editing it to look cool* are both attempts at trying to look more cool*. This is what people don't understand. If you desire to understand more, try to read and understand this entire entry. Yes, of course I wrote that mostly if not solely to make you read this entry more.



I may provide a future, more concise entry with examples. Concise for the lazy to read; more examples for the uneducated to understand.



The "you're stupid unless you do what I say" type thing is a trick to try and persuade, which sometimes ends you up with the opposite; people not listening because they think you are trying too hard to persuade. This is where the difference between #1, #2, and #3/4 lies. If I just don't use criticism, and act like I'm not trying to persuade, people might listen to me more. But I'm thinking just as hard that I'm trying to persuade. I'm #4ing!

You may not actively think things in this manner as I am, but still be doing them in the back of your mind to be cool, refer to *0* again!

