books – Yuki The Snowman

Backside of Our Desires (Freewrite)

Recently I started reading Relentless: From Good, To Great, To Unstoppable by Tim Grover (athletic trainer for iconic basketball players such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant) after months of the book sitting on my dresser. Skimming through the table of contents I found a chapter that took my attention. The chapter: “When You’re a Cleaner… …You Have a Dark Side That Refuses to be Good”. I went straight to that chapter (as I know I have a dark side and comfortable with that), yearning to understand why it’s okay to have one.

The chapter opens up with Tim saying this: ‘A cooler tries to fight his dark side and loses. A closer acknowledges his dark side but isn’t able to control it. A cleaner harnesses his dark side into raw, controlled power.’ While I simply nodded and smile (a twisted smile at that), I started to laugh a bit. ‘What kinda Persona 2, 4, and 5 type shit is this?’ I asked myself. I mean, I doubt Tim Grover is a gamer nor does he gives a fuck about video games, but I couldn’t help to think about the Persona series when reading the chapter. In Persona 2, 4, and 5, you encounter the “Shadow Self” of the heroes.

Simply put, the Shadow Self is the “corrupted’ version of a character. It is their hidden desires and thoughts they do not want the world to see. Domination. Revenge. Anger. Jealously. Lust. Pride. Hatred. You name it. It is the character true self. Yukiko (Persona 4) secretly wants to be liberated from her duties as heir of her family’s business. That’s her true self. Maya’s (Persona 2) anger towards her childhood friends. That’s how she actually feels about the situation that happened to her (as a child). There’s nothing wrong with them. It’s just their repressed feelings they have yet to deal with. We felt those dark feelings often and there’s nothing wrong with it. What’s wrong is if we let those feelings control us – not the other way around (or worse, if we try to fight them).

It is said that if anyone tries to deny their shadow self in the Shadow world, their shadow will become enraged and kill the person. In short, they’re coolers. Adachi (Persona 4) knew he had a dark side and rather than control it, the darkness in his heart lead to the murders of two innocent women (and it almost caused the destruction of the world). He’s a closer. Yukiko however, came to terms to her dark desires and understood those feelings shouldn’t be demonized. Because Yukiko accepted her dark feelings (rather than denying them) , her shadow manifested into raw, controlled power (her Persona) – which she would use to save the world with her friends.

Yukiko is a cleaner.

Be real with yourself and don’t bullshit me: You have dark desires that you don’t want the world to know. It’s oaky. Those desires do not make you a horrible human being (as long as they’re not unethical, illegal, etc.). You want power and control? That’s okay. So do I and many other people in this world. You wish to dominate in your niche and be the baddest man or woman in it? Same here man. Had wrong doings against you or those you love and you want the people responsible to suffer for it?

Me too.

Since I’m on that topic, let’s take Futaba (Persona 5) for example. Her Shadow self was rooted in her desire to confirm that her mother was murdered (rather than committing suicide as originally reported). Futaba lusted for revenge against the people who murdered her mom. Futaba was going to kill herself (over the grief and stress of losing her mom) until her shadow talked her out of it and told her that she has friends who love and support her. How could Futaba get revenge against the people who killed her mom if she had offed herself? Upon accepting her true feelings of wanting revenge Futaba became a cleaner.

Now, do you see how there’s nothing wrong with having a dark side? A shadow? Your shadow self should be used as a positive.

You were used! They forged her suicide note nad laid the blame of her death upon you! They trampled all over your young heart! Get mad! Don’t forgive those rotten adults!”

-Shadow Futaba

NOTES:
Coolers: Your average guys. They get job done at a simple, everyman level. Your 9-to-5ers basically.
Closers: Those who go up and beyond just a little bit. They may do a little bit extra than the average guy, but won’t go far when face with issues that they can’t handle

Closers: Your top/god tier men and women. They do not fear pressure, advisesity, or problems. In fact, they love them. They are willing and able to dominate in any situation even if the situation is filled with problems without error.

Shadow Yukiko art source:
https://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=3428393

(Three years later I’m still mad Shadow Futaba’s white/Asian/what the fuck her race is ass dressed up like an Egyptian lmfao)

By Yuki The Snowman Posted on May 14, 2018

books 0

The Prince (Or What In The Hell is This)

Soo…I’m currently “The Prince” by Machiavelli and I am utterly confused by it. Was this dude a psychopath? Am I suppose to deeply analysis his ideas and interpret them in a special style. Cuz this dude is confusing and he was clearly fucked up in the head.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a good book and it making me interested in politics and power, but there’s a good reason a Dark Triad was named after him

By Yuki The Snowman Posted on October 25, 2017

Kakegurui 0

Yumeko Jabami and Law 28 of the 48 Laws of Power

LAW 28: ENTER ACTION WITH BOLDNESS

JUDGEMENT:
‘If you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will infect your execution. Timidity is dangerous: Better to enter with boldness. Any mistakes you commit thought audacity are easily corrected with more audacity.

Everyone admires the bold: No one honors the timid.’

-Robert Greene, 48 Laws of Power (Green, 1998, p. 227)

Pitted against the prideful Mary in a gambling match of Card Rock-Paper-Scissors, the seemingly naive Yumeko bets two 10,000 yen chips on her hand. In what seems to be a stroke of beginner’s luck, Yumeko’s bet pays off; her rock card defeating Mary’s scissors. Testing her luck further, Yumeko ups the ante; betting 50 chips (or 50,000 yen) in round two. Unshaken by this, Mary tells Yumeko that she’s quite the gambler, which she politely denies.

As the game progress there is a tie, followed by two wins for Mary. She’s feeling confident, perhaps a little bit tad cocky even. The game continues with Yumeko betting 50 chips, only to lose to Mary once more, and owing her 1,000,000 yen. The transfer student tries her luck again, betting her remaining chips, but it’s all for naught.

Mary wins again.

As Mary stokes her ego, Yumeko requests her for one final game. Despite Yumeko lacking any chips, Mary honors her request with a smile (while taunting Yumeko; calling her an idiot, etc.). The prideful girl starts to praise her own genius. She believes that she can force Yumeko into a debt – thus lowing her social status to that of livestock.

What Mary didn’t expect was Yumeko betting 10,000,000 yen – real cash – not mere poker chips.

Offended, Mary snaps on the bold Yumeko; calling her crazy and careless.

“There’s no way you can afford to bet so much on a single RPS game! You’re crazy!” Cried Mary. She doesn’t think that Yumeko is actually putting down real money on the line. This is a joke! Yet, Yumeko is not joking – she is serious. She sees the fun in her bold action and high risks. Mary is confused and angry at Yumeko’s recklessness. She assumes that Yumeko is just mocking her with such fearlessness and is merely baiting her. She refuse to go on with the game the bet but Yumeko mocks her as she turns away.

“Don’t tell me you have cold feet.” mimicking Mary’s earlier taunts with smug. Hearing this, Mary reluctantly accepts the offer.

As the girls play their final cards, Yumeko reveals to Mary that she knew that she was paying off their classmates to manipulate the game to ensure Mary’s victory. Mary is enraged once more but regains her composure. Mary thinks that Yumeko is simply bluffing for a win by getting under her skin. How could she have this knowledge of her using her classmates to win? She is just a simple stupid girl. She can’t be that smart. Regaining faith in herself, Mary slams down the paper card on the table with the highest confidence.

Alas for Mary, Yumeko held scissor – defeating her.

The bold action of betting with cash as opposed to poker chips and using her skills to dismantle Mary’s cheating system (and a little luck), Yumeko made a name for herself on her first day of her new school by defeating Mary.at her own game. Her daring spirit took Mary by surprise, as she didn’t expect the new student to pull such a stunt off against her and win.

Yumeko’s brilliant fearlessness humbled the once prideful Mary.

REVERSAL:
‘Boldness should never be the strategy behind all of your actions. It is a tactical instrument, to be used at the right moment. Plan and think ahead, and make the final element the bold move that will bring you success. In other words, since boldness is a learned response, it is also one that you learn to control and utilize at will. To go through life armed only with audacity would be tiring and also fatal. You would offend too many people, as is proven by those who cannot control their boldness.’ (Green, 1998, p. 235)

“Life or Death”, or “A typical day in South Chicago and North St. Louis”.

After accepting an invite to play against Yuriko in her modify roulette game “Life or Death”, Yumeko decides to act bold against the student council member. Bolder than her earlier match against Mary mind you. Rather than silently wait until later to reveal the cheating system of Yuriko’s game, she goes off on her with bravado.

“Your methods are the worst.” Yumeko berates her with a smirk. In her bravery, she admits to her that she knew that Yuriko baited Mary into the game. Yuriko took advantage of the broken Mary; luring her with the hope of clearing her debts and reclaim her pride – only to mislead her and sink her further into it. Yumeko compares her to a loan shark, calls her the lowest of the low, and finally – a piece of shit.

Yuriko (trying to hide her anger) simply smiles warmly, brushing off Yumeko’s offensive language and taunts. Yuriko seems to forgive Yumeko’s brashness, but is quickly angered again when Yumeko starts playing around with her family name, “Nishinotouin” – calling it a proper family name for a cheap airhead like Yuriko.

Yuriko snaps.

This was a tactic to force Yuriko into rage and bet everything she has blindly. Yumeko knew Yuriko was cheating. Her personal dealer had magnetic metal moles implanted in her hands. This was to control the blades’ location in order to influence where each blade landed. Later, Yumeko explains how this cheat has no absolute guarantee for victory; as you can only control one blade and leave the rest to luck.

After bragging about her successful revelation of the cheat, Yumeko lost the match. Her boldness worked against her as she lost not due to Yuriko’s skills, but simple and pure luck.

With this lost, Yumeko’s status is reduced to the levels of housepet. But then again, Yumeko doesn’t seem to mind.

By Yuki The Snowman Posted on September 16, 2017