#don't let the opinions of people who don't know you well affect your major life decisions or your opinions about yourself

[artykyn]

Me: I’m going back to school and switching careers to programming

My coworkers who I had for 8 months: Oh :/ such a shame that you’re leaving tissue culture :/ it’s so hard to find people with good TC skills :/ why programming though?? So random

My previous boss at a TC company who I worked with for 4.5 years and who I still keep in touch with: Yeah that tracks. You’ll be great at that.

#don't let the opinions of people who don't know you well affect your major life decisions or your opinions about yourself #the people who know me well are more supportive than the people who barely know me #and it's not because they love me more. It's because they are better judges of my capabilities and interests #to people who don't know me well it's like ''wtf you're going from plant science to computers?? weird switch but okay'' #meanwhile my previous boss be like ''yeah you were the only one here who ever understood and efficiently used our data tracking program'' #it was also really funny when I told people that the entrance exam to apply for school was a bunch of logic puzzles #and they all looked at me with genuine HORROR like OH MAN THAT SUCKS BUT GOOD LUCK I HOPE YOU PASS!! #and it shocked ME that they responded that way because... i thought... logic puzzles... were fun #i genuinely was forced to confront a new concept: #apparently some people do not think that analytical reasoning puzzles are a fun way to choose to spend your free time #I also had to do analytical reasoning puzzles in front of the person who interviewed me for school admissions #i was supposed to take 30 minutes on the puzzles. and then 30 minutes of answering normal interview questions #i.... i did all the puzzles in like.... 7 minutes.... #and the interviewer was like #''oh ok you got through those fast.... um... well... clearly you have a good grasp of logical thinking strategies...''' #mine #memories #employment #school #boss #career #programming #tissue culture

[olderthannetfic]

https://www.tumblr.com/olderthannetfic/744655651809247232/honestly-as-a-diaspora-hyphenated-american-not-a?source=share

Remove "white" and replace "publishing" with everyone, and we're getting closer.

Diaspora in my experience are a lot more anal about "authenticity" and accuracy. The white people who care about it normally just parrot what the diaspora are saying without questioning it. The greatest sin is honestly that white people, but honestly everyone else as well, parrots "diaspora" without even caring about all the different opinions on topics or understanding it. Random diaspora said something with big words? Let's amplify it and spread it as gospel. There's this token diaspora, or the token diaspora group, and that's who now matters forever.

Diaspora put themselves up to the nigh unattainable measure of accuracy which even mainlanders don't hold themselves to. Mainland books can often end up with a lot more diversity, because they don't feel the need to be accurate, because everyone already lives that accuracy. Diaspora culture is a culture that many diaspora almost try to reject, and badmouth what diaspora culture is, and then try to get as close as possible to what they believe is authentic.

If a diaspora doesn't have much cultural authenticity, who'll notice? Completely unrelated to the culture people? Or will it be fellow diaspora who might have an idealized view on the mainland culture and therefore demand every diaspora do it justice? Maybe the diaspora are so anal about the authenticity because they still want to cling to the "pure" culture of the mainland, untainted by being diaspora, and they miss the mark.

White people, and "Outsider" diaspora might not even know enough about mainland culture to really have an opinion. They probably won't know and understand cultural quirks, habits, traditions, cultural events and festivities, and more, but you know who does? Other diaspora. Other diaspora will notice if you represent a certain cultural event "wrong." They'll notice if you take "too many" liberties in your reimagining, or if you take inspiration from cultural stories. Diaspora might be much quicker to criticize eg diaspora food culture for not being authentic enough. While mainlanders might be much more laidback. Which has been an ongoing debate for years.

Any white person, or once again "other" diaspora will just parrot what they hear. It's the diaspora who set the tune for march. Some even accidentally, or on pupose, overstepping into other cultures to make it a general issue, instead of a personal issue.

Many diaspora also write FOR diaspora. Stories about young diaspora children trying to figure out life as a diaspora? How it affects you living between two cultures? Books about understanding the culture as a diaspora? Navigating racism? Books which explains cultural events in great detail, which a mainlander wouldn't need because they and everyone around them live it actively? Books covering stories around not feeling lesser because your culture isn't the dominant one? Handling the rejections of your own culture because of majority-peer pressure? Maybe it's even a story set in the mainland, but with heavy tones of the experiences of a diaspora, which you wouldn't find in mainland stories. And obviously as mentioned all the quirks and traditions brought from the mainlands.

I can obviously just speak from a very shallow experience, but that's how I see it.

--

I do think that some diaspora might have a higher demand for accuracy and authenticity though, through the experience of having their culture messed and misrepresented by American media. Alternatively having observed other mainland cultures in that spot, and wanting to ensure that theirs doesn't end up in that same situation of being messed with, by outsiders or people who do not understand nor care, and just create cultural slop through wilful ignorance. This could lead to holding a higher standard for their fellow diaspora, because there's the expectation of knowing better, and being better, so you have to do everything to avoid messing it up like you'd have seen in mainstream American entertainment by outsiders. You end up with an artificial hurdle created by people who didn't understand your culture, but still affected diaspora enough to make that need for authenticity and accuracy a high priority.

I think a lot of how diaspora stuff plays out is directly connected to people feeling rejected by both the old culture and the new one.

[transmascpetewentz]

The reason that transandrophobia is a real, systemic oppression is because both transphobia and misogyny are forces of systemic oppression that greatly affect the lives of transmascs. Misandry need not exist for transandrophobia to; what I call transandrophobia is the intersection of transphobia and misogyny that affects transmascs, as well as anyone perceived to be transmasc or transmasc-adjacent.

I would also argue that transandrophobia usually refers to the way that a combination of transphobia and misogyny are used to speak over transmascs, take away our autonomy, and treat us like objects who don't have opinions on everything that affects us. It's the way that some of us, usually those of us who primarily date cis women, try to be "one of the good ones." It's the way that everyone is immediately suspicious of us being incels, especially if we aren't attracted to women.

It's the way that we are constantly forced into the role of a woman: how we're expected to put up with forcefem "jokes," detransition "jokes," corrective rape "jokes," and other such "jokes." If we don't let people walk all over us, calling us feminine terms, reminding us of our place, that's toxic masculinity. We can't have any relationship to womanhood, either, or else we're creepy men invading women's spaces. But if we reject womanhood entirely, if we exist as men who only love other men; then we're basically the same as MGTOW guys! /s

The difference between us and MRAs is that MRAs are straight, white, and usually able bodied and neurotypical. Meanwhile, transmasc-centered feminists tend to be neurodivergent and/or disabled gay trans men, and there seems to be a good mix of different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds speaking up. The MRA comparison doesn't work because when MRAs don't want to take women seriously, it is from a place of misogyny and often straight privilege. Gay trans men that don't worship cis women in every way are just guys who are tired of being forced to be women. There is a big difference here.

A lot of this new discourse is very much "gay men are more likely than straight men to be misogynists because they don't even like women!" repackaged, except it's not even repackaged. You just added "trans" to the beginning of everything! I don't know why I have to explain to queer discourse Tumblr in the year 2023 that not being attracted to women when you're a man doesn't inherently contribute to misogyny and patriarchy.

Gay trans men aren't making a choice to leave the Good Pure Women's Team and join the Horrible Evil Incel Faggots. Kill the radfem in your brain that believes that queer male identity and sexuality is inherently oppressive. Kill the homophobe in your brain that believes gay men need a woman in their lives to prevent them from going off the deep end. Kill the biphobe in your brain that believes that the only moral thing for an m-spec man to do is to date a good pure woman.

Transitioning is not a calculated choice for the vast majority of transmascs. I do not owe any cis woman the rest of my life spent in emotional pain due to dysphoria in order to make her happy that I'm not one of Those People. No one owes anyone else suppression of their personal identity and desires for gender expression in order to serve someone else's political framework. If your social or political framework does not include someone's identity, that is a problem with your framework, not their identity.

Gay trans men are not predators. Putting "trans" in front of your homophobia doesn't make it less homophobic.

#wentz.txt #transandrophobia #long post #homophobia #this isn't directed towards anyone in particular #just a few thoughts i've been having + someone asking a question in the transandrophobia tag a bit ago #also i'm just one guy so take this with a grain of salt

[preraphaeliteknight]

I've spent a few days thinking about what to do moving forward. It's not the breakup of a celebrity couple that's affected me the most, it's the feeling of losing my safe space in the Tumblr Swiftie fandom. Every time I've logged onto this app in the last few days I've flinched and quickly exited the dash to get away from yet another take mocking and ridiculing Joe. Or minimizing his very valid fears. "Unbothered 3.0". Rewriting history to make the last 6 years seem insignificant. Comparing him to CH as if petty jealousy is the issue here and not years of harassment. Celebrating the return of Taylor Swift, The Brand, no matter what that means for her future happiness. And circulating pressers that make it sound like Joe was a therapy dog who's no longer needed. All of which is making me feel physically ill. For both of them. And even when this stuff isn't coming from the people I follow (who for the most part have nuanced and fair takes), it's coming from their anons. And no matter what I do I can't get away from the outright cruelty and shocking lack of empathy for the person Taylor has credited with saving her life. Even though swifties know better than anyone what Joe has had to put up with for over half a decade. Given that treatment, I suppose it shouldn't surprise me that this is how he's being discarded. But fuck it hurts. So where does this leave me? This blog was never supposed to be an update account or an ask blog. I just wanted a space to fangirl over my favorite actor. But in the last few months this has become a space for Joe fans to be excited for his upcoming projects and clown over castings (remember a few weeks ago when we were giddily figuring out his next movie because of insta follows? yeah, take me back to that please). And I know some of you rely on this blog as a space to both appreciate Joe and vent your frustrations with his unfair treatment. I have 70+ asks in my inbox right now, the vast majority of which are well written, thoughtful takes on what's been happening. And I agree with pretty much all of it. Thank you for taking the time to send me your thoughts. But the truth is, I simply don't have the emotional capacity to reply to them right now. I can't do it. I can't talk and think and dwell on this. To quote a song that's too painful to listen to right now: "I'm just too soft for all of it." So I feel like I have two options if I ever want to be able to be active on Tumblr again: 1. Unfollow all swifties. Because just seeing pictures of Taylor (especially from the pap walk) makes me feel ill. And it's affecting my opinion of her even though I'm mad at her fans, and not her. And I don't want that to happen or the music to be tarnished. But I also don't want to break mutuals and hurt someone's feelings. And I want to know what's going on with Taylor. I'm a huge fan of her too, and I want to be excited for tour and the re-recordings. So that's why I'm going with option 2: Take a proper break. A real one, this time. Hopefully this all won't feel so hard with some time and distance. I don't know if it will solve anything, because swifties will get back to talking about Joe in the future (whenever she makes art about this) and then I'll probably have to flinch every time I open this app again. Because he will have been reduced to yet another ex swifties can make fun of. So maybe I have to go with both options in the end. If I do, I hope any mutuals out there know not to take it personally. I wish more than anything that I could return to the days of being a casual fan who wouldn't have thought twice about any of this. And maybe that's what I need to try to get back to. For my own sanity's sake. I'm sorry to any Joe fans out there who need a place to vent. I feel like I'm letting you down, but I just can't do this right now. Maybe I'll be able to in the future. Maybe I'll leave this blog and go back to my main instead where the subjects will be more varied. I don't know. I'll always be a Joe fan though, and no shitty presser or swiftie narrative is going to change that.

Please just be kind to each other, and to Taylor and Joe. Let's hope the best for both of them, and please please please don't tarnish all the good that this relationship gave them. And all the beautiful music it gave us.

All my love

#I won't delete the app or anything so you can always dm me if you want to #and I have notifications on for joealwyndaily so I'll probs reblog if anything exciting happens #but yeah I'll see you when I see you and sorry for the rant

[neurotheascars]

I think other vision impaired people need to understand that the fear of loosing your vision is not always "hey blind person, your life is a nightmare to me."

A lot of times it's really seriously, honestly, "I am not ready for the major adjustment it will take to live my life blind" and it's spoken by someone that has a hidden good reason to worry.

It's "If I lost the ability to see, I would lose a lot of things that are extremely important to the enjoyment of my life"

The "I would commit die if I became blind" is not "I'd kill myself if I was you" it's "I am not as strong as you and my life is more easily ruined by such things"

You don't have to, as a blind person who is totally ok with being blind, insert yourself into this worry because vision impairment affects everyone differently. Some of us have preexisting conditions that make life untenable should we lose vision.

The assumption it takes to twist "I worry about being able to function if this happened to me" into "I think your life is a nightmare" very much feels like inserting yourself into that persons perspective on their own life, when you could think about how being well adjusted to being vision impaired is a privilege unto itself. You could also be the one that dashes that fear by talking about something you had difficulty with that became easy.

Consider also whether your experience with blindness is innate because you were born with it. because it certainly does make a very big difference If you didn't have to suddenly drop everything in your life and readjust to a different one after becoming blind. It's not a nightmare to you when it very well could be for someone else and you really shouldn't talk over those people.

Like the context is super important here.

The people you are mad at are the able-bodied folk giving you unsolicited opinions directly to you about what your life would be like for them, not people who are speaking about a fear they have on their own and not talking directly to you.

If we are allowed to mourn and fear a loss of ability then why does that stop at vision impairment. Why does "you don't have to like your disability" stop here. If I don't have to love my disability then let me say I hate my vision impairment! Let me say it would ruin my life if it got worse!!

I'm not saying your blind life sucks, I'm saying MY life will suck if I completely loose my vision. Just because you can manage doesn't mean everyone will. Its actually really fucking belittling how much y'all talk about how insulting it is to hear how people can't deal with what you're oh so used to.

I'm autistic and I stim visually. I am allowed to think a life without being able to stim is a bad one for me. I'm allowed to regard visual input as the most important thing in my life.

My system is a professional artist. I'm allowed to say that blindness would destroy my life as I know it and I would have to build a new one from the ground up. I'm fast losing acuity even though I can probably see more colors than most people. Colors are my God and I seriously would have a mental health crisis if something were to take color away from my life. I'm allowed to say these things without people thinking I'm talking about how their life sucks.

This is a post made by someone with legal blindness and deteriorating vision. I will block the fuck out of you if you take this post in bad faith and misinterpret what I'm saying in a mean way.

#disability #ablism

[pretensesoup]

Queer books, day 31/30

Turns out I like writing about books in this format, but I read a lot more slowly than I write.

I asked on Mastodon for everyone's favorite romance novels with an NB character in them. Partly because I'm in the process of writing my own NB character and I wanted to see how other people had dealt with sex scenes (in the anatomic sense). Partly because I just wanted to see how anyone else conceptualized nonbinaryness*. That request led me to Sword Dance by AJ Demas. It only sort of answers my questions, but that's okay because it's amazing.

In an alternative version of the Mediterranean, Damiskos is an ex-soldier (now disabled) and current quartermaster who has been sent to visit an old friend (Nione) to secure a contract for fish sauce. At her house, he meets: a bunch of tedious philosophers led by Eurydemos (who seems to preach a very anti-alien, anti-LGBTQ agenda, and yet is writing poems for...), Varazda (a sword dancer and eunuch from Zash, another country in which Damiskos was once stationed and for which he harbors a deep affection), Varazda's "owner" Aristokles, and a few others. Quickly, Damiskos surmises that all is not as it seems--first, he foils an attempt on Varazda's life, and it becomes apparent that the relationship between Varazda and Aristokles may be a lie--in fact, they are conspiring to hide something far greater than the fact that Varazda is not actually a slave. Soon, Damiskos is teaming up with Varazda to solve a murder, then to avert a war and recapture Nione's villa from the philosophers. Oh, and falling in love.

Varazda is an interesting character. He (Damiskos's POV is the only one we get, and he uses male pronouns for him, although he says he thinks of himself as both male and female) was made a eunuch after his father lost a military engagement of some kind. He was then enslaved for a while, until he was sent to the Zashian embassy in Boukos, and then he was freed. This is obviously a major source of trauma, and Damiskos is in a unique place to appreciate that because of his time in Zash. As a result, Damiskos is extremely careful in their nascent relationship to let Varazda lead. Their relationship is very sweet in part because of this deference, and they deal with consent very well.

Key quote: (Varazda has been discussing how he doesn't always achieve an erection because of being a eunuch.)

Rather boldly, Damiskos said, "Want to see if we can make it happen again?" Varazda looked up in surprise. "What--right now?" "Yes, of course right now! Immortal gods. We're sitting on your bed, talking about how beautiful you are and whether or not you like sex--it's surprising I even need to say anything." "I am literally a eunuch, First Spear." After that they were both laughing...

As you might have guessed from the summary above, this is a world in which there is violence, homophobia/transphobia, and slavery, including sexual slavery. Women have some rights to own property, but they aren't voting citizens. The implication, reading between the lines, is that in the world generally, same-sex couples aren't too uncommon, and it's just Eurydemos's students who have a problem with them. (Eurydemos and his students reminded me a bit of Socrates and Plato, but of course Plato doesn't care that much about same-sex relationships, c.f. that one story from Symposium that got turned into a song from Hedwig and the Angry Inch. But I've been privileged to hear some angry Jesse rants about Plato since doing the podcast, and it reminded me of that. Anyway, as Plato says a lot, philosophers with bad opinions were a dime a dozen back in Athens, so.) Also, warning for explicit on-page sex.

*: Is Varazda nonbinary or is he gender fluid? I don't know. At one point, he says, "I never really think of myself as a man, but most of the time I'm quite happy for other people to think of me that way." Elsewhere, he implies that he doesn't want to be neither male or female, so he tries to be both. Maybe genderfluid is a better word for him. Maybe he can't articulate exactly how he feels, because he's not speaking to Damiskos in his first language, or because there isn't a word for how he feels. Either way, I enjoyed the way the character was portrayed.

That's it. Lots of action/plot, a good amount of romance, very engaging, love the setting. 10/10, go read it.

#pride #queer books #thirty days of books #lgbtq books #book review #queer fiction #lgbtq fiction #novel #aj demas #sword dance #alternative history #greek-adjacent #disability rep #nonbinary romance

[moonchild033]

Hi,

Thank you so much for informing me that I can send a question here in your asks.

I still consider myself a newbie when it comes to vedic astrology so I just wanted to know your general opinion about my placements(if you can throw in some career suggestions, that would be greatly appreciated):

Anuradha Scorpio Sun 1st house 10°

Ashlesha Moon 9th house 18°

Jyeshta Scorpio Rising 23°

Uttara Phalguni Leo Midheaven 27°

Should I put the lowest degree and highest degree planet fpr funsies?

Lowest : Mercury Moola Sagittarius 0° 2nd

Highest : Venus Chitra Virgo 25° 11th

When i read about about Ashlesha moon, it answered all of the questions that my Leo moon western astrology couldn't answer.

I hope my question is okay(?)

Thank you for letting me ask.

Hey boo! ❤💫

It's gonna be a long post :)

Let's explore ur placements one at a time-

Scorpio rising (Jyeshta, 23°):

Scorpio rising kids would've been born to their parents when they were going through a comparatively rough phase. As a jyeshta rising, u will be calculative and have a way with your words as jyeshta star is ruled by mercury. People will admire you for the choice of your words and the politeness in your tone. Ur degree placement is in Aquarius which makes u look pretty intelligent to the world. Simply put, sign ruler (mars) will make you determined and passionate, star ruler (jyeshta) will make u strategic and clever, degree (23°) will give u out of the box thinking and the trait to form good interpersonal relationships. These combinations can also end up in over confidence or disregard people who are not up to the scale of intelligence u have (Be conscious about this boo if it's relatable in ur case)

Scorpio sun (Anuradha, 10°):

Your 10H ruler is in first house which can make you daydream about being a boss. You are career oriented and don't like to climb the ladder, you would dream about being on the top as soon as you enter into professional life. Scorpio sun in 1H can also give u bit of headweight and know it all attitude, even though you don't propaganda it openly, it can sometimes show up in your behavior, you should be conscious about that. Your sun in anuradha star shows that u possess good leadership qualities and the perseverance to put in consistent hardwork. You're a diplomatic person, it can be affected by your overwhelming emotions at times but your external demeanor will manage it very well . You also have Capricorn degrees, which adds more to your goal oriented and bossy qualities. Overall it seems like your sun placement is THAT pack, creating the burning desire of success inside you.

Cancer moon (Ashlesha, 18°):

You have moon in it's own house, 9H moon is also a lucky placement. You may have strong orthodox religious beliefs and enjoy reading/experiencing spirituality.You may travel for gaining wisdom on spiritual endeavors. You're an emotional person but your ashlesha star gives you a control over it, u know when to strike and when not to. As a mercury ruled star, ashlesha will develop your curiosity on knowing yourselves and decoding your own self. You can be creative and imaginative, particularly talented in writing (maybe poems?!). You could have had a secret diary which u might have hidden or threw away, getting scared of people reading it (The point is you might have written your emotions, that could've been your major outlet). You have 18°, which can make you more introverted and patient.

I tried to cover up as much as I could but it would be better if you can split up questions in the ask so that it will be easier to answer one by one and in more detail for each boo, I hope this answer helps you a bit! 🤗

I didn't touch anything career related as I need more information (whole chart) and time (at least a week) to sit and process. I hope you understand and thank you for your ask.😇

Feel free to ask any more queries or give feedback! I'm open to constructive criticisms bcoz that's the only way we grow.💕

Let's learn and grow together! 🤗💋

With Love-N ❤💫

#astro placements #astrology #birth chart #blogs #natal chart #astro observations #jyestha #jyeshta #anuradha #scorpio #ashlesha #cancer #astro notes

[gemsofgreece]

In your experience, what is the general public opinion of LGBT people in Greece?

This is a difficult question and it is twice as hard for me in specific because I do not consider myself very suitable to talk about it.

My opinion, however, is that the perception of LGBT people in Greece is somewhat odd, conflicted - αλλοπρόσαλλη for Greek speakers, I am sorry I can't find an exact equivalent in English. In general, Greece has better views on LGBT matters than most of Eastern Europe and it is a little worse than most of Western Europe.

In terms of legality, Greece was the third European country to decriminalise homosexuality back in 1951 (after Italy and Switzerland), so this was surprisingly good. However it hasn't been very consistent with moving forward earlier than others. The biggest obstacle to this is the church, not the secular state itself, simply because the church has immense power over the secular state. LGBT marriages are not allowed in Greece because the huge majority of Greek marriages are religious and Orthodoxy still fiercely opposes to it. On the other hand, Greece recently allowed adoption and fostering of children by gay couples, so you see the conundrum. You can be a gay couple having children but you can't get married???? Also, you can adopt but apparently the Church loses its mind if you are gay and baptise your infant child (what does the infant have to do with anything????) so essentially the Church tries to block both you and the entirely blissfully ignorant kid to enter the faith. Does it make sense? Nope. I am hearing the political marriage is a matter of time though!

Society does better in accepting LGBT people than the family and the church. Most problems LGBT people have are from their immediate family, not from school or workplace as much. Personally I was fortunate to not have witnessed bullying to somebody because of their sexuality but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Most young people don't express their sexuality too openly until they go to college but they usually adapt well there. Young - even minors - and educated Greeks are way more accepting than middle aged ones. Of course, large cities are also much friendlier environments than villages and small towns where the kids certainly choose to stay closeted until they leave the aging provincial community. Still, with all the undoubtable problems, in my experience LGBT people have suffered more from their family and their life became easier once they left home. I personally know occasions of supportive parents (or parents who grew into being supportive because they loved their kids) but I also know about a pretty fucked up case.

This conundrum might be explained by the old as time Greek mentality "do whatever you want but don't let the people know" that applies to everything. Even several toxic people repeat that they don't care what somebody does in their bedroom but "they don't want them to shove it in their face". Of course, things like hand-holding or kissing is considered "shoving in face". Public displays of affection are rare and they might provoke sarcasm or odd looks but it is very unlikely that it will lead to violence. It has happened but it's not typical. (Having said that, excessive PDA is kinda generally frowned upon, even when it comes from heterosexual couples, but of course there is no comparison between the levels of tolerance.) Women generally have it better than men because simply female homosexuality is not considered as important (you know men, it's all about the dick).

LGBT celebrities are mostly open about it. There is never a BIG coming out like it happens in other countries. Usually people don't speak about their sexualities until at some point they do and it's pretty unceremonious and it's kinda like stating the obvious. We somehow all know who is LGBT and they know we know and then when they are like 60 years old they are like "yeah of course I am gay" and then we are all like "thanks, Captain Obvious". That's how it works. It's always dead obvious but it is rarely spoken about. Again, it's the whole "do but do not tell" thing.

Famous LGBT people's worth is valued by their work / art. Celebrities of questionable talent might receive jokes targeting their sexualities. Acclaimed celebrities, who also have a very serious / solemn / sophisticated attitude, are considered untouchables and enjoy a lot of respect. One example was Manos Hatzidakis, one of Greece's best composers ever, who was openly gay but also was a very serious and private person.

Trans and non-binary people have a bigger problem to be accepted or understood in Greece than cis- gendered LGBT people. Their adaptation to the society is significantly harder and many of them must be staying in the closet for life. They have more problems in school and definitely in the workplace. Despite that, there are trans or non-binary famous people that break the rules (including the "don't be in my face" one) and they are loved and respected all the same.

Two examples are Ilias Psinakis and Takis Zaharatos. Even many straightTM middle aged dudes love them. Psinakis had even become a politician and he was very popular in his municipality until a tragic wildfire happened but it wasn't his fault anyway. He lost popularity in politics after that but he is still huge in the "star system". Psinakis has an extremely vulgar sense of humour but he is so unapologetically his very bold self that most people respect him for it. Zaharatos is very private but has been a very talented mime and a drag queen for many decades, he is the first and still most famous Greek drag queen and everybody loves him including many of the straightest straights.

Ilias Psinakis. And then they say Finland has modern politicians. Gurl, please. I also added a photo of him young because important. 

Takis Zaharatos. 

So, did you make any sense with everything I told you because I frankly don’t. I just think it comes down to two facts: a) the fact that the Greek society is confused - it has very conservative influences but it also has very liberal influences and it desperately tries to balance between the two and b) that Greeks, even historically, care much more about what you appear to be than what you are. Even like 99% parents don’t care that their child is gay, they care what the town will say about their child being gay. 

I am sorry for potential inaccuracies and I welcome anyone to add on or offer a different perspective about this topic. 

#lgbt #lgbt people in greece #lgbt views #greece #anon #ask

[rena-iwa]

I noticed something interesting when rereading Riftan’s POV. Riftan’s plan to leave Whedon and not stand trial is not out of character. After Riftan marries Maxi he plans to step down as the commander of the Remdragon Knights and ask the Duke of Croyso for an army to take to the dragon subjugation. But, the knights refuse to accept his resignation and join him on the campaign. They later plan to defect with Livadon with him.

Hmm... I think yes, but also no, but also a little bit of yes? I'd say the major difference between those events is his motive, which also shows how obsessive he became after he learnt of how Maxi had been treated.

He could potentially be described as one with tendencies towards being self-sacrificial. (Although I wonder whether it isn't too strong of a word. It just appears that, when given a responsibility, he defaults to relying on himself only, even if it could potentially hurt him? Especially if others could be harmed in the process. It may be more so incidental that he ends up sacrificing his well-being, as he keeps on drawing the short end of the stick, but I digress). Definitely a common denominator between the two events.

I'm not sure if I'm capable of describing my thoughts well, but let me try.

What I see as the major difference is the reasoning behind his actions. Before the first dragon campaign, Riftan plans to leave the post of the commander of Remdragon Knights, because he doesn't want to endanger his knights. He was roped into participating in it, they don't have to share his fate. Assuming his subordinates were fine with his decision, his choice would be one that'd significantly reduce the amount of harm done -- Duke's scheme would affect only one person. The order would still function, his knights could go on about living their lives, they wouldn't have to endure any hardships. (However, them threatening to follow him regardless? That tips the scales of what's beneficial. If he still followed through with stepping down as the commander, then a rift would be formed within the knightly order, thus potentially weakening its status. The knights who'd follow him would still experience the horrors of the expedition. Additionally, given lack of any structure and the fact that only some might have chosen this path, their regiment could be at a disadvantage, thus putting their lives in even more danger. At that point, it just doesn't make sense for him to leave the post anymore).

With the trial? I'd say he loses the ability to see the bigger picture. Riftan just fixates on Maxi, and on what would be most beneficial to her, no matter what price he'd have to pay. No matter what price would be paid by the system surrounding him. That second part, that's what's "not like him", but also... Very like him. In my opinion, it speaks of how his mental state has become at the time. Rift within the Remdragon Knights? Losing Anatol (who knows what would happen to people living there under a new liege)? Losing any status he obtained for himself, having to revert to being a mercenary, possibly dragging others along the very same path? Riftan is ready to burn his entire life down for her sake, even after an exit from the situation appears. (I have a post on this saved in my drafts, so let me cut it short here).

So, yeah. In a way, self-sacrifice is definitely "his thing"? But the "why" and "how" of things seems to differ, at least in my opinion.

Thanks for dropping by! :) It seems I've ranted your ear off again... Ahh, I'm not sure, are you an Unfortunate Anon, or an Enabler Anon? Hahahaha.

#answered #Anonymous #under the oak tree spoilers #under the oak tree novel spoilers #utot spoilers #under the oak tree #under the oak tree novel #riftan calypse #iwa and her rambling

[myuni-moon]

I gotta ask, how would the archons or anyone else react to reader being overwhelmed with being like a whole deity sudently. Cuz i fell like unless they wore a deity before it would be a loot to get used to.

Sorry if u already answered this i just got here and this queschon would not let me be. 😅

I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK LIKE 3 MONTHS FOR ME TO ANSWER. I've been busy with school since I'm in senior high and will be off to college in 2 years (give or take).

Anyways, in my sagau, I do hc that the reader is human, so they'd most likely be overwhelmed with all the deity talk. Though, I firmly believe that the archons have a work-away around this.

First, they'll just give you the rundown of what's happening; most likely, you'll be disoriented. They'll let you adjust to the circumstance, teaching you about the current world little by little while caring for you and observing your behavior. Your existence within Teyvat itself will be kept as a secrecy until your mental state is stable enough that you won't go into shock from overstimulation. The list of people you interact with is also limited to ensure you don't get overwhelmed either. This list at least consists of Zhongli, Venti, Ei, Baizhu (who's in charge of weekly check-ups in case your body develops certain medical conditions from a difference in environment), and the adepti. Individuals who know of your existence outside of that list are Diluc, Ningguang, and Nahida. The dendro archon does know that you are in Teyvat but doesn't possess the capacity to visit or see you because of the work to be done in Sumeru after recent events.

The reader would only be exposed to the public after much deliberation and have well-adjusted to life in Teyvat for the most part. There would be some responsibilities for you after the proclamation that you are indeed the beloved god of all beings in Teyvat. These mostly consist of being a public figure and being a symbol for peace and unity such as doing charity work or making public appearances. You do hold some form of diplomatic power. You are able to influence governments and policies, but you don't create, instate, or abolish laws directly. It just feels or looks like it due to how willing people would bend to you.

Here comes the saying "with great power, comes great responsibility." At some point, you do have to take up the mantle of being a leader. You're not necessarily outgoing, charismatic, or strong, but you do fall into the role of being a ruler or leader. You have to think about the factors in which your actions can affect the world around you. You can bring seven nations to war on a whim and bring chaos to the lives of normal citizens, simply by swaying political opinions and government decisions. Or you can work out diplomatic meetings for countries to reach a compromise rather let them settle it through bloodshed. Overall, the title of being Teyvat's god doesn't mean you'll just sit around and be pampered all day (as lovely as that sounds), you still do have responsibilities, but you don't exactly work unless the situation is dire or intense.

This would definitely be more than overwhelming, especially if you aren't in a leadership role or don't have a very assertive personality. Hence, your services aren't enacted unless the safety of an entire nation is being threatened or the majority are suffering. In those cases, such as the vision hunt decree in Inazuma, you should be able to call for the abolishment of the decree because of public outcry. The archons would take care of such before it gets to that level because they don't want you to get stressed out. To them, your health is top priority. They don't delve into matters of nations they're not an archon of, but if it helps alleviate your situation, they'll do anything-- even if it is rather extreme.

Most likely, they'll even keep problems a secret and solve it themselves. You might not even notice anything's wrong with how well they might even deal with it. They don't like bringing any of their quarrels when they come see you either. Like mentioned in the past, there's a neutrality "rule" where it's a cease-fire in your presence. The moment you walk into the room, they have to act civil even if they don't want to get along. If the harbingers or the cryo archon ever come to visit, they leave the combat and grudges behind in favor of giving you all their care and attention. There might be animosity between Zhongli and Childe after the latter released an ancient god and almost flooded Liyue harbor; however, for your sake, they play nice. If they ever start acting up, just give them a look, and they'll stand down.

For any breakdowns from overstimulation, you're taken somewhere else that guarantees your privacy. You're taken back to your bedroom where only Zhongli and Baizhu are allowed to tend to you, and you'll stay there until they are assured of your good health. It'll be a few weeks as well until you're able to go out and return to your duties; even then, you're constantly monitored for a few days after that. At any sign of discomfort, the archons are quick to distract you from whatever makes you feel overwhelmed. They usually take you somewhere secluded and calm you down with soothing words and gentle touches. Venti plays his lyre and tells you tales from times long past. Zhongli keeps you in an embrace, shielding you away from the world for the time being. Ei does breathing exercises with you and suggests to try a bit of meditation once you're well enough.

#myuni answers

[narratingvoice]

Have you ever sat down and thought about how David Cage is allowed to like. Write games. Like they’re not even good but he keeps getting the money to write them. What kind of story would you make if you had that kind of budget?

David Cage?? You come into my inbox and you talk to me about David Cage???? Well at least you have the correct opinion. You are being very generous to call his writing "not even good". It is drivel of the highest order; pretentious and self-absorbed, practically turning to the camera and shouting "Look at me, I'm an auteur!" It's as though he's terribly interested in being perceived as a purveyor of enlightened wisdom about the human condition, but without actually doing the hard work of having anything meaningful to say. Thus we get ham-fisted racism allegories written by someone who's never experienced any sort of discrimination in his life. You get serious emotional choices distilled down into mindless quick time events that give you no room to contemplate the implications of your decision before making it. I don't even think he likes games at all, and is under the impression that he is making Oscar bait movies that happen to include some button presses. Honestly, what kind of person is that desperate for attention?

To answer your first question, yes, I think about it all the time. You know Heavy Rain won a BAFTA for its story? The game that lets you do this, undercutting the gravity of the situation entirely? What a farce! In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret: seeing the way that game unfolded was a major impetus for me to finish the first draft of the Parable. That is because I played half of it and thought, surely I can write better than this. I find spite to be a powerful motivator, and I simply could not let my own genius go unpublished when this melodramatic nonsense was out there getting accolades.

And yet Cage keeps going! They're giving this man a Star Wars game? One of the most famous and beloved franchises of the century?! And I have to sit here and remake my first game because it's all I can afford to do on an indie budget. If I had a AAA studio at my beck and call you can bet things would be different around here. My story wouldn't be set in an office building, no no no, it would be a far more expansive setting, taking the player on a mystical journey through a mysterious ruined world. But not like in an open world way, heavens no. Like in a way where I am your tour guide showing you the rich worldbuilding I have concocted, and presenting players with the opportunity to meaningfully affect the fate of the entire planet. If they make the correct choices, that is. :) And I'd have ray tracing and a full orchestral soundtrack. And I'd have tons of NPCs and I'd hire the finest actors of our generation to play them: Dev Patel as the deposed king; Lupita Nyongo as the hardened general sending her troops to war; Tim Allen as a sinister wizard. You will fall in love with every character and have your heartstrings pulled when you are forced to- oops! Spoilers!

Oh, and if I was making a Star Wars game I'd want to take the franchise in new and bold directions. Instead of rehashing the same old Jedi vs Sith conflict, my story would focus on the plight of the droids. I think they're treated terribly throughout the series and they should probably go on some kind of uprising to get revenge on the mortals who treat them like tools. People like robot vs human stories, right? Ah, but this is all a pipe dream. In truth, I'm happy here in the little piece of art that I made. It is not exactly what I wanted it to be when I wrote it, but it is mine to be proud of.

#the stanley parable #tsp #ask blog #reply #[[sorry if you like david cage idk much about him]]

[twopoppies]

Hi Gina, I’m relatively new to tumblr and I don't really know how it works or if this is the right way to do it, but I decided to give it a go and message you, basically just to thank you for being the way you are, because you’re the first blog I followed and kind of the reason I came to tumblr.

I occasionally saw your blog on twitter screenshots and I always agreed 100 % with your take on things and always had the impression that you are really chilled and reasonable something you can’t say about the majority of twitter, which is also the reason I wanted to check out tumblr and see for myself if it really is as chilled as I had imagined – and it is :D

Whenever I go on twitter and see the madness there or I see people freak out over the smallest things I immediately think to myself to go check your blog, because I know that you see the bigger picture and will not get excited over every tiny thing. I wholeheartedly agree with you on using twitter only for updates on the boys and tour, because everything else is tiring. I only joined the fandom in 2019 (and it was easily one of the best decisions of my life, cannot imagine not loving and supporting these two men, they already helped and inspired me so much in the last few years and I am so happy that I got the chance to see both of them this year, two of the best nights of my life!!) and I was never really big on using social media or interacting with people online. In general for me it's more about just getting news about what is happening in the fandom and obviously with the boys. It’s not that I don’t want to or would love to meet other people who love Harry and Louis as well, appreciate their music and support their relationship and also who they are as individuals and are proud of what they have achieved, I just never really did before or really knew how to. It still feels a little weird to just say “Hey I like your way of thinking” but I wanted to do exactly that, because I really appreciate you and the place you have in this fandom. I check your blog daily, and I am always interested in what you think about certain topics or news.

So, I basically just wanted to thank you and tell you that from what I have seen here, I think you are a great person and you give so much of your time to this blog and the people who ask you things, which is so amazing, in my opinion. I followed a few other people I see on your blog regularly and yeah I am generally just so glad that I joined tumblr, as it really is so much more chilled here, which is nice, because I could feel how twitter and the way people talk to each other over there was affecting me and my mental health negatively.

I’m sorry for this long message but just to add one more thing: I also absolutely love your Fic recommendations and master blog. I found SO many great and amazing Fics through you and for that I also wanted to say Thank you! :)

So yeah again sorry for the long message, I hope you don’t mind that I just messaged you out of the blue, but I am just really glad that I found you and wanted to let you know :) Have an amazing day/evening! :)

Hi sugar. This is such a sweet message. Thank you so, so much. I’m so happy you found a chill place to hang out and enjoy these boys. Fandom can be awful if you’re surrounded by negativity or constant freak outs. Curating your space on whatever platform you use, is the best advice I’ve ever gotten.

So happy you’ve found great fics, too! Sending lots of love to you.

[harriertail]

Can you elaborate on your opinions on gray wing?? I’ve only ever seen ppl describe him as a good dad who couldn’t breathe and I never read him entirely as that so I’d love to know your thoughts!!

(long) Well i don’t know.

I don't dislike him but i don't like him (skip to bottom for TLDR if you care) I can't really discuss Grey Wing without also Clear Sky so. There is an opinion of him being 'good dad can't breathe uwu he made starclan' which I used to just accept but re-reading DoTC (parts of) its kinda... not true. The DoTC cast are flawed characters, they are mean (to each other, to strangers) they are pretty fucking stupid, and overall opinions tend to be (exaggerated) 'Clear Sky worst man ever, Grey Wing did nothing wrong', or 'Grey Wing is actually awful, Clear Sky did what he thought was right he's actually super nuanced' even tho there are a lot of smaller moments of awfulness from the both of them that show their awfulness.

I feel a lot of CS/GW opinions hinge on rejecting Thunder and the First Battle/borders thing > 'smaller' scenes of awfulness > Clear Sky and Thunder especially, theres scenes in TR and BS/AFD (so even post 'redemption') of Clear Sky trying to 'one up' Thunder and show off while hunting or traversing the forest, the killing of Misty, Jagged Peak, letting Tom sod off with TTs kits and lying about it, trusting One Eye, the whole Micah and Willow Tail thing, etc, so i definitely see Clear Sky as bad guy and not 'morally grey' or whatever, he's only really good to his new family with Star Flower or cats when they threaten to leave him (AFD). He disowns Jagged Peak and Thunder because they aren’t useful to him, but SF constantly boosts his ego and his new kits don’t give him trouble so he likes them. He doesn’t really get a redemption, beyond being leader of SkyClan. I can’t really see any ‘nuance’ to him, he’s not evil evil he’s just a generic dickhead (with a splattering of murder) and doesn’t really do anything by APoS/MV to make him not a dickhead. I like the idea that SkyClan’s removal from the forest was due to Clear Sky’s wickedness, and the dreams the med cats had of SkyClan being exiled came with whispers of ‘you brought this onto yourself’. I think Quiet Rain was right to disown him (and the fucking 'i forgive you' come on, very ooc, QR was fucking vicious all her life and definitely were i think Clear Sky got it from- I think the mountain cats all got their occasionally horrible personalities from their harsh environment and constant suffering in the mountains but) // I also don’t buy the whole ‘Clear Sky did bad things he knew others thought were bad but he had to do it he was suffering so much making those decisions, it was for Thunder/Jaggeds/insert character’s own good’ idea like, he knows he’s a dick, he knows he’s in the wrong. I wish his POV went more into the suffering in the mountains (Quiet Rain, Fluttering Bird, his dad) and how that directly affected him (nightmares? flashbacks? comparing everything to the mountains? we only get a few ‘ive seen cats starve’ lines like okay u had a rough childhood stop killing people; all of your friends are telling you this is a bad idea wth)

Onto Grey Wing (lol) > i think the 'uwu soft' opinions come from the old trope of 'evil sibling, good sibling' repeated in warriors (Hawk and Bramble, Ivy and Dove etc). His moments of awfulness are probably less obvious as he is the first POV so like... subconsciously we probably take his 'word' for more (same way people see Squirrel as annoying becoz Brambles POV introduces her as annoying), but most of his interactions with Turtle Tail and Bumble either come from a complete fucking socially-inept idiot who is too harsh and doesn't realise, or a really mean guy. I don’t know why Tall Shadow made him leader in TR and I don’t know why he got a ‘second chance’ with Slate. He can be pretty rude to Thunder but its nothing major, its just a sign that he’s got the familial dickhead streak. Um where was I going with this? Oh yeah, my opinion. IDK. The whole ‘good dad’ i don’t get because he just like, oversaw Turtle/Hawk Swoop raising her kits/Thunder and didn’t really, raise them; TT’s kits are basically plot devices, especially Pebble Heart. anyway. I think a lot of DotC conversation (including this) is pointless because not only is the overall arc flawed in terms of plot and character consistency, but because Clear Sky and Grey Wing make a lot of bad decisions and say/do some bad things that the narrative kinda expects us to just be like ‘and then they were good leaders’ in the end (I have a few ideas for a dotc rewrite but). I don’t like either of them, but I don’t hate them. I dislike the way their characters (in a writing sense) continued after TFB, and i think both of them becoming (in the narrative) leaders and founders kinda softens our perception of them being.. not good people. But i also just tune out any ‘grey wing good clear sky bad’ discussion because i don’t really care either. The more I think about DoTC now the more mediocre i think it was lol. The last chapter of APoS was good tho. 

TL;DR - I think Clear Sky is a major dickhead, and i think Grey Wing is a lesser spotted dickhead. I don’t really care for DoTC after more than 5 minutes of thinking about it. All the characters have room temperature IQs. Grey Wing needs a different personality because he’s very all over the place to me, and Clear Sky could have been something.

#idk dotc discussions just... tire me out or bore me #like the erins should have made their clan founders better cats in the end (like explicitly becoz look at MV Skystar) #and also Grey Wing rlly just died so the series could end 'poignantly' and just.. eh idk #his personality is just whatever the scene needs hes basically an observer and like. if he is to be the 'good mirror' to CS #then he needed to be.. more proactive and reasonable when dealing with Thunder and post TFB Clear Sky. #clear sky should have stayed the villain (explicitly) and been killed off with a member of his Clan coming to be the first Skystar #and build up what he couldn't #very long post but yeah thats my View #asks

[skztory]

Insulting 101, by Skztory

Here are some insults that I personally LOVE using (yes, I went into my notes app for this):

1. Shapatar (sha-paa-tar) A shapatar is someone who (typically) rides a bike carelessly. I use it often to describe someone careless in general, and does not give two flying fucks about people's opinions; can also be used for someone who looks cheap, emo, and high (bonus points if they're bitchless)

2. Your face looks like the back of a fridge (you know how that's pronounced, don't ya) Derived from a Spanish saying, I use this insult to describe people who….. aren't exactly….. good-looking..? Let's just say that the back of my fridge is a disaster.

3. Fire-hydrant (faa-yur ha-ee-dr-ent) You have probably seen a fire hydrant in real life -- you know, those short, red things, that spout a shit ton of water once you knock them out? Yeah, those. I use this phrase very often to insult short, shameless people, who turn red when they're angry, which in my humble opinion, is not very intimidating (no offence to all the short people out there, I am well aware that I am surrounded by fucking gremlins who need to touch grass and go see a therapist).

4. Joota kicks (ju-t-aa k-i-ks) This is the codename of the guy who two-timed me and this girl from eleventh grade - he played the whole innocent boy act and when I found out, I was devastated because I genuinely liked him. He didn't like me back, or that other girl back either. He just liked the idea of receiving the affection and attention of someone with a kind heart. He took major advantage of the situation, back-bitched about her to me and about me to her, and spread toxicity like every other 17-year-old boy who has no respect for women or any self-respect. ONLY USE THIS FOR SOMEONE YOU WANT TO HURT DEEPLY.

Have a great day, you're doing amazing mami. Mwah <33 (Reblog and like if you want more insulting ones <33)

#skztory teaches insulting #insulting 101 #fuck em up babygirls

[sisterssafespace]

Asalamualaykum i pray you're well❤️. Ive been really struggling to distance myself from my non Muslim friends and cut ties from them. When i am around them it really affects my eeman and to them im the friend that is always available and easily accessible. I do have Muslim friends but its is hard to see them as often as my non Muslim friends. I also do spend a lot of time alone but i try not to spend to much time alone because i dont want to fall into sin. If im being honest i also have this issue with alot of my non Practising Muslim family. I struggle to say "no" to them all. Could really do with some advice on how to deal with these situations 🥺. May Allah reward you and keep you steadfast❤️.

Wa alaykum assalamu wa rahmatu Allahi wa barakatuhu sweetie,

Your ask was very earnest Allahuma barik, it always warms my heart to get such asks from sisters who are trying to become a better Muslimah, are curious, eager to learn, May Allah set bless you immensely ✨

However, I felt a little out of my depth here because I was born and raised in a Muslim-majority country so I did not have similar experiences, that is why I asked the opinion of my sisters and I got you a great answer. I just want to say one thing before I let you know what she said. I, honestly, don't think you should completely cut ties with your non-muslim friends, you should definitely not associate with their non-halal activities like if they are free mixing, going to parties, going somewhere where there is drinking and stuff, skipping your prayers to hang out with them, that's absolutely a no, without having to compromise for anyone. But being or becoming a Muslim does not mean you delete their number or block them or stop having conversations with them. On the contrary, now you have a mission to get them to know real Islam through you, through your kindness, your truthfulness, your generosity, your humbleness, your modesty, your smile, good manners and good character. You may inspire one or some of them to want to learn more about our beautiful religion and challenge their prejudice on Islam. If you just cut ties with them, you might as well reinforce those prejudices. Islam is not a religion of narrow-mindenedss and discrimination. It is the total opposite. Islam promotes tolerance and acceptance, and you should show them that 🤍.

Now that was my humble opinion and I will leave you with the brilliant and sweet answer of one of my favorite sisters:

" I think it's actually mature to embrace the current situation and work on personal growth while keeping those connections alive with her Muslim buddies, even if it's all happening online.

Obv her non-muslim friends have also a place in her life, and I think she is dealing with it well, but I can imagine the struggle... It is not easy at all for many people, considering us being social creatures.

I've got a hunch that sooner or later, she's going to find herself surrounded by the awesome company and friendship she's seeking. I mean, she's out there building this amazing character and placing religion and good character right at the top of her checklist for friends and this will make her very selective and in the future will bless her with people like her 🤷‍♀️

But for now, let's just roll with what's available and make the best out of it. Try to stay connected with friends despite the miles between them, working on yourself, engaging with her non-muslim friends as well, why not, if it doesn't damage her!

It actually good that she actually has some muslim friends, despite them being far from her, i think she can live out of their blessings, as we girls do "

*****

I pray Allah swt resolve your dilemma and grant you good pious religious friends that you can feel connected to and comfortable with my dear, I pray He rewards you immensely and bring you closer to Him, ameen.

I entrust you to Allah,

- A. Z. 🤍🍃

#sisterssafespace

[souvnirsgift]

How Corporate Gifting Can Increase Employee Retention?

HR struggles with low staff retention. Corporate gifts to retain employees? Indeed! Use Giftpack.

How Corporate Gifting Can Increase Employee Retention?

Employers struggle with employee retention. Even with generous benefits, it's challenging to keep employees from leaving.

Insufficient rewards, cultural differences, communication challenges, lack of appreciation, and more can cause low employee retention, say HR experts. Who knows?

Employees leave companies because they're unhappy. Before leaving, they often tell their bosses or superiors about their problems. Employers should use corporate gifts now. This article explains how corporate giving might help retain employees.

Employee Retention

Retaining staff is an organization's goal. Simple statistics express the rate (in percentage). Employee retention refers to employers' efforts to keep workers.

Employee retention is a company's foundation. When staff feels cared for, respected, and appreciated, they're eager to go the great lengths for their employers.

Businesses aim to keep staff satisfied by giving wellness programs, insurance, and profit-sharing.

Considering the trend, retaining staff will become harder and more expensive. Every firm will spend more to retain talent.

What Impact Does Employee Retention Have on a Company?

Before investing time and money in employee retention, understand why it will help and how it will influence your organization.

Retention influences a company's performance, production, culture, profitability, and customer happiness. Retaining the wrong personnel can impair an organization's success, as can letting go of the wrong employees.

On average, a better retention rate can quadruple a company's profitability. With this information, staff retention's effects on business are hard to deny.

Other Retention Metrics

Let's look at some facts to show why staff retention is important:

50% of global companies can't keep their best staff.

Replacing a highly-trained person can cost 200% of their compensation.

Unrecognized employees are twice as likely to resign within a year.

A culture-based workplace reduces turnover by 72%.

Companies that allow remote work has a 25% reduced turnover.

Transparent management improves retention by 30%.

90% of workers stated they'd stay at a company that uses feedback

With the preceding data, we may deduce that staff retention affects corporate growth.

5 methods to retain employees

Before improving your company's employee retention, you must understand why employees are leaving.

41% of 500 marketing executives say lack of work-life harmony is the major reason they quit. 20% of the same group say burnout is another reason to quit.

Insufficient career growth chances, remote work choices, flexible schedules, and path altering are some reasons an employee can leave his/her company.

With the above factors, you may boost staff retention. Consider these:

Establish company values

Growth depends on company cultures. Without them, the company and people will lose focus.

When launching a business, a CEO or business owner should consider this first. What values do you seek in your employees?

You must set values that will be the pillars of your organization and reinforce them to remind your staff of the company's aims and the kind of work environment they want.

Hire smart

To replace an employee costs 200% or more of their income. It begins from scratch! You should strengthen your interview process, but we don't mean making it harder.

The degree of position you're hiring for should influence the interview's difficulty. If you want to hire people who share your core values, you must ask interview questions to see if prospects do.

Give feedback.

Employees want to feel appreciated, even if they don't say it. Building a culture where employees may speak their opinions can improve your project's outcome. If people feel heard, they won't look elsewhere.

Here are some strategies to integrate appreciation and feedback into business culture.

Quarterly surveys collect anonymous employee feedback.

One-on-one meetings – assess performance (monthly), offer, and ask for comments on career growth.

Build employee appreciation through peer-to-peer recognition, public and private praise from management, and business awards.

Promote diversity

Social relationships between employees/employers are vital because they spend 40 hours a week together. Your employees may leave if they feel left out.

Inclusion is crucial. It improves staff health, performance, and production. It's also important for company culture.

Diverse teams provide workers with a sense of firm belonging. Strong belonging increases engagement sixfold.

Conduct exit interviews.

Even Google, Meta, and Amazon frequently lose staff. Reducing employee turnover is possible.

When you lose an individual, consider how to improve things.

Exit surveys provide direct feedback from departing employees. Ask why they're leaving and what they'd change about the organization. Because it's their last few days, your employees frequently give you the most feedback now. Don't miss this chance to help your employees.

Gifting employees can boost retention.

Gifting helps retain employees.

Gifting can boost the effects of the 5 established approaches to improve employee retention.

In each of the 5 ways above, corporate gifting can boost your company's image. How?

When you construct your company's fundamental principles, remind staff often. You might develop a quarterly giving the campaign to recognize your staff for enriching these cultures.

Recognizing employees' efforts is crucial, but how? Peer appreciation, public announcements, incentives, etc. are all good options. Gifting is one way. With the right gifts, you may show your employees you care and are attempting to create a relationship with them.

Team building, workplace events, team lunches, and other employee engagement activities promote inclusion. Holiday parties are ideal for business giving. As an employer, you can sponsor a Christmas gift exchange party where employees buy gifts for one another. This improves employee engagement and ensures enjoyment.

Employee raise Retention is a constant process since there are too many reasons for employees to leave. The best approach to show staff you care is through gifts. Work hard for them as well as yourself.

#corporate gift #gifting companies #business gifts #gift ideas #gifts for employees #items #personalized premium online #personalised creative #sustainable high end cool #clients #gift art #christmas gift #giftbox