(different reasons that i might not be able to focus, how to tell them apart, and [maybe] how to solve them. work in progress.)
low energy - feeling tired and sleepy - yawning a lot - working feels like it takes way too much energy; I’d rather just sleep - feels effortful even to think - seek low-mental-effort activities like tumblr solutions: stimulants (incl. caffeine), listening to energetic music, getting up and going for a 20+ minute walk
lack of self-monitoring - feel like i’m running on autopilot - can’t easily recall the last 3 things I did - get up and walk around a lot; get lost in daydreams and thoughts - difficulty verbalizing thoughts - can respond to prompts, but hard to generate new plans/thoughts - often goes along with low energy solutions: not getting up and going for a walk, sitting at my desk and listening to happy-energetic music while looking at the task. talking through the problem with someone else – it’ll be hard at first but having to converse will bring my self-monitoring system back online.
restlessness - feeling bored, wanting stimulation - feeling frustrated - changing sitting position often, feeling uncomfortable, fidgeting a lot - seek tasty food but almost all food is not tasty enough solutions: try working with loud energetic music and a fidget toy. if this doesn’t work, go outside and run around for a bit until you’re breathing hard, then try again. let yourself have sugar after the run if you still want it.
compulsion for something else - pulled towards other, more interesting thoughts/activities - if i start working, i get sidetracked by the more interesting things without noticing - easy to enter flow state on other tasks, just not this one solutions: this one is hard. write down the more exciting thoughts and promise yourself you’ll come back to them? (you may not come back to them.)
task aversion - feeling stressed when i think about the task - or, thoughts slip off the task easily (ugh field) - feeling scared or self-hatey when i think about the task solutions: try working on the task for just two minutes. if you still hate it / feel scared after two minutes, you can stop. try talking through the task with someone else and figuring out small first actions. try listening to happy-calm-forward-motion music. query your brain about other small things that would make you feel happy to be at your desk (tea? wearing your jacket if it’s cold? moving to a conference room with better lighting?) and if they’re easy, do those, and take the time to appreciate them as you’re doing them. but mostly, talk through the task and get help from others.
Sometimes I’m just sitting here minding my own business and then I remember that Thor specifically entrusted Loki with placing Surtur’s crown on the fire to initiate Ragnarok and I tear up a little bit because that’s how you love and support your chaotic neutral sibling.
Thor: I know what’ll cheer you up. :) Loki: What’s that? Thor: You wanna trigger the apocalypse with me for the good of Asgard? Loki: !!!!!!!!
Is that not what happened?
Ok I love the marvel films and Loki is a great character but idk how you can justify calling him chaotic neutral. The fangirls/fanboys of tumblr have turned him into an imagined combo of Tom Hiddleston and what-the-fuck-ever they’ve poured into the fan fiction about him and somewhere along the way forgot that he killed a fuck-ton of people. He literally wanted to turn the inhabitants of earth into slaves. He ruined peoples’ lives I mean ik the first Avengers movie was a long time ago but seriously. ?
I love the assumption that I have no idea what I’m talking about here at toomanylokifeels, where I’ve been blogging about Loki for 5+ years.
That’s right, I’ve watched all the movies and most of the cartoons he’s featured in. I’ve also read most of the comics he’s featured in. Multiple times.
I’ve read up on parts of the prose and poetic eddas, including the lokasenna to get a better understanding on inspiration for his character…
…but I’m just a fan obsessed with Tom Hiddleston with no grasp of the character who indulges on fanfiction that romanticizes Loki.
Listen, I can justify calling Loki chaotic neutral very easily. See below:
The thing about Loki that you have to understand is that he does follow his own whim, which lends to him being both a villain and ally to Asgard:
…and when he chooses to do good, “for myself” is a neutral stance to take.
He is himself first and last. An individual, who wont be controlled by fate or by others.
He values his freedom and resents any restrictions put on him. He’s literally made deals with Hela to cheat death itself because he values his own freedom. Even in the MCU, who knows all the unofficial ways in and out of Asgard? Loki. Because he values his freedom to roam where he wants to.
Knowing Loki’s love of life without restriction, Odin has canonically imprisoned him in some of the most restrictive ways to drive him mad. Trapped in a tree. Tied to a rock, venom dripping above him. Locked in a dungeon for plunging Midgard into chaos…
…which, by the way, demonstrates his lack of concern re: the rights of others, and it’s kind of funny that you would bring up the whole Avengers situation b/c Loki literally accuses Odin of doing the same thing. Of going to other lands and conquering their people to rule over them…
Loki’s actions were meant to mock and shame Odin.
He gets back from his time on Midgard and taunts Odin while in chains. He compares himself ruling Midgard to Odin ruling other realms. Loki, who has already accused Odin of being knee-deep in Jotun blood before taking him for who knows what reason.
…but somehow, I’m supposed to ignore literally everything that makes Loki a chaotic neutral character at his default because you think I don’t know he committed terrible acts on Midgard. You think I don’t know that.
Why yes, I completely forgot all that during Ragnarok when Loki defaulted to caring about himself, doing what he wanted, and living without restriction, even ignoring his duties as “king” to enjoy himself like he usually does, fitting the role of a chaotic neutral character…
– I forgot that your interpretation of that movie supersedes any canonical evidence that Loki might be chaotic neutral. I mean, it’s not like chaotic neutral characters can kill people, amiright? They gotta be good and ideologically pure? Oh wait, wrong alignment.
Loki is default chaotic neutral unless you want to get into the nitty gritty of his descent into villainy. He didn’t destroy Asgard because EVIL CHAOS in Ragnarok. He did it because it benefited his people and in turnbenefited himself and his own freedom… and because he fucking loves chaos.
We’ve literally had two Thor movies since Avengers where Loki is a trickster who orchestrates events to give himself the best outcome but Joss Whedon’s 2012 Avengers is the end all be all to Loki’s characterization.
Alright.
Were his actions villainistic? Sure. That doesn’t mean he can’t be chaotic neutral. For fuck’s sake, don’t treat me like an idiot just because Loki happens to be my favorite character. I know what the fuck I’m talking about.
