Why so many dark, foreboding, negative avatars?

It is a form of protection.

An avatar is like a leather jacket and long hair and combat boots, it makes you look rough so that people will tend to either shy away or not post such rudeness to someone, at least that is my guess.

reply to post by Emeraldous

Again .. snotty. Get over yourself. The guy just asked a simple question and is curious.
Considering the venom you are spewing over a simple question, I'm wondering about YOUR
pathologies.

Originally posted by FlyersFan
reply to post by Emeraldous

 

Again .. snotty. Get over yourself. The guy just asked a simple question and is curious.
Considering the venom you are spewing over a simple question, I'm wondering about YOUR
pathologies.

Quite. Yesss I am quite deranged and I'm coming for your brains! hahaha, yezzZ!
2

Mine is just a cover I illustrated for a comic book years ago.
In another forum I use a 1953 Cadillac ( also my illustration) and in another I Just use a close-up of an eye.
I posted a lot of work in an art forum, some very dark work from comic book covers, then I posted a very realistic set of pretty butterflies I drew for my wife and people seemed confused about what the though they knew about me.
Sometimes I just want to fit to the place .

Originally posted by Now_Then
I'm wondering what psychological/sociological/anthropological factors a preson can make from my avatar?

Edit: Oh yhea, I don't think many people get the reference to the Fast Show - guess you have to be from the UK

[edit on 11/7/2008 by Now_Then]

Yes, there are a lot of dark Avatars, dark, black even, back like the night, black....BLACK BLACK BLACK

BLACK

Sorry lol

I blame the dark colour scheme of the current, soon to be defunct ATS website, having an oppressive subconscious affect on it's members Avatar choices...maybe the new bright white site will have more happy bunny Avatars?

Originally posted by swanne
reply to post by BO XIAN

 

Good point... Fortunately for me my avatar isn't exactly horrible. But I'd like to know why people choose awful avatars too!

It HAS to be some

psycho-dynamic/ spiritual issue. HAS to be.

There's no other source for such choices.

Regardless of the EXTERNAL influences, our choices always boil down to those two internal factors.

I don't have it worked out by a long stretch. But it is interesting.

reply to post by Enrikez


Anyone thinking of me as remotely in the same multi-verse as

anti-

Christian . . . has absolutely no clue about who I am, my values, my passion or my devotion to my Lord and Savior, Jesus, The Christ.

I haven't gone the avatar route because it's more than I've wanted to bother with and I'm tooooo picky about such details.

reply to post by Emeraldous


Scaring?

One doesn't have to be fearful to be interested . . . even in TEOTWAWKI stuff.

Given the dramatic changes afoot and at the door . . . now with Syria . . . etc.

And the horrendous spiritual battle the earth is gearing up for more dramatic episodes of . . .

interest in light vs dark

is reasonable, imho.

reply to post by porky1981


It does have a certain nostalgic pathos about it. LOL.

Then there's the orient . . . with cut-outs in the rear of toddlers' pants. Parent catches the "signs" and just squats the child then and there over the gutter--hopefully--vs right on the sidewalk.

LOL.

reply to post by desertguy


Cute.

I like it's humor and lightness, too.

Wow I am amazed how fast I got through the thread, I skipped those that had no avatars.
I change mine every now and again. Right now I just have a space holder. I find that mine are usually post apocalyptic in nature.
I can tell if someone took some time on theirs or just tossed in any old thing. Some are just foolish, but i am sure that is what they were going for.

I don't read too much into them personally.

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by BO XIAN
This is the psychologist in me speaking . . .

The psychologist in me is wondering why the psychologist in you wants to know?

Only kidding. Interesting question you have.


What do you think of my avatar? Is it dark, foreboding, negative?
Or is it just etherial with a touch of the spooky? How do you see it?

For those interested .. THIS IS MY AVATAR .
It's a painting in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Wellllllllllll, my SUBJECTIVE impressions are . . .

1. Ethereal, yeah.

2. Fuzzy, indistinct, imprecise, ambiguous

3. feminine

4. Against a darker grey background wallpaper with black designs . . . some almost looking like bugs

5. Eyes of the woman also fuzzy appearing to gaze impassively to the viewer's left.

6. A sort of "Mona Lisa" hint of a smile or even almost expressionless facial 'stance.'

TO WIT:

Hard to say. Really challenging to come up with a summary and it has to be exceedingly subjective because the stimulus is soooooooooooo ambiguous, fuzzy.

Nevertheless . . . My guesses and inferences are:

1. You likely do have some significant degree of Attachment stuff . . . (who doesn't--easy guess. LOL) But the avatar hints at that because of soooooooo much ambiguity. I'd think that IF the abundance of quality and quantity of Daddy Love had been lavishly present, there'd not have been so much ambiguity in such a choice. Jusst a brazen guess . . . and, of course, relates to my hobby horse of a passionate topic.

2. The Feminine thing seems to be quite pronounced IN SPITE OF the general ambiguity. And yet, it's NOT EXCLUSIVELY feminine. There's sort of a kind of subtle 'in-your-face' something to the stance, facial expression etc. that is usually not characterized as typically feminine. Not sure what that MIGHT be about. Ambivilence? Yet there is likely a very strong affinity for the feminine somehow--if you're a woman--I'd think it would be some sign that you enjoy to a significant degree your femininity. I see that as wonderful.

2.1 If you're a man, I see it as a fascination with, enjoyment of the contrast available in the feminine. I see that also as wonderful.

3. This is going way out on a limb . . . but the conjecture is . . . that there's almost a lurking, ghostly element to the painting you chose. I wonder if that's lurking observing . . . or lurking pondering pouncing. LOL.

4. I think it would be a great stimulus for a story writing class or for a Rorschach type thing in a counseling session.

Thanks for asking. Again, the above are merely my professional guestimates from my own substrate and my decades of training and counseling. Enjoy, toss, flush, play with as you wish--strictly for your own amusement.

reply to post by ophiuchus 13


Interesting.

You're out of my knowledge base and element.

It sounds like you have a whole framework it arises out of.

imho, that's much better than being wishy-washy undecided about everything.

If I was 'forced' to conjecture . . .

I'd guesstimate that you have had issues of some long duration re light/dark . . . good/evil . . . etc.

I'd almost wonder . . . I do wonder . . . if there were tortured (emotionally, psychologically, spiritually) external forces, persons in your early life which pulled you divergent ways . . . leaving you almost to the point of saying

"A pox on all your houses" . . . until you found your current perspective . . . that seems to sort of calmed the conflicted perspectives of your earlier years, life?

But all that's a great leap of inference. I may well be totally off the wall wrong in every respect.

Thx for your kind reply.

reply to post by swanne


I've always liked your swan.

I once knew some wealthy friends of my wife's family . . . had an old folks residential care facility . . . in Oregon . . . had a lavish home back in the woods on their private lake. Had swans on the lake. Turns out swans are not greatly brighter than turkeys or chickens. LOL. But beautiful birds. Definitely with elegant, graceful lines and movements. I've always liked swans.

Seems to me you must have an affinity for elegant and graceful if not peaceful and nurturing to have chosen such an avatar.

Originally posted by arpgme
reply to post by BO XIAN

 

If it wasn't "negative" it wouldn't be interesting. It would only be "peaceful" and "relaxing" and to most people that is boring. People crave the excitement. People crave creepy things and adventure (think of the huge attraction to horror movies).

I think there's a ton of truth to your assertions.

However, I find the attraction to horror movies like a moth to a flame.

What is IN man . . . that seeks evil and destruction . . . particularly for ENTERTAINMENT!

IT's MORE exciting, to me,

to see a child nurtured out of pain and despair.
to see a marriage restored
to see friends reunited and healed in their relationship
to see the poor fed and clothed
to see celebrations of life and emotional intimacy
to see love spread and multiplied

God has gotten a very bum rap that's simply horribly untrue.

There's NOTHING

MORE exciting than intimacy with God. He's the furthest thing from BORING.

Yet, it's kind of like HE has hidden that fact so that

only those willing to pay the price of faith, love, obedience

get to enjoy His ultimate Joy and FREEDOMS.

The selfish, fear-mongering, proud, selfish, violent, hateful, unforgiving etc. need not apply.

CREATIVITY is plenty exciting, to me.

Chainsaw murder movies are a huge grief.

Shoot, I don't even like most adventure films or historic war films. Daily life has enough sorrow and pain. Why try to be "ENTERTAINED" by sorrow, blood, gore, mayhem???? Doesn't compute, for me.

What IS attractive about that?

Welllllllllll, the pain centers, nerve fibers in the pelvis are close to the ones dedicated to orgasm.

And a lot of EXCITEMENT has an overlay with feel good excitement REGARDLESS of the stimulus. That's somewhat in the hardwiring.

But I think that . . . certain kinds of childhood . . . result in folks somewhat addicted to violent excitement in order for them to FEEL ALIVE.

They were so addicted to numbing the early childhood pains of insufficient Daddy love . . . that now it takes great violence, blood, gore, mayhem for them to even feel somewhat alive.


That has to be a factor, imho.

reply to post by Emeraldous


Welllllllllllllll I can just say that your assessment skills of me are flawed.

My motivation, other than understanding my childhood . . . was to help folks have better relationships and a better life.

Thankfully, my track record on that score is plenty significant for my comfort.

Originally posted by Darkblade71
It is a form of protection.

An avatar is like a leather jacket and long hair and combat boots, it makes you look rough so that people will tend to either shy away or not post such rudeness to someone, at least that is my guess.

I think that's an excellent insight. Thx.

Perhaps it's a yearning for strength and power by osmosis . . . particularly on the part of those who've felt damaged by the sticks, stones, and epithets of life.

reply to post by Max Devoe


Certainly CONTEXT is a huge issue.

Soooooo what soooooooooooooo fits

ATS about your current avatar?

Are you saying . . . STAY AWAY--DON'T GET TO CLOSE?

Are you saying . . . SEE HOW CLEVER AND POWERFUL I AM--WATCH OUT?

Are you saying . . . SEE MY POTENCY?

Are you saying . . . Don't toy with me, serfs!


Everything about us makes a statement.

What is the statement your avatar is making--from YOUR perspective?

reply to post by BO XIAN


How about mine?

I think its quite interesting.

I am still trying to find one that has a unicorn shooting lightening bolts out of it's backside. Maybe even jumping a rainbow at the same time lol.