That whole principle of validation is kind of why she scared me with how much I sympathize with her (to refer to my earlier comment).Mickey the Luxray wrote:Though I'm not him, I feel I could offer a possible explanation for why this argument even exists in the first place.Obbl wrote:The reason is two fold.
First that Rick likes to write nuanced characters, and reducing the character to a single character flaw or ignoring the charitable reading that Rick is writing for a character is always in disservice to his writing. But Rick doesn't really read the comments much anymore, so I'm less concerned about this.
Second that because Rick's characters are nuanced, they are relatable, flaws and all. Accusing Sasha of lying and manipulating when a much more charitable reading is available that fits much better with the character we have come to know creates a hostile environment for anyone who finds a reason to relate to Sasha or who even just likes Sasha as a character. Declaring that one "used to like Sasha but now hateher" (and people do make these comments) based on the worst available reading of her actions is not just irrational but also a bit of an emotional punch to someone who has come here to discuss just how bad they feel that Sasha has been psychologically conditioned to think and act in this manner. In this thread we're currently split about even on comments about Sasha that are Negative, Neutral, and Positive. That will psychologically feel like an generally negative atmosphere to most people.
And you don't actually know yet. That is the main crux of it. The arc isn't finished, you can't say you know for certain. I was literally just requesting that everyone Be Kind and give benefit of the doubt, and your response was "Why?".......... I'm afraid I really don't understand...
When it comes to actions like those Sasha has made, there's two distinct and important factors that determine someone's view of them: intent and outcome. People in general, based on their experiences and morals, tend to give these two factors varying degrees of weight when it comes to analyzing such actions.
To take what's going on here as our example, the intent of the action is, given the evidence that you rightfully posited, validation: Sasha only wants King to "like" her, whatever that may mean to her. Due to King's differing values- particularly with being faithful to one's partner, however, the outcome is that King is under a lot of stress.
To some people, intent has more weight: they may surmise that Sasha hasn't shown intent to harm King, so we shouldn't blame her for not understanding that she is.
To others, outcomes are more important. Whether or not Sasha has intended to, she's still causing King considerable pains- and when such a conclusion is made, the common reaction is empathy with the victim, and thus anger at the perpetrator.
The values difference is why you're seeing these diverging opinions on Sasha, at least from my perspective.
As a matter of partiality, I fall somewhere in between: What I've seen so far is evidence of someone with deep rooted anxieties, a warped view of social interaction, and a desperate need for validation- be that romantic or otherwise. I think it's worth making the distinction that these are, in fact, important ingredients for a manipulator; thus it's perhaps too lenient to dismiss the "manipulator Sasha" theory outright. She just hasn't offered a smoking gun line that points us one way or the other yet.
Only way we'll know for sure is to wait for more strips.
I in no small part have a validation problem. I find it incredibly difficult to find merit in my own decisions or work, to the point that while I can easily ignore negative criticism or hate on my work, it's the absence of any input at all that truly bothers me.
Self merit can be a lot more difficult than one thinks. Without a solid starting foundation on it at an early age, it can be nigh impossible to build up. Without it you become in some way or another wholly dependent on those around you or interacted with.
Sasha seems to be a more nuanced case. Due to her upbringing it seems that the disinterest of her owner caused her to crave it. Her owner's affection and attention seemed to be a big goal and with all the dogs she's kind of like a kid in a candy store on a sugar deficiency.
This also seems to also play into the incident at the portable baths. She knew about the attraction, but didn't expect it to come with other things attached.
The King situation is bringing the depth of her neglect to light I think. I'm actually suspecting that the other reason Kevin did this is because King was human, and might know how to treat her better as a PET. Possibly even undo some of the neglect damage.
I mean as far as we've seen, her owner kind of used her like a personal servant to a greater or lesser degree (can't remember the actual page but he had her fetching beer and had sent her to obedience school without as far as I know any actual obedience problems).
Neglect is a bit of a difficult problem, because just showing affection, appreciation, or attention isn't the cure. Merely the bandaid or alleviating the symptoms. Repairing the damage from neglect requires you to teach someone how to appreciate THEMSELVES.
Because we all start out dependent upon the appreciation of those around us at some point. Even those who grow up alone seek out a role model to found themselves upon, and develop self sufficiency. However those without that foundation have to build flimsy malformed substitutes.
Huh. Ended up doing a bit of unintended self psychoanalysis in the process of writing this. Go figure.
