Learning How to Be a Person [Promethean: The Created]

Illustration from _The Velveteen Rabbit_ by Margery Williams
Illustration from _The Velveteen Rabbit_ by Margery Williams

This past week, we got an email from a guy who found a particular resonance in Promethean. He’d been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome (a form of high-functioning autism), and his story of how he’d struggle for years to fit in with people struck us as particularly poignant. You can read the email here.

If you don’t know, in my day job I’m a speech-language pathologist (or speech therapist) for the Cleveland school district. Over the years I’ve had occasion to work with a lot of folks on the autism spectrum, both high and low functioning (and even that’s an oversimplification, but I don’t have all night), and it’s often struck me how much deliberation goes into learning social interaction – something that those of us who aren’t on the spectrum kind of take for granted.

But what that tells me is that empathy can be learned. Maybe it comes easier for some folks than others, but you can teach yourself to feel and care for other people. The Monkeysphere might only hold 150 people comfortably, but you can stretch it.

Prometheans are, in part, that struggle in a metaphorical kind of way, Naturally the Great Work isn’t just about empathy, it’s about a lot of other facets of being human, too. But you know me: I’m a humanist, and I’m kind of an optimist, so that lesson of learning how other people work tends to show up in the Pilgrimages of my players’ characters.

Anyway, I just thought that was cool and worth sharing.

Now, for Tuesday’s update, would you prefer:

Milestones or qashmallim?


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51 responses to “Learning How to Be a Person [Promethean: The Created]”

  1. Chris Shaffer Avatar
    Chris Shaffer

    It’s a close call, but I’d have to vote for Milestones.

  2. SSmith Avatar
    SSmith

    Milestones.

  3. nikink Avatar
    nikink

    Qashmallim ftw. 🙂

  4. Arcane Avatar
    Arcane

    Milestones, and may everyone who votes for qashmallim curse my name if we win.

  5. Yossarian Avatar
    Yossarian

    Qashmallim! Some of my favourite parts of Promthean.

  6. atamajakki Avatar
    atamajakki

    Qashmallim. I’m already cursing you, Arc.

    I’d once made the case for Promethean as the autism metaphor to go alongside Changeling’s PTSD and Wraith’s depression. Interesting to see that come up again.

    1. Arcane Avatar
      Arcane

      Glee. I am filled with [i]glee[/i] at this.

      I mean, I love y’all, but I gotta get my kicks somewhere.

      1. Theeds Avatar
        Theeds

        Well, whatever floats your boat down the Styx, I guess. Christmas Krampus curses for you, and I’m voting for Qashmallim.

  7. Caleb Cushing Avatar

    Qashmallim because the mystery of how they are (not) related to the God Machine interests me

    1. Arcane Avatar
      Arcane

      Seriously? Some focus on why Promethean is awesome might go better.

    2. Andrew Thomas Avatar
      Andrew Thomas

      For this reason, Quashmalim.

  8. KingCarnival Avatar
    KingCarnival

    qashmallim

  9. Theeds Avatar
    Theeds

    Qashmallim, though I don’t mind hearing about either. So I won’t be cursing anyone near Christmas, thank you.

  10. Eolirin Avatar
    Eolirin

    Milestones.

  11. Stupid Loserman Avatar
    Stupid Loserman

    I’ll vote for milestones, but I really just wanted to leave a comment of appreciation. It’s really cool to hear Michael share his experiences, and to see the game touch people on a personal level. Thank you for sharing that in turn, Matt.

  12. Beard Avatar
    Beard

    Qashmallim

  13. BlitzKitty Avatar
    BlitzKitty

    Qashmallim, esoteric weirdness yesplz.

  14. Afro Luigi Avatar
    Afro Luigi

    I’m going to vote for Qashmallim.

    Also wow, that email tugged at my heartstrings. I’m going to need to take a minute, then I’m going to share it!

  15. Satchel Avatar
    Satchel

    Oof, rough choice.

    Going with the qashmallim for the same reason as BlitzKitty.

  16. Anaximander Avatar
    Anaximander

    Qashmallim! One of my favorite aspects of Promethean

  17. Leliel Avatar
    Leliel

    Aspies unite! Good show, Michael.

    I’ll have to go with Milestones here.

    1. Calrabjohns Avatar
      Calrabjohns

      Unite indeed. Thank you for articulating much of what I feel also, Michael.

      Milestones too.

  18. Chris Handforth Avatar

    Wow, two updates in a row that are big on the feels! Thanks to you Matt, and who ever wrote that email, for sharing and giving us a little look into your lives. It makes me happy to know that we work in parallel fields and reflect upon the same humanity that we observe in our down time.

    Tough call for the choice, but Qashmallim will win for me almost every time.

  19. JohnD Avatar
    JohnD

    Qashmallim

  20. Olympius Avatar
    Olympius

    Qashmallim please!

  21. Alessandro V. Avatar
    Alessandro V.

    qashmallim, please

  22. Vedic Avatar
    Vedic

    My vote goes to qashmillim

  23. Christian A Avatar
    Christian A

    Milestones, please.

  24. Dataweaver Avatar
    Dataweaver

    Milestones. at this point, I’m more interested in learning what makes Prometheans tick.

  25. Zooroos Avatar
    Zooroos

    Milestones for me, please.

    And that letter… I think I may have a reached a milestone of my own, methinks.

  26. tau neutrino Avatar
    tau neutrino

    Qashmallim. Will they be brought in line with the new spirit rules?

  27. Ephsy Avatar
    Ephsy

    Milestones, man.

  28. Felipe Avatar
    Felipe

    Qashmallim

  29. ThomasM Avatar
    ThomasM

    As much as I’d love more information on the qashmallim I have to vote for milestones.

    Thanks for sharing that message. Its amazing to see how much we can learn from each others’ experiences.

  30. bwgustaf Avatar
    bwgustaf

    Milestones!

  31. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    Amazing email… and referencing the monkeysphere hypothesis by David Wong!

    milestones !

  32. reseru Avatar
    reseru

    Qashmalim, please

  33. Nicias Avatar
    Nicias

    Milestones please.

  34. Tori Avatar
    Tori

    ugh, tough. I want both…

    but I guess I’ll vote for Qashmallim.

  35. Ryan Avatar
    Ryan

    Another aspie here; I’ve found the language and terminology of Promethean very useful to communicate with my gaming group – particularly using Torment as a way to explain what it’s like when “I’m feeling overstimulated by my surroundings, I’m going into a meltdown, so excuse me for a little while as I retreat to somewhere familiar/comforting until it passes” happens.

  36. Phaolan Avatar
    Phaolan

    My troupe is a really wonderful hodge-podge of individuals who fall right around Asperger Syndrome on the Autism Spectrum (not to mention various gender-queer, LGBT and other qualities that are ‘outside the norms’ of society… Whatever THAT means), and we mine Promethean for all we can in terms of finding ways to describe who and what we are.

    Despite the easy assumption that the New Dawn is a metaphoric ‘healing’ of anything outside the ‘neurotypical’ or ‘hetronormative’ or what have you, I think that the game offers avenues to explore what acceptance really means. I’m glad I’m not the only one to do.

  37. NeoTiamat Avatar
    NeoTiamat

    Qashmallim!

  38. Charles Watford Avatar
    Charles Watford

    I’d like to see more on the qashmallim please.

  39. Metamurpho Avatar
    Metamurpho

    First off, I would like to commend you for the Velveteen Rabbit image. I always thought the little guy is a great Promethean idea.

    Second off, I’m voting for milestones. And I curse Arc anyway! Cursing is fun.

  40. […] Promethean: the Created has had on one fellow’s life and Matt’s reactions to it: https://theonyxpath.com/learning-how-to-be-a-person/ It is amazing, and to me it really illustrates why I still feel that what we are striving for with […]

  41. Andrew Thomas Avatar
    Andrew Thomas

    If the Quashmalim win, can we also hear about how they interact with other antagonists to tie Promethean chronicles together? Would seem like a necessary part of selling crossovers, too.

  42. Cerulean Blue Avatar
    Cerulean Blue

    Thanks for having shared Michael’s experience, it’s very touching.

  43. B Avatar
    B

    I have Asperger’s Syndrome, and an essay I wrote about my experiences will be in the Winter 2015 issue of my university’s student and alumni magazine, At Buffalo.

    Qashmallim, please.

  44. Doink Avatar
    Doink

    Qashmallim!

  45. DreamingGod Avatar
    DreamingGod

    I vote for Qashmallim!

  46. […] Promethean: The Created 2nd Edition: Learning How to Be a Person […]