Author Topic: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts  (Read 235850 times)

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Offline YeerkSalad

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Re: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts
« Reply #2370 on: November 30, 2015, 08:26:16 PM »
Totally. Aspergers /= loner who likes things
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Offline NothingFromSomething

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Re: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts
« Reply #2371 on: November 30, 2015, 11:24:22 PM »
Tobias pretty clearly wasn't a 'loner' in the sense that he wanted to be, or was comfortable with that.  He's unpopular and bullied pre-book#1, yeah.  But if it was a personality issue, it'd carry over to when he's surrounded by the other kids.  Honestly I'd put forth that Tobias is probably one of the more social of the kids, when given the opportunity.  Hell, Marco & Rachel are interesting in that they're probably much more 'not people-persons', even if they're more popular in a middle-school type of environment, that's not a personality thing.

Person Of Interest re-watch.  Still stunning as ever.

Offline Dylan

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Re: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts
« Reply #2372 on: November 30, 2015, 11:42:35 PM »
Animorphs on the periodic table of nickelodeon
 
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Offline NickDaGriff

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Re: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts
« Reply #2373 on: December 01, 2015, 12:32:39 AM »
I don't even remember who brought up Tobias having Aspergers, but yeah, it's way off the money.  Ax loosely fits the profile, if anyone, but as an alien we can't really apply human psychology to him.

Tobias is an introvert.  He doesn't need to be the spotlight, just likes to hang out in the background and work support roles.  In group meetings, he'll mostly just speak up if he feels he has something meaningful or worthwhile to contribute.  However, when he's hurt or stressed, he does feel the need to be alone.  His typical reaction in those situations is to just fly off without another word and collect his thoughts out in the woods.  I think he just learned to be very self-dependent from an early age; having horrible people looking after him and no friends forced him to rely on himself for emotional stability.  It's his way of protecting his vulnerable emotional side.    That doesn't mean he doesn't value his friends, it's just how he's learned to keep himself safe.
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My first Memoirs fic, A Geeky Gryphon's Origins

Offline NothingFromSomething

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Re: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts
« Reply #2374 on: December 01, 2015, 03:07:14 AM »
I don't even get the 'only speaks up when there's something to contribute' thing.  Tobias is casually making pointless fun conversation with everyone else all the damn time.

Person Of Interest re-watch.  Still stunning as ever.

Offline DinosaurNothlit

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Re: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts
« Reply #2375 on: December 01, 2015, 06:53:48 AM »
Introversion doesn't necessarily correlate to 'talkativeness in a group.'  I'm an introvert, but if you put me in a social setting, I will make pointless fun conversation with everyone else all the damn time, too.  I just eventually need a break from that, I can't do 'social' in the long-term.

I've heard it said that introverts 'gain energy' from being alone.  They can be social, but they need to be alone to 'recharge.'  Extroverts, though, 'gain energy' from being around others.  They, similarly can be alone, but for them it's being alone that drains them, and they need other people to get that energy back.

Based on this definition, yes, I definitely would call Tobias an introvert.  He contributes to group meetings and interacts with the other Animorphs whenever it's relevant, sure.  But he seeks out alone time when he needs energy, the way introverts do.

Ax is probably an introvert, too (although, like XF said, as an alien we can't really apply human psychology to him).  I'd say Jake and Cassie are 'middle-verts,' not really one or the other (Jake might be slightly extroverted, Cassie slightly introverted), and Rachel and Marco are definitely extroverts.

Ooh, somebody needs to figure out the Animorphs' Myers-Briggs types!  Or, if not, I'll probably end up doing it (but after work when I have time).

Offline YeerkSalad

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Re: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts
« Reply #2376 on: December 01, 2015, 07:51:39 AM »
AMBIVERTS FTW
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Offline Dylan

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Re: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts
« Reply #2377 on: December 01, 2015, 08:47:05 AM »
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Offline YeerkSalad

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Re: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts
« Reply #2378 on: December 01, 2015, 07:16:29 PM »
... whoa. Herp derp, amirite?

Edit: I just realized that I just became the epitome of the internet.
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Offline DinosaurNothlit

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Re: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts
« Reply #2379 on: December 01, 2015, 07:38:03 PM »
Okay, so.  The Animorphs' Myers-Briggs types.  At least, by my best evaluation.

First I should probably link to some quick run-downs of what these terms actually mean, for those of you unfamiliar with Myers-Briggs.  Introversion/Extroversion (even though we already covered this one), Sensing/iNtuition, Thinking/Feeling, Judging/Perceiving.

Jake: ESTJ (Extroversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging)
Rachel: ENFP (Extroversion, iNtuition, Feeling, Perceiving)
Tobias: INFP (Introversion, iNtuition, Feeling, Perceiving)
Cassie: INFJ (Introversion, iNtuition, Feeling, Judging)
Marco: ESTJ (Extroversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging)
Ax: ISTP (Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving)*

*I'm attempting to evaluate Ax by Andalite standards, since I think by human standards he'd be considered Judging rather than Perceiving.  However since most Andalites seem to be more Judging than humans are, Ax is actually quite Perceiving by comparison.  Andalites might also be generally more Thinking and less Feeling, but that one doesn't matter because Ax is still Thinking even for an Andalite.  The other two categories are roughly equivalent between Andalites and humans from what I can tell.
« Last Edit: December 01, 2015, 08:44:27 PM by DinosaurNothlit »

Offline YeerkSalad

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Re: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts
« Reply #2380 on: December 01, 2015, 09:30:34 PM »
This works. Nice job.
yeah

Offline NothingFromSomething

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Re: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts
« Reply #2381 on: December 01, 2015, 10:01:28 PM »
Introversion doesn't necessarily correlate to 'talkativeness in a group.'  I'm an introvert, but if you put me in a social setting, I will make pointless fun conversation with everyone else all the damn time, too.  I just eventually need a break from that, I can't do 'social' in the long-term.

Introvert, personality disorder, apples & oranges.  The latter's such a huge stretch.

Person Of Interest re-watch.  Still stunning as ever.

Offline NickDaGriff

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Re: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts
« Reply #2382 on: December 01, 2015, 11:05:58 PM »
I don't even get the 'only speaks up when there's something to contribute' thing.  Tobias is casually making pointless fun conversation with everyone else all the damn time.

It's absolutely confirmable within the books, I've reread it and gone over it.  Find a group meeting, and Tobias will keep to the background until someone else speaks first, or he has something to say about the mission.  Most of the banter he engages in is instigated by Marco and directed at him.  He's guarded and keeps to himself, especially in the earlier books.  That's just one of his core defining character traits and it takes Rachel to break him out of that shell. 

Introversion doesn't necessarily correlate to 'talkativeness in a group.'  I'm an introvert, but if you put me in a social setting, I will make pointless fun conversation with everyone else all the damn time, too.  I just eventually need a break from that, I can't do 'social' in the long-term.

Right, that's kinda how I am too, but more shy.  There's a subtle but distinct difference between introverted, shy, and guarded.  If I'm in new company, it'll take me a little bit to work up the courage to say something, but on a subject I'm comfortable with, I can't stop talking.  Once I get past the obstacles of worrying about people not liking me and not being sure how to handle the situation, I can be social for a while until I need my "recharge." 

Tobias is different.  He's guarded.  He's put up walls that are hard for him to lower, even when he knows he's safe with friends.  As such, whenever he's hurt, stressed, or just really uncomfortable with something, he shuts people out even if he knows on a conscious level that it's not their fault.  He's been subconsciously trained that people are a cause of pain, even though he wants positive human connection more than anything.  It traces back to the "ambiguous duality" theme that was so prominent in his character arcs.  Everything in his life is a source of happiness and pain at the same time and it cripples him with confusion. 

As for Ax and Myers-Briggs, I think all andalites are more extroverted by default against human standards.  They're evolved from herd animals, and it figures into their psychology very heavily.  That's the theory I like, anyway.
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Offline NothingFromSomething

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Re: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts
« Reply #2383 on: December 01, 2015, 11:55:33 PM »
Tobias isn't that way with Jake & Cassie, right from book 1.  He & Marco were always a little contentious, so yeah, there's some warming up that needs to take place there, and I guess he was pretty shy toward Rachel initially.  But that's for, what, 3 books or something.  I just don't see the inability to relate & interact here.  They're pretty much the first people who've ever treated him decently, that trust is earned, so initially the tentative stuff makes sense.

Still well within the bounds of normal human interaction though.  The guy's not lacking in social skills, I really think a whole bunch of this theory comes from that one throwaway line he has about "the mall gives him the creeps".  It's grasping.

Person Of Interest re-watch.  Still stunning as ever.

Offline NickDaGriff

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Re: Totally Random Animorphs Thoughts
« Reply #2384 on: December 02, 2015, 01:17:50 AM »
Tobias was giddy over hero-worshipping Jake and morphing in book 1, the combination of which pretty much overexcited him to the point of making him forget his normal reservations.  Morphing was also something he could bond over with Jake, so he was desperately pushing himself into the group because he'd never before had such an opportunity to be accepted by his peers.  I got the feeling he even came off as weirdly desperate in Jake's eyes.

As for Cassie, they had a brief conversation in #4 when he tried to eat her.  That consisted of a grumpy, "Sorry for trying to eat you," and, "Weird dreams?  Hey, me too."  (paraphrased)  The next time they interacted was the bit I cited earlier in #9, when she blew up their friendship and they pretty much never spoke again for the rest of the series.  Neither of those really disprove my assertions.

Also, I'm definitely not saying he has an inability to relate and interact.  That's way too absolute a term.  I'm saying he has difficulty opening up to others and keeps things at a safe distance as a defense mechanism.  He's obviously not a total shut-in who avoids others at all cost.  He's just an introvert with some trust issues as a result of an abusive childhood. 
« Last Edit: December 02, 2015, 01:40:37 AM by XenoFrobe »
[spoiler=A writer at heart:]
My sequel fic, Animorphs #55: The Following
My first Memoirs fic, A Geeky Gryphon's Origins