Can all that fit on a t-shirt? Maybe on the back? Well written!!!
1 Like
Iām glad you liked it; Iām rarely so uncouth, but I tend to speak that way when Iāmā¦ passionate?
Maybe I can condense it, and weāll put it on a T-Shirt. 
1 Like
Oh I just generally want to be left alone (unless you are family or a close friend).
No has always worked for me too.
4 Likes
I have had a couple negative experiences throwing in public, thus kinda evaluating my surroundings before I whip out the yoyo. One was with some trouble-looking folks ripping on me for throwing, making some inappropriate remarks (that I wonāt post here just to keep forums clean) but typical alpha male remarksā¦Have had very similar experience too when I made mistake and posted some fixie stuff on imgur for last yearās Fixed Axle Feb and didnāt make it private. Ripped on for being nerdy (had a Star Wars hat on, had my work badge, radio, asā¦I was at work, on break of course 
)
This said, canāt please everyone these days and weāve reached the point here that the bar is so low that poor, rude behavior is now āacceptableā by society, at least in the bay area. Pretty sad. Yes, Iām in a very ranty mood right now with everything going on in life.
3 Likes
Haters gonna hate, as they say, usually masking their own feelings of personal inadequacy with tough guy bravado or degrading others to appear āstrongā or superior.
3 Likes
I think the discussion has morphed from āhow to describe yo-yoing in a way that makes it seem okā to āhow to actually make the act of throwing seem coolā and then again into āhow to make people not be judgmental jerksā. The first two are feasible - the last, less so.
When I was a kid I thought training in martial arts was about being able to defend oneself in any situation. But in actuality Iāve observed that the training helps people develop a degree of confidence in public so they avoid looking/feeling like a target. So many aspects of life can be improved by projecting that outward awareness and confidence. And itās a feedback loop - as you project it, you start to feel it, at which point it becomes authentic.
I think throwing in public is kinda like this. Some people will instinctively seize on ANY attitude which seems timid or tentative. Theyāll call out your unusual behavior simply because itās remarkable, but it will take on a more positive or negative edge based on how you carry yourself and how you initially respond. If you just OWN the thing - INCLUDING the inherent silliness of it (because, apologies, there are few things which appear sillier than a grown adult playing with a yo-yo), then I find it defuses the interaction and even draws the person in.
Understand, Iām not talking about letting people berate you and Iām not saying that yo-yoing should be mocked. But when youāre out there in the world doing it, people will want to respond to it without knowing how. Throwing in public is about surfing that wave. If you want to throw in a bubble and preserve the sanctity of your tricks and maintain your dignity unblemished, thatās great. They make rooms for that and I hang out in them a lot. But I think if you do venture out and challenge passers-by a bit with your throwing, thatās actually a good thing youāre doing for them. I guarantee you plenty of haters have ended up finding YYE after laughing at someone throwing in public, then realizing āthat was actually kinda coolā.
I really canāt remember the last negative interaction Iāve had throwing in public. And coming back to the OP, I think a big part of that is when people approach me with āWTFā, my response is a variation on āyeah it IS kinda stupid, but also radical and thatās why I love it.ā
14 Likes
Just shoot back to people asking them what their favorite hobby is and ask them why their hobby isnāt stupid. Personal hobbies that I donāt get but every one else is absolutely rabid about (this list is, by no means, exhaustive)
- sports
- cars
- gym (dudebros) (to clarify not just exercising, but all gym all the time)
Just because a hobby is seen as more or less manly and/or more or less childish, doesnāt mean itās acceptable to everyone, but consider this, people who yoyo havenāt started citywide riots because our favorite team/thrower lost. Is that okay? Is that an acceptable outcome when things donāt go your way?
lol
If we had the answer to this there would be world peace
Personally, if anyone makes you feel crappy about your hobby (yes, even sports and cars; it goes both ways), tell 'em to pound sand, kick rocks, and keep doing your hobby. Your enjoyment is not for anyone else to decide.
No, I donāt hate sports, why do you ask?!
Judgement - What is the underlying cause?
My go to answers;
Validation - It makes the person āJudgingā feel better about themselves. āSee I am better than that.ā
Jealousy - It dismisses their insecurities by putting a barrier up. Focusing on the āthingā and not themselves. Deflection.
Insecurity - I think that is āCoolā, but I donāt want to be judged by others the way I am judging othersā¦
Ultimately Live Life Joyously. Who cares what others think. If you do? Which one of the three above hits most to you?
2 Likes
Iām going to go one step further and advocate for changing this. there is zero chance of anyone taking it seriously if we belittle ourselves to begin with. Iām not sure why you think it looks silly. i mean Iām not seeking to invalidate your opinion, if you think it looks silly thatās you. Iāve personally never seen it as silly. i think itās a mistake to label it as inherently childish. yes simple versions of it exist to enable children a gateway to the hobby, but what most of us are doing has nothing to do with childhood per se. i think framing is everything and starting off with a self deprecating view of it isnāt projecting that strength impo
childrenās bicycles exist but pro cyclists donāt go around saying i know its a kids toy butā¦
Not childish - childlike. 
When I say stupid, I realize it sounds pejorative, but I donāt actually mean it that way. I havenāt dedicated decades of my life to pursuing and sharing something I think is in any way negative. I just donāt believe everything worthwhile has to be PURPOSEFUL.
If youāre trying to suggest that yo-yoing serves some great and noble purpose (beyond, i donāt know - putting you in a good mood), then Iām not going to agree - although we donāt have to. Painting is ākinda stupidā in the same way as yo-yoing (though it could be argued that the āproductā lasts longer in that case). So is dance. So is surfing, and so many things that I love. When the uninitiated call yo-yoing stupid, they mean that itās a waste of time and energy. I agree in that itās an EXPENDITURE of time and energy with no clear product. Itās not a waste to me.
In my experience, I have a better time demonstrating my perspective - that itās fun, cool, and actually worth trying - when I start by accepting the way they frame it. Iām secure enough in it to not have to argue about how itās described.
And I should note that having had a bazillion of these interactions, most people I introduce yo-yoing to come away not finding it stupid at all, but rather, at a minimum, accepting āyeah, it IS kind of coolā. So I feel like maybe Iām doing something ok. 
6 Likes
Yeah, itās kinda silly, but all hobbies are. When I started to get into it a few years ago, I felt kinda embarrassed to play in public. But then, thankfully, something flipped that switch. Why should I let anyoneās opinions shape my joy?
And like others have said, Iāve had so many positive interactions with people because of yoyo. I had kind of a long layover in an airport a couple months ago, and I found an open area off to the side of a very busy walkway and threw my favorite yoyo for like 30-45 minutes. Hundreds of people walked past in that time. Little kids walking past, pointing and tugging on their parentsā arms, people shouting out ādo a looper!ā as they rushed along, old guys lighting up and telling me about their childhood Duncans ā¦ I got SO many smiles that day.
Yoyos just make happy. 
4 Likes
And I should note that having had a bazillion of these interactions, most people I introduce yo-yoing to come away not finding it stupid at all, but rather, at a minimum, accepting āyeah, it IS kind of coolā. So I feel like maybe Iām doing something ok.
To be fair, seeing you do amazing things with a yoyo is probably more impressive to the average person than watching me fail multiple attempts at a kickflipā¦ 
But, yeah, even with my beginner skills the vast majority of people I encounter have a positive reaction to me playing with a yoyo. And I think a huge part of that has to do with what you mentioned previously about self awareness and confidence. And Iām not at all confident in my yoyo skills, but Iām confident in myself and the fact that Iām playing with a yoyo.
1 Like
Haha nah you know how it goes. Iāll hit a crazy 360 flip or something and theyāll be like āmmhmm do the upside down one!ā And Iāll do shoot the moon and theyāll freak out like āOMG HEāS DEFYING GRAVITY HEāS A WIZARD!!!ā
7 Likes
we seem to be saying the same thing, but to be clear, i was not, nor would i ever advocate for arguing with ppl as a means of persuasion. it doesnt work. you do, however, in fact challenge ppls notions nonverbally the second you start throwing since the vast majority of ppl have never seen children do those things. in the context of a casual conversation framing is irrelevent as the outcome of the conversation is irrelevant. but thinking about it more in the context of the original question of the post, framing is a crucial and inescapable factor in the success of any persuasive argument if thatās the goal of the interaction
2 Likes