I know there are people who would be like "this is not a game," and honestly they wouldn't think MOST of what I make and call games are games either. We're reclaiming what makes a game a game, dang it!
I totally get that about "have to"/"should"... Obligation is the #1 source of my issues. To the point where, if I'm obligated to be a way, everyone should be. So everyone else who fails these standards (that aren't even really mine) is ALSO a failure, and I'm valid in my disappointment. It's easier to be like "they don't deserve that, so this is invalid" than "I don't deserve that, so this is invalid."
And I also get it about "fixes." Like... it took a long time to be convinced my depression isn't something to fix, it's something to warn me that I'm not living right. And so I have to "fix" that, even if the other ways are also valid. Someone once said that labels are more powerful than (I can't remember the word, so I'll use "cliches" here) because a label is self-applied: I'm trans, I'm bipolar, I'm old lol. A cliche (or whatever the word they used, which was better) is applied to others: they're bipolar so they can't handle emotions, they're trans so be careful with pronouns, they're old so they can't handle things. Labels allow us to take power, to express deep things quickly, to associate with others; cliches put us into boxes against our will.
The point there is that I think fix is the same: when a doctor says "you should lose weight," it's far less powerful than me sitting here like "I would really love to have more energy, and I think eating better and exercise might help with that." Being told that I can fix my depression by just not being sad is stupid and insulting; realizing I can avoid depression by enjoying life more and taking breaks is empowering. As long as we come up with the fix, as long as we control how and when we use it, it's great :D
And goodness, yeah, you absolutely covered all of my struggles in that last paragraph there. And it's weird, because your mindset is actually the fix to a lot of mine! Focusing more on myself, taking what I need (not from others lol, just like taking breaks, etc), living in a way that feels genuine to me ("I'm shaving my face because the facial hair irritates me, not because it's not feminine to have a beard")... it all overcomes my internalized struggles. So even if our issues stem from opposing places, we do converge :D
I will definitely let you know if I make something based on this, and would LOVE to know if/when you do more with it!
- ✨Beth