The Dragon Paradox
Рет қаралды 1,872,142
Күн бұрын"Dragons aren't real in the same way that fish aren't real" - JRR Tolkien
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The problem started with a book.
Actually, I suppose it started with a show, “Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real,” that I watched, enraptured, late one school-night. And you could say it made me a little… obsessed - not just with dragons, but with the paradox right there in the show’s title. If dragons aren’t real, the show asked, how does seemingly every culture, no matter how far apart, have legends of the same creature?
…It's a question that kind of ruined my life.
0:00 The Dragon Paradox
0:47 Dragonology Changed Me
2:00 Dragon Taxonomy is a Nightmare
3:46 Sympathy for the Dragon
5:46 Searching for Answers
7:38 The Dungeons in the Details
9:42 Dragons (and Fish) Don’t Exist
10:42 ‘May Contain Ranting’
12:59 Gotta Classify ‘Em All
14:51 Fantasy vs. Reality
17:48 The Answer (sorta)
19:18 A Fantasy Made Real
Media Shown: Dragonology, Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real/Dragons World, How to Train Your Dragon, HTTYD 2, HTTYD: The Hidden World, House of the Dragon, Delicious in Dungeon (anime), Dungeon Meshi (Manga), Game of Thrones, Shang-Chi, Sekiro, Puff the Magic Dragon, Shrek, Spirited Away, Beowulf, The Hobbit, The Desolation of Smaug, Dungeons and Dragons (Cartoon), D&D (Movie), The Dragon Prince, The Pagemaster, Dragon Tales, Pete’s Dragon, Mulan, The Flight of Dragons, Jack the Giant Slayer, Die Nibelungen, Twilight Princess, Pokémon Anime, Pokémon Generations, Pokémon Emerald, Pokémon Sword & Shield, Pokémon Sapphire & Ruby
Music Used: Dreamers (Licensed from Storyblocks), Spyro (Title Theme), Demon Dragon (Tear of the Kingdom), Around the Fire (Skyrim), Wind Guide You (Skyrim), Main Theme (Metro 2033), Sky Above, Voice Within (Skyrim), Some Place we Called Home (This War of Mine), Purified Dragon (Breath of the Wild), The Gathering Storm (Skyrim), Komorebi (Gris), Rhizome (Cloud Gardens)
♫ Additional Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
The Night He Came Home
Copyright Disclaimer: Under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All video/image content is edited under fair use rights for reasons of commentary.
Sources:
An Instinct for Dragons by David E Jones
Dragonology by Dugald Steer
A Natural History of Dragons by Livia Gershon: daily.jstor.org/a-natural-his...
Why Dragons Legends are Everywhere by James Burch: allthatsinteresting.com/drago...
Natural History of Dragons from American Museum of History: www.amnh.org/exhibitions/myth...
Where Did Dragons Come From by Joseph Stromberg: www.smithsonianmag.com/scienc...
Phylogenetic Taxonomy: amphibiaweb.org/taxonomy/
Tree of Life Diagram by Leonard Eisenberg: www.evogeneao.com/en
@GunterThePenguinHatesHugs 2 ай бұрын
_"He might be autistic but darn it my boy can work a grill'_ -Senshi
@thebutler4471 2 ай бұрын
That’s what I was thinking because I have it and his point reflect on me almost perfectly
@wicked3972 2 ай бұрын
@@thebutler4471 yeah me too lol
@riceavarice 2 ай бұрын
Pan 🍞
@Kardur_Wrath_of_the_Abyss Ай бұрын
I also have autism
@GunterThePenguinHatesHugs Ай бұрын
@@Kardur_Wrath_of_the_Abyss then get grillin'! 🫡
@hampterofficial 2 ай бұрын
>Drops the most personal and relatable video ever >elaborates >leaves
@MemberoftheUnusAnnuscult 2 ай бұрын
Chad behavior
@Marder_IFV 2 ай бұрын
That's like half (probably more like 30ish%) his videos lol
@SergeyPupkoMusic 2 ай бұрын
Legend
@Mallony 2 ай бұрын
so relatable holy moly
@vee-bee-a 2 ай бұрын
A mic drop moment, man.
@NeoNinjaGames Ай бұрын
How strange it is to find a group of people who all feel isolated in such a connected way, glad I'm not alone
@Castifer Ай бұрын
Autism be crazy
@Burger-km7ww Ай бұрын
Me too man.
@mysticz3686 Ай бұрын
I always felt like no one understood me, so I learned to do things on my own. Then I come across this video and see so many people like me in the comments talking about how they felt the same. It really is a strange feeling, but it’s a comforting one.
@tyrant_tarantula 10 күн бұрын
@@mysticz3686easy to feel alone if you never put yourself out there or seek out like minded people. Oh woe’s of being young
@nemtudom5074 7 күн бұрын
We're alone *together!*
@himesilva 20 күн бұрын
Those "ology" books were so fire, I loved them. They really made it feel like you were discovering some ancient, secret manuscripts
@parkerkruck5768 3 күн бұрын
Right bro pirateology had me ready to be the next jack sparrow
@ashura9706 3 күн бұрын
All fun and games till you get to plain school biology
@zealousrecluse595 Күн бұрын
OMG YES! For me it was the ology books and Dinotopia and things of that sort. I have now become more grounded out and mature, but I wish I still had that imagination. I want my imaginary friends back-😂😅
@PBart7 2 ай бұрын
I can't trust people who *don't* think dragons are the sickest thing ever
@danieladamczyk4024 2 ай бұрын
I don't.
@absolutionone 2 ай бұрын
@@danieladamczyk4024 Alright, so what is?
@danieladamczyk4024 2 ай бұрын
@@absolutionone As artist i trying to figure it out. Dragons are on this same place as giant robots in cool ranking. For me that a bit generic.
@Elvis.D99 2 ай бұрын
@@danieladamczyk4024I don't trust you! Booo
@danieladamczyk4024 2 ай бұрын
@@Elvis.D99 I understud. I wish you good day with dragons.
@lyzzle Ай бұрын
What I expected: video about dragons What I got: tears and the feeling of being understood
@viz2y Ай бұрын
literally 😭
@mrcriminalpants Ай бұрын
More like dragon the paranuts across yo face
@RGMRT Ай бұрын
Yeah i can relate
@georgebeckons539 Ай бұрын
THIS MADE ME TEAR UP
@_philipp__ Ай бұрын
You may want to look into autism / ADHD then.
@roryarcher6014 Ай бұрын
I had begun seeking an ADHD diagnosis after pretty much getting violently bullied in middle school for my obsession with Star Wars--I did the same thing, classifying *everything,* trying to blend together books and cartoons and movies into a cohesive narrative for my non-interested peers. I hated the passive aggressive bullying, but I couldn't help myself. I think I found that it was worse to hide it and conform than to just let myself be an outcast and be weird. I eventually found people who had the same struggles I did, and I only found them cause I stopped hiding that part of myself away. Great video essay. Got me a bit teary eyed.
@radthadd 17 күн бұрын
Back in 2007 ish, as a kid me and a friend realized you could take Star wars & gi joe action figures and mix the pieces together making our own "troopers"
@athenaraines 14 күн бұрын
It is better, in my opinion, to be hated for being who you are than to be accepted for being someone else.
@homicidalravens 18 күн бұрын
I added this video to my watch later playlist months ago. I came back to it tonight thinking it would just serve as white noise, but as you spoke more and more personally, it became increasingly difficult to view this as background noise. In short, this essay really touched me. Halfway through I was lost for words and almost cried in some sensation of relief. Ever since I first heard about them I’ve always loved dragons. I’ve been in love with dinosaurs, lizards, snakes, even insects and creatures other people view as ‘monstrous’ and ‘horrible’. Dragons have always been my favorites. I also went through a time where I didn’t want to share my interests with anyone because I KNEW in the back of my mind that I was different, and because this awareness made me feel less than. As I’ve grown, and I honestly am still growing being a girl in high school as I type this, I’ve settled into my skin even if it’s… unusual. I know I’m different and I’m learning to be okay with that, and I’ve developed a sort of numbness to the downsides that came with how inept I am when it comes to understanding other people. I never realized how much I craved being understood-REALLY understood-until watching this video. I’ve been told many times before, but only now do I actually feel less alone, as if I’m the only person who thinks and obsesses over fiction the way I do and I will always be an outcast because everyone else has something making them ordinary that I’ve been missing my whole life. I feel known, somehow. Not personally. But in the same way we feel connections to handprints on cave walls that were made tens of thousands of years ago. Or footprints from ancient humans taking the same journeys we will. I feel a little less out of place in the world after watching. I know it’s really silly but I have to thank you
@ima.kabouche919 5 күн бұрын
brother what do you mean months ago the vid is literally 1 month old (or two weeks old ) according to your comment date
@jonathanj8303 2 ай бұрын
0:20 Cardboard is basically a gateway drug at this point. Dragons, robots...
@greenhydra10 2 ай бұрын
When I was really little, there was a big box I would crawl into and play in all the time. The good old days.
@classifiedveteran9879 2 ай бұрын
@leanja6926 just make sure that they use their cutting tools safely. _(I once cut myself real bad with a pair of ordinary scissors when I was 6.)_
@jonathanj8303 2 ай бұрын
@@greenhydra10 One of my all time favourite bits in Calvin and Hobbs is Calvin explaining to one of his parents that "of course the transmogrifier isn't that limited in what it can turn you into. There's plenty of space to write extra labels next to the control pointer." Unfettered imagination *and* future proof design.
@bavettesAstartes 2 ай бұрын
"IMAGINATION" Spongebob, inside a cardboard box
@frostdova 2 ай бұрын
lol i rememebr making a full suit of armor out of cardboard
@XDWASDX Ай бұрын
“Perhaps it’s only natural for those who struggle or have struggled with human interaction to seek knowledge of the monstrous” is a very profound note to have made.
@samuelswihart4285 Ай бұрын
This is probably why I'm obsessed with UFOs and Cryptids too
@pingpong5877 Ай бұрын
I never liked people. That's why I'm a monster girl enjoyer.
@dashadow1817 Ай бұрын
@@pingpong5877bro what
@thenoobgamer95 Ай бұрын
@@pingpong5877 Based
@lema0925 Ай бұрын
I assume that is why a lot of my friends are furries... frankly, it is depressing they have to resort to that.
@god2752 Ай бұрын
This healed my inner child and made me want to pass down my dragonology book to my younger brother who is obsessed with dragons. I don’t usually watch you but I would like to say thank you so much
@f1urps Ай бұрын
I know you didn't say the word "autism" in this video, either because you specifically don't identify with it, or because you choose to avoid labels entirely (either of which I fully respect), but to me, this is one of the most insightful and powerful explorations of the internal autistic experience and identity that I've ever seen. It mirrors my childhood and resonates with me on an existential level -- being ostracized for your obsessive interests to the point of shame, knowing there's a shape you're not fitting into, but unable to understand how or why or communicate it to anyone, finding communion with the inhuman/monstrous as an expression of your isolated and different experience of the world, seeking rigid categorization for yourself and the world around you, yet finding everything to be fundamentally uncategorizable. This is what autism feels like from the inside. It's something I have spent a lifetime trying to identify, something I struggle to make neurotypical people understand or relate to, and something I've rarely seen described in words so beautiful and succinct as you've done in this video. I don't know if you necessarily had that in mind while writing this, but with all the very specific points you made, and releasing this video near the beginning of autism acceptance month, I can't help but make the association. Patricia Taxxon has a video with many of the same themes, specifically about how the furry community intersects with autism and philosophy. It's called "on the ethics of boinking animal people" (funny title) and I highly highly recommend it. Fair warning though, it has some very explicit sexual themes as well, as you might guess from the title. Ah, and if anyone related to this video and hasn't considered it yet... Do yourself a huge favor and go get an autism evaluation, or at least look into it. Rejecting labels is a valid choice, but having a label can also be life-changing. It certainly was for me. Thank you so much for this video, Curious Archive. I loved it.
@HilaryPea Ай бұрын
I have Asperger's Syndrome/ASD. I was thinking the same thing. The obsession doesn't have to be about dragons, as long as it's an obsession. And people on the Spectrum have a tenacity to find a concept or an object and never be able to let go, losing themselves in it. Part of it is escaping from the reality of isolationism, we can relate to it, or it makes more sense to us than anything else in the entire world. My brother is Developmentally Disabled and is on the Spectrum, too - but not Asperger's. As a child, my brother was in special ed classes and he had a diagnosis. As a child, I struggled in regular classes and needed an IEP, but Asperger's/ASD wasn't recognized by then. I didn't learn about it until 2007 when I found a book on Asperger's in a hospital waiting room. I was 27 and still a relatively new mother. I wish I had that diagnosis as a child, at the very least before I got pregnant. I don't relate to the dragon part of the story, but son shared this video with me or I never would have thought to watch it. But, I do relate to the life story and the fact that I've been different all my life. When I saw you mentioning Autism, I had to comment because I was thinking that very thing when watching the video, the vlogger said he doesn't know what his diagnosis is and doesn't really mind that. So, I think he knows that there is a diagnosis, but is (thankfully) well adjusted (and adapted to the rest of the world) enough that he no longer needs to know what his diagnosis is in order to be functional. However an early diagnosis would have helped me immensely as a child with school and peers, and in my 20s when I couldn't keep a job.
@Zavakiir 23 күн бұрын
Gun go bang.
@gocelotspice5766 21 күн бұрын
I felt similarly- this definitely reflected my experience as an autistic kid
@thewriter1008 15 күн бұрын
I was going to make a comment a lot like this. From the first section of the video, I was sitting there going "This is all so familiar, it could have been written by me." The part about Dungeon Meshi, too, talking about relating to Laios who is so heavily autistic-coded that it feels almost like it cannot be accidental. Like I have had the specific conversation he has with Shuro, almost identical to that scene, where (spoilers) Shuro says that he always found Laios annoying and Laios asks why Shuro didn't just say so and expected him to intuit it when he clearly hadn't done so (end spoilers). Even if the guy who made this video doesn't receive a diagnosis or doesn't want one, this video hits so close to home for experiences I had growing up autistic, down to the specific dragon fascination, that it genuinely surprised me that the word was never used. Even if the guy who made this isn't autistic, he's made something that a lot of us seem to relate to. And I hope he has learned the lesson that it took me so long to learn but has improved my life a thousand-fold. Being like this isn't a curse. It can have its challenges, but it is also beautiful.
@Lunam_D._Roger Күн бұрын
@@HilaryPeaI like that you added the (/ASD) part, using Aspergers as a term even though it's outdated because it's recognisable, and adding in scientifically accurate term on the side, that's a decent way of handling it since most people don't realise that Aspergers got reclassified and rolled into ASD back in the DSM-4 in 2014.
@cherryfirefly97 2 ай бұрын
you throwing away anything "childish" was so heart breaking. especially since it made you so happy. i hate that society breaks children like that
@joruntenebris2633 2 ай бұрын
Im lucky to have uni professors who always said to keep things that make us happy, even if it is childish. Because everyone is a child at heart and keeping a part of it leads to a happy life (most of my professors are huge nerds also lol).
@julietfischer5056 2 ай бұрын
Childhood should be a foundation, a starting point. Yes, we will eventually get rid of things as we accumulate experience and knowledge, but it shouldn't be out of shame. 'Get rid of' here can mean giving them to another young person to enjoy, or donating them so that others have a chance to discover the pleasure. (I recently had to declutter, and it was easier to let go of things by imagining the pleasure or use that another person would get from them.)
@MatthewTheWanderer 2 ай бұрын
Even though I didn't have a very good childhood, I still keep many items from my childhood, especially things like art. I'm in my 40s now and still hold on to a few things I've had since the '80s, despite moving dozens of times since then. I could never willingly throw away such things.
@DNR2007 2 ай бұрын
If you throw away everything "childish", and - for your troubles - end up as an embittered, miserable meatbag muttering about having to wait in line at the supermarket, you have thrown away everything that makes you human.
@Kanaleah 2 ай бұрын
I have little to add to this conversation, except for my favorite quote from a novelist on the subject (and a little something extra from a scientist). "Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." - C.S. Lewis And additionally... "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." - Albert Einstein
@lakoneko 2 ай бұрын
I really identified with the childhood feelings of "if I could just explain my niche nerdy interests clearly enough, maybe they won't think I'm weird" which then backfires and makes you regret talking about anything you're interested in. I remember seeing these shows, reading these books, and having these feelings. It's really nice to see so many others have the same experience. I'm glad we all found like minds in the end.
@thekawaiiginger7840 Ай бұрын
I remember all of these things so well and I’m so glad I kept with my dragon interests. How To Train Your Dragon’s movies are still my favorite movies to this day too.
@bobsonny Ай бұрын
Yeah dawg, you're describing autism. Special interests are our our business!
@immanuelm.5156 Ай бұрын
Me too man it’s amazing how he nailed it right on the head!!!
@specialnewb9821 Ай бұрын
I never quite understood that. Why would you want to talk about something to someone who obviously isn't interested in the topic? It's kind of rude to try to force an interest on people whether thats sports or anime. And for the record I was plump, nerdy and the only brown guy around. So I definitely had those interests.
@lakoneko Ай бұрын
@@specialnewb9821 well usually the conversation starts because someone asks "what are you doing?" Or "what's that?" And then you start to explain. And then when they look confused you think "huh, maybe I didn't explain it well enough" so you info dump a bit trying to explain better, not realizing they don't care, because it's something that means a lot to you and they did ask initially so they must have been interested at first but maybe it's my fault I didn't explain well enough. And then they walk away and you contemplate that interaction for a very long time trying to figure out what you did wrong. It's not trying to force anything as much as missing the "obviously not interested" cues 😅 and as you get more experienced, you notice it better, but as a kid you just want to share what you like and maybe they'll think it's cool too.
@mafrarth 23 күн бұрын
Clicked on this video because I'm hyperfixated on dragons and ended it tearing up on one of the most relatable descriptions of being neurodivergent ever. As an autistic man with late diagnosis, thank you
@Warlord_Gruktak_Rukrak 13 күн бұрын
Fr and i love it😂
@wiseSYW 29 күн бұрын
he said it! he Imagined Dragons!
@shakeelali20 2 ай бұрын
That line at 17:49 actually made me tear up. "Its a curios thing to be born different. You can feel the shape of this person you were expected to be, and you find yourself wondering why you arent that person". Possibly the most poetic and relatable line of dialogue I've ever heard through a KZfaq video.
@Jormyyy 2 ай бұрын
As someone who is ASD, it hit me really hard too.
@CoconutFella 2 ай бұрын
Me too, this line dug deep and twisted as it went
@joshfinch7041 2 ай бұрын
when they say words cant hurt you
@alex.g7317 Ай бұрын
I think he’s autistic or some other thing
@BurnedRemains Ай бұрын
You lack purpose.
@glacioaszalean9575 Ай бұрын
"Perhaps it's only natural for those who struggle or have struggled with human interaction to seek knowledge of the monstrous" is a line that goes very hard and I guess hits a bit close home. Very insightful essay, thank you.
@MoltenSamurai Ай бұрын
Yeah, really an unforgettable line for me, it seems a lot of folks feel the same way…
@hopethisworks33 Ай бұрын
It's rude, is what it is! I just wanted a video on dragons. I didn't want newfound self-awareness. Take it back!
@intellectually_lazy Ай бұрын
@@hopethisworks33 well, at least he didn't "ruin" your childhood. there seems to be a lot of that going around
@glacioaszalean9575 Ай бұрын
Feel with all of you. Was one of those kids who knew most of the Pokedex by heart, and to this day have near encyclopedic knowledge of special interests. Cheers to you all, autistic or not
@user-kv5lq9xm8c Ай бұрын
Damn he’s calling us out
@MotleyMaven Ай бұрын
as someone who had the same obsession and the exact same dragonology book as a child, I feel so seen
@AsuraSK Ай бұрын
I had this Dragonology book as a child as well and it changed me, I carried it everywhere and read it so many times. I can still remember the different textures they put in that book. Such a precious childhood memory
@wagiqwq 2 ай бұрын
Who else loves dragons.
@someguywithalowbudget1320 2 ай бұрын
Meeeee!!!
@galigaystorm8051 2 ай бұрын
Me
@acanadianderg4035 2 ай бұрын
Me three!
@Azuli-Studios 2 ай бұрын
Who doesn’t?
@Staide 2 ай бұрын
Here!!!
@ALilBucket 2 ай бұрын
Therapist here, this was phenomenally vulnerable and I'm sure massive amounts of people can relate. I might even send this to some of my clients who feel isolated and misunderstood. Thank you for your openness and for providing a space for others to express the same feelings and experiences ❤️
@DudeWhoSaysDeez 2 ай бұрын
When he mentioned feeling isolated yet happy, I instantly related with my own autism. I think some clients may benefit from videos like this.
@oswaldmosley5012 2 ай бұрын
Stop using silly words like "neurodiverse" and just say what you mean (usually mentally ill). Quit making up words for 'retard' because whatever new word you come up with will also become a slur. Therapists are mostly just expensive con-men in any case. Worthless job occupied by people who make money by keeping people mentally unwell.
@hunterjay5141 2 ай бұрын
Just sent this to my therapist as well. This is such a beautiful example of a journey on the road to self acceptance. Thanks for the work you do 🤝
@criticalcommenter 2 ай бұрын
I find it strange that a totally normal childhood interest is being painted as a mental illness.
@zufalllx 2 ай бұрын
Show me ONE person who's NOT 'neurodiverse '.
@ATransmogrifier Ай бұрын
"When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." - C.S. Lewis
@cloudscovermyflaws 12 күн бұрын
As someone who was similarly obsessed with dragons as a child, thank you so much for this video. Knowing you felt this way, and so many of the people who watched this video felt the same really made me recognize that there is community to be found in the most unusual of places. I look at this comment section, and I see hundreds of nerdy little kids, all united by a fierce imagination and love for dragons. I haven’t thought about that phase of my life in a long time. This video reminded me of the kid I used to be. All the drawings I made, the books I read, the films I watched. It all came back to me. And I’m not ashamed to admit I cried. So thank you for bringing back a part of me I thought I had lost.
@ilnoediavolon 2 ай бұрын
16:10 "Fear of being immature [...] made me throw my books away, and get rid of my drawings" That made me so freaking sad. It's like throwing away a part of yourself. Sure, eventually you grow up, but that doesn't mean you have to erase the joy you felt as a child. No matter what people say, how cringe it is, it's going to be a part of you til the end. A few month ago, I redrew some drawing I did as a teenager. I couldn't even begin to explain the joy I felt. As if I were going back in time, and my younger self was sharing her interests with my older self. And this time, the adult actually cared about what I had to say.
@richardbourton4523 2 ай бұрын
CS Lewis wrote on this idea, suggesting that few things are as immature as the desire to ‘seem grown up’. True maturity is accepting the things you like as part of who you are, which I think is a beautiful sentiment. It’s childish to hide who you are for fears of seeming childish, be who you are and you might find people who like that stuff too! It’s something I think about quite a lot, especially when other people judge people for their interests.
@shadowpower1856 2 ай бұрын
Relatable. I've been rewriting ("remastering", I guess) old stories I made when I was a child. Essentially taking the characters and story beats, and making it more fresh/mature (updating them essentially). It is an amazing experience, like validating my past self in some way. Who knows, perhaps these stories could even see the light of day XD. Even if they don't, rewriting them has been therapeutic.
@greenhydra10 2 ай бұрын
Very much a Where the Dragons Went scenario. I actually have the opposite relationship with my stuff to CA. I cling on to my old drawings, toys, and stuffed animals almost as if my life depends on it. A large part of me just wants to hold on to a fragment of happier, simpler times.
@takuame7 2 ай бұрын
I did this as well, except with a few well loved video games and my entire Lego bionicle collection about 2 yrs after graduating high school back in 2015....I regret it so much. Thankfully, I never got rid of all the bionicle instruction manuals I collected with those sets.
@ayzekpie9432 2 ай бұрын
This is familiar to me. All through elementary school, I cut out animals from my dinosaur books out of paper and made my own evolution tree to play natural history on the bed. Then it hit me "I'm an adult, argh" and I threw out 20 sheets on which I laid out organisms. Fortunately, I did not throw away 300+ carefully selected animals, I also saved other cool childhood projects, some of which was remastered. Now I understand that I will send people talking about the dangers of "staying a kid" to hell for the rest of my life.
@dappledthedemoniccrow2553 13 күн бұрын
What I expected when I clicked on this was a video about dragons What I got was the most relatable video I have ever seen that spoke to me on a deeper level than anything has before and the feeling of being understood.
@tudorstoica9691 Ай бұрын
This video healed my child soul. I was JUST like you, starting with a book about dragons who seemed to be a documentation about dragons, their deferent breeds, nesting places etc. I too have countless dragon drawings, wanted so despretaley hard to belive they where in fact real creatures, and when I got a little older, started to categorize which dragons where "real" and which where fantesy (for example I learned all vertebrates have 4 limbs, so dragons with 4 legs and 2 wings where not plausible but "wyverns" where more acurrate). When I first started watching Game of Thrones it made the image of Dragons so much realer for me. I loved they where biologically correct, had big chests (for flight muscles), had big enough wings for their bodies so that flight was achieveble).But watching your video made me realise the psychology behind my childhood dragon hobby. One of the best and relatable videos I've watched so far. I remember keeping this obsession to myself, subconsciously knowing it was a viewed as "weird" socially. Thank you for putting my childhood toughts into words.❤
@Ari-gc7sz 2 ай бұрын
This video isn't about dragons; it's about us. It's about kids who spent their childhoods filled with fantasies and stories, searching for them in every sea, valley, and ridge. It's about fixation, isolation, and being different. It's the story of our lives-about growing up and cringing at our younger selves, only to realize that perhaps we were happier before, and to feel that we've let society shackle us. It's about understanding that we're all different, and that we all love to explore the unknown. After reading numerous quotes about storytelling and how dragons symbolize fantasy, I came to realize, 'We don't want a dragon to be real because we want to escape reality; we want them to be real because we want to enjoy our reality.'
@P4r4k 2 ай бұрын
The real dragons are the friends we made along the way
@olwiz 2 ай бұрын
But thats the thing with dragons (and fae, and gods, and other things in myth)- theyre all about us. Nowadays because fantasy/fiction they reflect what we see as majestic and awesome (power in a good way). Back then they were about our fears, or in the asian dragons our awe at the sheer power (but wise) of nature. I any case they were always about us. There wouldnt be a dragon to be slayed without a george slaying it. No spreading plague dragons without cities being felled by plague. No sharizards without a pokemon trainer to catch it. 'There be dragons' the maps were full of. Each and every one of those were actually about the countless seafarer souls who got lost at sea or had a partial encounter with death and some uncanny shadows. Which, who knows, maybe they were dragons... no, i correct myself. They were dragons. The real ones. The immortal majestic beings that sleep in our minds and hearts
@ProSkillzDragonGal 2 ай бұрын
your comment literally just made me tear up
@ProSkillzDragonGal 2 ай бұрын
@@olwiz "They were dragons. The real ones. The immortal majestic beings that sleep in our minds and hearts" I have never seen a quote that hits home more than this one
@Ari-gc7sz Ай бұрын
@@olwiz This. This is really beautiful.
@sanshrayvinesh5167 2 ай бұрын
If this series was what inspired to start your channel in the long run, it definitely didn't ruin your life. It brought an amazing channel into existence
@germanomagnone 2 ай бұрын
in many ways the dragons have given them a push to "fly" in the sky of "curiosities"
@thebeatles114 2 ай бұрын
The best channel on KZfaq? Yes it is.
@mesquitatm104 Ай бұрын
I love seeing people talk anout their obsessions. To me, it gives meaning to life. I dont even like dragons, i avoid using them when i DM. But i do love music. When i sing and I'm able to harmonise with my instruments, i feel like my life makes sense. So when i see this same passion on other people, even if it's about a subject that i dont particularly like, i can't help but to connect, emphasize and admite the vulnerability and the courage that it requires to share this. I am truly greatful that you made this video, please take very good care of that child that you once were, dont ever let it die, he's awesome!
@juneBug412 Ай бұрын
an incredibly relatable video. growing up as an autistic child, i actually had the same fascination with dragons! and while i may have understood that they weren't real, that only really made my fascination with them seem more ridiculous in the eyes of my more neurotypical peers. for some reason, a fantastical obsession with something you don't understand is fiction yet isn't as weird as being just as obsessed with something you understand fully well isn't real. i was very different from other people, and i was acutely aware of this; i had an official diagnosis for the area of the autism spectrum formerly known as asperger's syndrome since preschool, but even without it i'm sure i would've picked up on how socially ostracized i was eventually. for this reason i found HTTYD very relatable, and i actually still hold on to how that made me feel. there are parts of me that some people might try to paint as bad or in need of correction, and they're wrong. this learned acceptance of my inherent otherness made it a lot easier to accept other inherent traits of myself i discovered later on in life, traits that some people unfairly attempt to outright demonize, and it makes me almost kindof glad to have grown up largely socially ostracized. if i grew up lacking that understanding of extreme otherness, i wouldn't be happily living true to myself today! who knows how long it would've taken me to find that happiness otherwise
@estivenamatrix Ай бұрын
Came here for dragons. Stayed for the incredibly relatable childhood experiences. Leaving after crying my eyes out. Thanks for sharing this.
@GroundbreakGames Ай бұрын
Really glad I’m not the only one having this reaction. Not even sure where all that came from but yeah, this cut deep for some reason.
@jayeisenhardt1337 Ай бұрын
I wanted dragons, kept getting interrupted and skipped most looking for dragons. Still looking for dragons.
@Valigarmanda 27 күн бұрын
@@jayeisenhardt1337the dragon was within you all along
@nathanielwinston8084 Ай бұрын
Brother there is nothing wrong with you
@remonahurst2606 Ай бұрын
I just want to let you know that I will be sharing this video because there are so many people like me who will relate to the commentary on some level, mostly parents of autistic children with special interests that they just can't understand. The way you speak about it explains the 'obsession' in a way that clarifies its control without making it frightening. I came to this video from an interest in dragon mythology but the insight I gained was so much greater and the impact it will have long term is unfathomable. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for making yourself vulnerable. Thank you for helping so many with a video about dragons. Thank you a million times over and then a million more.
@zj6707 3 күн бұрын
This is my favorite video of yours to date. The personal narrative throughout the cultural and historical stories was so entertaining and informative! I’d love more videos based on your own interests!
@NinjaAdorable 2 ай бұрын
17:52 "Its a curious thing to be born different, you can feel the shape of this person you were expected to be" That was legitimately the sentence I have resonated with the most in my life so far!! Thank you for putting that to words!!
@mynym4543 2 ай бұрын
I come from Ireland, an island famous for not having any snakes. Our local dragon? The ollphéist (lit. great beast/worm), a giant snake that lives in rivers and lakes. My suspicion is that it originated with Irish merchants who visited other places, saw snakes, thought they were really cool, and brought the concept back with an exaggerated story or two. It certainly wouldn’t be the only example of Irish folklore taking an ordinary animal and just making it bigger…
@Window4503 2 ай бұрын
Kinda sounds like Leviathan
@NuclearspartanX 2 ай бұрын
@@Window4503 That's likely not a coincidence. Leviathan comes from the mythology of the Indo-Europeans, of whom the Irish, as well as many other cultures with legends of a giant serpent, are descended. Look up comparative mythology, it's pretty cool stuff.
@soccerandtrack10 2 ай бұрын
@@NuclearspartanXim pretty sure its jewish=the 1st half of the book. Unless 2 kinds...
@soccerandtrack10 2 ай бұрын
@@NuclearspartanXor its another name...
@koderamerikaner5147 2 ай бұрын
@@NuclearspartanX It's refreshing to see that someone besides my friends and I knows about comparative mythology of Indo-Europeans and the current anthropological understanding of Proto-Indo-European religion. If I remember correctly, the Native Americans also have a similiar understanding of a great serpent, possibly meaning it's a myth as old as the ANE (Ancient North Eurasians). IIRC, same applies with the World Tree and the afterlife.
@riabeweeb1018 12 күн бұрын
This literally describes my childhood, I’m glad I’m not alone
@stevencanter3244 Ай бұрын
jesus christ i didnt plan to cry tonight but growing up as the local weird dragon kid, looking at my own dusty copy of dragonology on a shelf, this hit deep.
@TheLostDrifter Ай бұрын
Reminds me of Guillermo del Toro’s quote “Since childhood, I've been faithful to monsters. I have been saved and absolved by them, because monsters, I believe, are patron saints of our blissful imperfection, and they allow and embody the possibility of failing,”
@marciliojunior9599 Ай бұрын
GDT =
@nurrodenthyme1671 Ай бұрын
I had never heard that quote, and now I have thanks to you. That really lit something in me just now. Cheers!
@catbatrat1760 Ай бұрын
Wow... :')
@inaminayo5327 2 ай бұрын
This is a weird parallel to draw, but Overly Sarcastic Productions actually mentioned this in one of their videos, and I think they put it very succinctly. "The question is not 'Why are there so many different types of dragons'?, the question is "Why do we CALL so many DIFFERENT creatures dragons??" They further pointed out that the term "Dragon" is a category, not a definition. In the same way that "Demon" can mean anything evil and hellish, or "Fairy" can mean anything mystic and illusiary. I think that explains it very well.
@BasicallyBaconSandvichIV Ай бұрын
Which episode was this again? Might need to rewatch that.
@modenoatr Ай бұрын
@@BasicallyBaconSandvichIV Their Trope Talk on Dragons, natch :p
@BasicallyBaconSandvichIV Ай бұрын
@@modenoatr AHA! That's why I couldn't remember! I hardly watch trope talks, mainly just Red's videos about myths, legends, folklore and the like. Might need to watch this one though.
@BasicallyBaconSandvichIV Ай бұрын
@@modenoatr AHA! That's why I couldn't remember! I hardly watch trope talks, mainly just Red's videos about myths, legends, folklore and the like. Might need to watch this one though.
@pills- Ай бұрын
I would even put a lot of modern monsters into the dragon category: Graboids from tremors, aliens from the Alien movie, mimics from Edge of Tomorrow. The list keeps going.
@iBenjamin1000 Сағат бұрын
It always breaks my heart to hear people talking about throwing things out to get over their childish interests once they become a teenager. but it's always nice to hear about people coming back to them. thanks for sharing your story
@001mahidhul Ай бұрын
Reading these comments realising if I met you all as a kid we would’ve all made lifelong friends
@AnneAskins Ай бұрын
"You can feel the shape of the person you were expected to be and you find yourself wondering why you aren't that person" hit hard
@shadowwolfhellsresident8055 Ай бұрын
I know, I've spent my whole life thinking those thoughts. As much as it sucks its kinda great to know there are other people that are like that too.
@millz373 Ай бұрын
This was the part that got me too
@catalyst3512 Ай бұрын
That cuts deep... Damn.
@Khann_2102 Ай бұрын
😢
@woah10spac18 Ай бұрын
I cannot express to you the extent dragonology ruled my childhood and it is STILL to me the TEXTBOOK on dragon accuracy. You're seriously making me tear up with this, my guy
@franminanicollier9431 Ай бұрын
I also loved that book as a kid, and a similar book about Pirates by a different author. They're such creative works and are educational in that it exposes the reader to new words and expands their view of what dragons can look like to different cultures
@CountLilac Ай бұрын
Just spent 20 minutes trying to find the dragon book I read as a kid online that did the same for me but no luck 😭 it was the same vibe as dragonology but aimed towards much younger kids, about dragon myths worldwide, had beautiful illustrations most of which were pop up, like the one that sticks out the most in my mind was a page about dragons living behind waterfalls and you could lift up the waterfall flap to see the dragon and it’s hoard behind. Loved that book dearly as a kid
@skylion44 13 күн бұрын
I literally stumbled across some of my old drawings of dragons the other day in a box of unfinished plush dragons and griffins the other day. I’m not as intense about dragons anymore, but it brought back the same kind of memories you mentioned, sitting off to the side somewhere drawing dragon after dragon and showing them to whoever was unfortunate enough to end up stuck in a conversation with 9 year old me. I always had a sense they weren’t that interested but I didn’t, and sometimes still don’t know what to do about that, I just like to talk about things that interest me. I tried to stop doing that for a few years, but I’m nearly 20 now and I’m finding that I enjoy just saying what I want and finding the people who like to hear what kind of have to say, instead of pretending I know how to do small talk. I’m currently working on a new stuffed dragon, as well as finishing the over ambitious griffin that I’d forgotten about years ago. I might pick up the wings of fire series again too, that’s what really got me completely obsessed with dragons and it was one of my greatest comforts growing up. Thank you for making such a personal yet immensely relatable video!
@honorforge4150 14 күн бұрын
I remember getting Dragonology from the Scholastic Book Fair!! Instant core memory unlocked as soon as I seen the cover. I had a pirate one too
@DarrieusJohn Ай бұрын
I clicked expecting a fun video about dragons and now I'm in tears.
@smilestheemo3365 2 ай бұрын
My mom recently found my old copy of Dragonology in an old moving box. So many memories came back rereading that book. I wonder if the author knew he would have such an impact on children that it would invoke such emotion all these years later.
@Thunderfaaal Ай бұрын
I have that same book
@Kardur_Wrath_of_the_Abyss Ай бұрын
@@Thunderfaaal me too
@AristasTheMonsterHunter Ай бұрын
I had 2 of those books. I knew they where fake, but I would lie if I said they had nothing to do with igniting my passion for taxonomy and ethology. And here I am now, studing videogame disign with the purpose to teach others about the complexity and beauty of living beings through fantasy. I feel the sudden urge to find those books again.
@juuzzee. 13 күн бұрын
the Dragonology (and other - ology books in the same series) book was likely the most pivotal book from my childhood. to this day I still flick through the pages and just smile at how in-depth the book is. a couple months back I stumbled across the fact that Dragonology had a Nintendo DS game made about it, and yes it goes into the same level of detail, all whilst in an interactive collecting style game. it made me look back to the book, with which I could use as an information guide/companion piece to the game. the Dragonology series truly is special.
@owenmiller7488 2 күн бұрын
It also had a board game, it was always my favourite board game to play when I was younger, I remember it taking quite a while though. Still don't know if I loved it so much because of the art style or because of the autism that plagues me
@saxon540 13 күн бұрын
Came here for the dragons. Left with the deep retrospective of life. This got really deep into like the psychology of who you are and where you come from and It really struck a cord for me. Thank you.
@Techhunter_Talon 2 ай бұрын
I watched that show. 'Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real' was pretty cool and I loved their attempts at explaining how a dragon would work biologically if they were a real animal.
@Revenant-oq9ts 2 ай бұрын
Same. And I owned the Dragonology book too. I think I was one book short of completing the "ology" series, come to think of it.
@koharumi1 2 ай бұрын
Does it do both eastern and western dragons?
@grey8288 2 ай бұрын
@@koharumi1The focus is on western European dragons, if I remember right.
@charlw3583 2 ай бұрын
@koharumi6461 Technically, yes, there is mention of both eastern and western dragons during the "history" portion, but the focus of the documentary is on a traditional European dragon which they find a preserved body of. Its a really good film though and available on KZfaq definitely worth a watch; the animation is really decent for how old it is too.
@user-nt8dq9se2e 2 ай бұрын
YES @@charlw3583
@justv7536 Ай бұрын
Reminds me of a rant an archaeologist did. "If ancient civilisation wasn't built by aliens, how come everyone built pyramids?" "Well, it's really easy to stack rocks at a 45 degree angle."
@joshualawrence2963 Ай бұрын
I love how that whole “everyone built pyramids” conspiracy argument you mention connects to a major point in the video too. “Everyone” didn’t build “pyramids”, they built structures that were as tall as humanly possible at the time. To do that, a “pyramid” like shape was really stable and easily scalable for that. WHY did “everyone” want to build the tallest structures they could? Pffff, because it’s cool!! Heck, we’re still doing it! Check out that record-breaking skyscraper in Dubai! Haha
@joshualawrence2963 Ай бұрын
Anyway, i just enjoyed your comment ^^ lol. You wouldnt happen to remember the name of the academic that said the quote you’re mentioning, would you?
@cyborgchicken3502 Ай бұрын
@@joshualawrence2963 or the classic archeological excuse for almost any discovery we don't understand.... "this knife definitely had to be used for CEREMONIAL PURPOSES" Where as said knife could've just been a cool looking knife with cool designs on it because the creator thought it would be... Cool
@WMDistraction Ай бұрын
@@cyborgchicken3502 Anything very intricate that is very old almost had to have a purpose other than “cool thing cool” because resources were often very scarce. Not to say it didn’t happen, but if an intricate thing looks like it was likely one of one, it probably was ritualistic in some way or served an important practical purpose because, otherwise, you’d probably find many different decorative things if the resources supported it.
@KuraiKuroNeko Ай бұрын
It's the consistent level of precision and astrological alignments of these structures that fascinates people, but I think the land was still connected when the oldest pyramids were built so people technically had access to one another in ancient times.
@DelmiraVesna Ай бұрын
Im born in the year of Dragon and have been in love with them since as long as I remember myself. I feel like they symbolize a plight to overcome something colossal- a war, change, personal inner battles. You're either battling a dragon, or you become one to battle whatever is fighting you. If dragons aren't real in a physical scientific way, they are definitely real in a metaphorical way. Dont throw away your childhood's memories. Even if at some point you find them cringy. When you're old, you will be glad you kept them.
@unticinesetrans 8 күн бұрын
I am so glad to see this documentary talked about because I haven't been able to find it since I saw it as a kid over a decade and a half ago, and it's been haunting me ever since. Thank you for your work, kind sir
@Eclipse_101 2 ай бұрын
This video was very healing for me to watch. I myself was a very autistic, dragon-obsessed child who shouted “that’s a WYVERN” and other things such as that. I’m okay with that. That just shows that I care. Occasionally I still will- just with less venom, and more of a “this is something I care about so I want to talk about it” tone. I am not angry when someone “wrongly” classifies one. I just go “yeah, that’s a dragon. Wyverns are dragons.”
@JackFrost0810 2 ай бұрын
As I've realized now, its like the rectangles and squares thing, All wyverns are dragons, but not all dragons are wyverns
@pocketinfinity6733 2 ай бұрын
inside boiling hatred swells, "wyveeeeeeerrrrrnnnnnnn"
@blackdragon5274 2 ай бұрын
I'm the opposite, autistically obsessed with broadening the classification of dragons beyond what d&d decided only like 40 years ago.
@hughstout9951 2 ай бұрын
@@JackFrost0810yes! This is what I've been saying all along! I like "All eels are fish, but not all fish are eels". Since it describes that 2 things that might not look similar can be the same. Like Chinese dragons and western dragons
@zacharymoss2994 2 ай бұрын
As a 29 year old man on the Autism spectrum and obsessed with monsters and animals, I find this video quite nice and therapeutic.
@Muircat Ай бұрын
"It's curious to be born different. You can feel the shape of this person you were expected to be, and you keep finding yourself wondering why you aren't that person." That bar destroyed me, man. That is exactly what I've been feeling since I was 8 or 9. This whole video was therapeutic to listen to. Thank you for making it.
@remonahurst2606 Ай бұрын
I couldn't agree more
@NOBLE60000 24 күн бұрын
Same here ;w;
@MrBrownLostHisM00 15 күн бұрын
Bro was cooking with gas with that one
@Coast-to-Coast 10 күн бұрын
When I look out at some beautiful landscape, I am often overcome with a bizarrely intense desire to have a httyd style dragon that I can fly over the vistas with. In those moments I am frustrated that's it's something I can literally never have.
@lionfish1016 26 күн бұрын
God I relate to this video so much. I had that same book as a kid, i also would go explore in the forest by my house with this cool dragon themed notebook I got from a school bookfair and draw dragons and come up with my own system for this journal and ended up filling every page with a new dragon. I was obsessed with how to train your dragon and read wings of fire and eragon religiously. I got made fun of it a good amount in middle school so I talked about it less, but that love of dragons has never left me. This video has reminded me of a lot of memories and introspection, I think I'm going to write a song about this as that's where my life has taken me. Thank you so much for this video it truly makes me feel connected and seen.
@declanshannon8561 2 ай бұрын
Man the bit at the end where you changed just because you were worried what other people might think, hits close to home.
@martenmaarten Ай бұрын
same here! it was already such a comfort to see others who've went through the same struggles, but especially the bit at the end where he picks up drawing again was just really beautiful. thats the kind of mentality i strive towards
@ViralWinter Ай бұрын
This is basically adulthood summed up for all people today lol (possibly all people in history)
@Pyritie Ай бұрын
@@ViralWinter I didn't change and ended up as a furry (/scalie, whatever) instead, so, not a whole lot better lol
@katherineryan7126 2 ай бұрын
I'm autistic, and I definitely relate to wanting things to fit into neat little categories. That's part of why I like worldbuilding, because I get to shape a world that conforms to my desire for order and balance, and I think that helps me be okay with the fact that the real world isn't like that.
@Erocksoco 2 ай бұрын
Yeah, I felt a lot of this video for that same reason.
@c.d.rstudios4691 2 ай бұрын
I'm autistic and I just wanted to know everything about the transformers
@user-oe5gv4sm3z 2 ай бұрын
Same❤
@plebisMaximus 2 ай бұрын
Couldn't have worded it better myself. It can be rough to live in a world you aren't built for.
@Skorpychan 2 ай бұрын
@@c.d.rstudios4691 I have a friend like that. He also knows everything there is about comic book lore, which made him absolutely invaluable for the MCU movies. It meshes well with my obsession with vehicles and physics and worldbuilding. The RPG campaigns we made were pretty epic.
@athy8763 Ай бұрын
honestly really love seeing this very personal yet insightful video from you. youve been one of my favorite creators to come back to and i love hearing something thats just so....real. also love how it kinda explains where a lot of your fascinations came from, thats the sorta shit that keeps me going in life.
@alliemoon5532 13 күн бұрын
I saved this video because the second you showed the dragonology book I knew this was for me. Thank you for putting into words what I never quite could about why dragons meant so much to younger me. This is a piece of art 💙
@thelampgod Ай бұрын
Memory unlocked. I don't know what happened to that Dragonology book- but I was OBSESSED with it. The cover, the color of the pages, the texture of the book bindings, and the in depth drawings... they captivated me in a way I have not experienced since.
@MrThekill2012 Ай бұрын
Its a canon event i lost mine too even my gf lost it at some point of her life it seem like Dragonlogy is designated to dissapear when we grow older 😂
@KainRocks777 Ай бұрын
I'm glancing up at my copy of it right now lol
@toiletball8420 Ай бұрын
SAMMEEEE
@Oguh608 Ай бұрын
Same. After looking it up online I believe I had this book as a kid aswell. It's a really faint memory but it's there.
@georgesheng5500 Ай бұрын
I saw the book, but I FELT the marbles. It awoke a buried memory within me that I did read that book at some point in my childhood
@jaywalk9364 2 ай бұрын
For a video with a lot of dragons, this video was not about dragons. Not even a video essay. This is a love letter - to the self. And a very beautiful one too. Thanks for sharing this intimate piece of yourself to us.
@juuzzee. 13 күн бұрын
this video was the missing link to something I have felt for a long time. I am so glad it put the puzzle pieces together for me. There's a lyric in the song "Am I Dreaming" from Spiderman Across the Spider-Verse: "Am I Dreaming? Is there more like us?" That line, I've always loved it. it's so emotionally raw. the vulnerability of Miles asking Gwen "hey, are we not alone out here?" is just so powerful, and I always felt my heart wrench when that line is sung, but I didn't know why. This video. these comments. these explained why. the empathy that I felt for Miles, it wasn't just for him. it was also for me, childhood me, the kid who thought he was alone, but now I can so clearly see, I'm not alone. I was never alone. that truly is something incredible.
@mr.crazycoconut9529 Күн бұрын
the part where he talks about how when your born different you can feel this shape of a person you where expected to be but you cant quite fill it made me cry
@snqko 2 ай бұрын
I clicked on this video expecting a neat commentary on the role of dragons in literature. I didn't expect to hear someone eloquently describe some of the feelings and parts of myself I've been struggling to understand and describe for years. This is one of my favourite videos on KZfaq, thank you.
@10Bendog 2 ай бұрын
I've seen so many people online, including you now too, expressing their past experiences as teens about how they would turn their backs and try to distance themselves from the things they liked as kids, only to come back around to it when becoming adults. Every time I hear this kind of story, I remember how I sometimes felt the same way when I was in my teens. But I also remember being too stubborn at the time to give up on the things I like (instead just opting to keep them to myself and not let people know that I "still liked those kiddie stuff". And now I'm grateful to teen me for being so stubborn and not giving up on my interests. Hearing you say how you disposed of so many of the stuff that related to your interest in dragons made me really sad, because I know present day me would be devastated if past me had thrown away any of my drawings or comics or toys or whatnot.
@Kanaleah 2 ай бұрын
The words of C.S. Lewis should be repeated ad infinitum in this situation. "Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." I think this is why so many adults come back to childhood fascinations that they discard in their young adult years. Because once you have completed the metamorphosis into an adult, you have no fear of being seen as childish any longer.
@TwentySeventhLetter 2 ай бұрын
A really important message I received from my older sister when I was a kid expressed this sentiment succinctly: "When you're a kid, you like Disney. When you're a teenager, you hate disney. When you're an adult, you love Disney." Of course Disney is a stand in for whatever thing brings you joy, but it's a message that stuck with me and that I always appreciate hearing others share.
@RoseBaggins 2 ай бұрын
I was similar, except I never wanted to throw anything away. I think I was lucky in having a friend group who are still into all the things we enjoyed as kids. Or, well, basically, we were all nerds, lol.
@raccoon2968 2 ай бұрын
I’m glad I took the third option. Just continue loving my interest. Sometimes I just kept it to myself. But I don’t think I ever told myself to stop and I’m glad so. Tho at times I felt maybe I did so but that was with others who did understand, maybe that still goes with keeping it to myself but oh well. Glad I can always get excited seeing anything dragon/dinosaur related
@purplezekromlotus1862 2 ай бұрын
Same! I started to feel embarrassed about liking dragons so much around fourth and fifth grade, but I could never bring myself to stop liking it. I'm so glad I have friends who get it :)
@kalvilmer1555 12 күн бұрын
Did not expect this to be an essay on my own childhood
@charlottemansfield6916 Ай бұрын
Im so happy I wasnt the only one obsessed with that dragonology book, Im sure I still have it somewhere
@garyprimmjr7392 Ай бұрын
The dinosaur kid to dragon kid pipeline is so real. I haven’t been that kid in a while; I’m 23 and life has definitely been life’ing; but there’s always a smile on my face whenever something dinosaur related or dragon related comes around. That smile lets me know that despite everything that’s happened, that loner kid who drew dinosaurs and dragons (who once had that Dragonology book) is still in there.
@fluffybluedrgn2706 Ай бұрын
This video has never been a more accurate representation of what my childhood was. As an autistic girl myself I felt super outcast for my love of “boy things” like dragons, archeology, and Pokémon. I still have that dragonology book. And like you said around 16:37 I almost threw it out too- along with all my drawings. I’m so happy I didn’t. Thank you for making this video- it explains my journey better than I could ever explain it.
@samuraijosh1595 Ай бұрын
Pokemon is watched by both boys and girls
@acommenter6737 Ай бұрын
Anthropology is pretty evenly gender split, there’s plenty of female archaeologists
@javelynhobinson6405 Ай бұрын
@@samuraijosh1595 Yes, but it is usually linked more with boys. When people think of "A kid who plays Pokemon/watches Pokemon", it is linked with boys. Largely because of its male protagonist in the original and then especially because it involves battle and such, which is linked more stereotypically with boy media. It involves far more stereotypical boy-things than stereotypical-girl ones.
@fluffybluedrgn2706 21 күн бұрын
If it helps to clarify for everyone- all the girls around me were in Justice clothing, wanted to be ballerinas, and talked about horses and princess 24/7. Nothing wrong with those things of course- but I was super outcast from what was supposed to be my community. I felt pressured to throw out my out interests in favor of the majorities interests. Hope that clears some things
@runningsloth3324 23 күн бұрын
It's shocking how so many people can have so many shared experiences while being so far apart in time and space. I think a lot of people like me can relate to your life, and it's the reason we found your videos.
@JoanLamrack Ай бұрын
from all videos i have watched today, I never expected to see one that connects to me deeply. I used to be obsessed with animal facts, mythology creatures and barely connect with peers my own age. I never thought there's a relation to it, and yet, decades later, here we are. crazy how the world works.
@Ezpo1027 2 ай бұрын
Watching the video of a dragon fighting a t rex when i was a kid was a fever dream for me, it was probably because of the roaring
@BasiliscBaz 2 ай бұрын
Same
@tessabakker662 2 ай бұрын
The pronated wrists on the T. rex though... they hurt so much now. I can totally sit back and just enjoy the preposterous scenario of dragons being real and in conflict with their Mesozoic reptilian rivals, but those dang wrists man, lol
@assaulthetz 2 ай бұрын
I thought that 'Documentary' about dragons was real, until I realized when growing older that it wasn't. Still It was cool.
@MegaNightowl11 Ай бұрын
@@assaulthetz Same, I turned off the tv before the disclaimer after the credits.
@thegreatdreamer8377 2 ай бұрын
I wanted to come here and say that this video spoke to me on a fundamental level. I distinctually remember pushing my love of dinosaurs down during Middleschool and Highschool, thinking I should grow up, now I have accepted myself more and am currently working on a collection of every Dinosaur card in MTG
@dirtywhitellama 2 ай бұрын
You might as well be yourself, you're the only one who can.
@cosmicspacething3474 2 ай бұрын
Damn, good luck. There are websites for ordering specific cards if you want to look those up
@Soldadodelasombra 2 ай бұрын
Another dinosaur fan? May the Sun Dinosaur God shine upon your quests
@Wyrm7774 2 ай бұрын
Ghisath players best players
@arturoaguilar6002 Ай бұрын
Ixalan must had been a really fun set for you. Every time certain guy played a dinosaur card from that set, he always hummed the Jurassic Park theme...
@yamster5039 13 күн бұрын
it was supposed to be a video on dragons, but you made it too relatable bro goddamn you touched my heart with it
@skylarwinter2596 Ай бұрын
I had a very similar childhood, watching the same mock documentary, obsessing over HTTYD, and drawing fantastical creatures. This video really made me feel something and I absolutely love it.
@catpaw3339 Ай бұрын
This video really made me feel better knowing I wasn't alone in my little child yearning to search for dragons
@Kelto28 2 ай бұрын
I can't fully describe how much I relate to practically every word of this video, from the documentary->draconology->HTTYD pipeline, to the drawings and the shame, and now the healing, I guess I would've never taken off the shame and fully embraced the love for the draconic without MTG and so many other games and books to build a community around. But hearing this is something... else, like hearing my life being narrated to me. Thanks
@prasetyodwikuncorojati2434 2 ай бұрын
The same channel that aired Draconology also created Mermaid "documentary" with same premise, what if they're exist and how they evolving. Honestly the mermaid looks way more disturbing than dragon thanks for the humanoid form that giving uncanny valley effect. Yet it also have bleak ending
@Naknave 26 күн бұрын
Whoa, the history channel special you mentioned at the beginning and the dragonology book are both what made me obsessed with them, it’s cool hearing someone who had a similar childhood That and an old dinosaur book
@Masternuckable 2 ай бұрын
I knew as soon as you said dragon books, you'd mention Dragonology. I loved that book.
@terrorcop101 2 ай бұрын
Still have my copy.
@Masternuckable 2 ай бұрын
@@terrorcop101 that's awesome. I unfortunately had a similar phase to Curious Archive and threw all that stuff away.
@imdjbacon2226 2 ай бұрын
I have the other one with the monsters and the dragons
@tessabakker662 2 ай бұрын
I have both Dragonology and John Topsell's "How to Raise and Keep a Dragon", the latter of which being my favourite because it was the perfect gateway for little autistic me's daydreams of not just LIVING in a WORLD of dragons, but OWNING one, not as a fantasy magic nuke, but as a best friend and the most wickedly awesome exotic pet ever. I only watched the film adaptation of HTTYD YEARS after it first came out, so this particular book really sparked it for me. I'd always loved animals because they tended to make more sense to me than humans, particularly adults (because, yeah, I'm on the spectrum, that's a common sentiment from what I understand) and I always lived with cats. For a few years I'd spend the occasional weekend with a therapy couple who owned chickens, which probably aided my interest in dinosaurs because I could see the resemblance between the bones of old and the locomotion of modern dinosaurs as I watched those sweet fluffy ladies go about their day pecking the earth for grubs. Cats are about consent, they have their rules and personal boundaries, and if you respect those they can make for amazing companions. Chickens are far smarter and more personable than most people give them credit for, and in my mind dragons were the best of both these wonderful creatures, with the addition of a little bit of horse thrown in the mix (because HtRaKaD posited that full-size dragons were suitable for riding - heck, the book has *instructions* on riding gear for different dragon body types!!!). Of course I understood from a young age that the book was *just* a book, I'd always prided myself in being a realist despite enjoying whimsy, but I cherished the fantasy. It (particularly the checklist the book presents to help you select which fictional dragon would be the best fit for you and your living/economic/time availability situation) sparked a passion for animal husbandry in me, and years later I would go on to complete my education in general animal husbandry. I'd had lofty ideas of going into a scientific field, but I couldn't wade through the education system at those high levels (autism + ADD and an anxiety disorder teaming up on me) so I dropped down a few notches and found great fulfillment in manual labor and interacting with animals of all shapes and sizes. How to Raise and Keep a Dragon was just so special, man. I think I'll peruse it's pages again tonight. I want an emerald green miniature Mushussu so bad...
@NoctaKitsune 2 ай бұрын
@@terrorcop101 Same
@spenceryaude3297 12 күн бұрын
This video hit me like a gout of Glaurung's burning blood I have never felt more understood
@levi_octavian 2 ай бұрын
From ages 6 to 14 my main autistic special interest was dragons.Your speech at 3:24 really hit home and struck a cord personally. That loneliness and isolation, struggling with acceptance. Despite being fictional creatures they helped ground me in a confusing and unfair world at the time.
@iamatree4372 2 ай бұрын
Holy shit, i also had "Dragonology" as a child. And reading other comments, it appears that many had the same experience. It is truly a uniting experience to have that book.
@thmistrapillay1811 2 ай бұрын
So did I❤️🔥, I still do and it's still amazing for me😂
@stormywolfhowls 2 ай бұрын
I still have my copy and I have translated it.
@jan_Masewin 2 ай бұрын
me too... I loved it to literal pieces
@horrorspirit 2 ай бұрын
same here!
@helmaschine1885 2 ай бұрын
Still have mine and my Egyptology book from the dame series xD the dragon one was way cooler and interactive.
@firstnamenulllastnamenull1174 22 күн бұрын
I'm not sure if you'll see this, Curious Archive, but I just want to let you know, your work really really touches me in so many ways. From struggling to fit in, to expressing complex, conflicting emotions. Thank you so much
@otakugamer7534 Күн бұрын
Man learning to classify things at that young of an age could make one a genious and an expert of classification
@cyanic-1042 2 ай бұрын
I will say, I’m turning 22 this year, and as a child whenever I was feeling down I’d just imagine them. Immense beasts towering above, their wings sending storms in each beat. I would occasionally imagine having my own wings, scales, fiery breath, and complete freedom. HTTYD was definitely fuel to my fire as well haha I almost lost that part of me in middle school, but I held onto it. it got me through my toughest years. The abuse, the lost friendships, the sadness. Dragons were my escape. Being an adult, I’d say I love dragons now more than ever. I’m not afraid anymore to say “yeah, I just really like dragons!”
@drummerofawe 2 ай бұрын
I'm a big language nerd and I love that you mentioned the idea of comparative mythology. Among Indo-European cultures, I believe the dragon-slaying myth is one of the best attested and most concretely proposed as a reconstructed proto-myth, which could at least begin to account for some of the creature's spread in Europe and parts of Asia and the Middle-East. Ever since I learned about it, I've been captivated by the idea of this phrase, 'he slew the serpent', passed down for generations among multiple cultures now thousands of years removed from their common origin.
@vardamir0397 Ай бұрын
look at the tree of life at 10:35. Now, I know this isn't upon millions of years, but I bet a similar graph could be made going all the way back to the first traces of human history, or even simply recorded art...and we'd find dragons and their appearance through the centuries, across humanity ...these legends you say have gone down from bloodlines to bloodlines, perhaps they could be traced from names to their derivate families, trying to map out dragons through human genealogy could be incredibly interesting as a field of anthropology...
@SatanEnjoyer 12 күн бұрын
I'm crying because I have had the same exact experience as you including every single media you interacted with, to reaching the same conclusions, to erasing everything to seem more normal, to the classification... Now I want to go back and get it all back
@meggiemeee 14 күн бұрын
I remember that show, Dragons a fantasy made real. It made me question evolution so much and influenced my support of Graham's opinions of the 11000 years rep
@TeaGarrison Ай бұрын
Dragonology is THE dragon book from most people’s childhood but I also really enjoyed the Dragon Chronicles. It tells the story of an archwizard who goes on a large journey to document all the dragons in his king’s realm. The artwork is the highlight. It’s some of the best dragon artwork I’ve ever seen.
@Shofman Ай бұрын
I didnt have Dragonology, but I loved the Dragon Chronicles.
@BasicallyBaconSandvichIV Ай бұрын
Might need to get both now. I'm a n adult I can buy as much books as I want!
@arnekrug939 Ай бұрын
@@BasicallyBaconSandvichIV My judgement might be heavily clouded by nostalgia, but that Dragonology book was truly awesome as a kid.
@ComotoseOnAnime Ай бұрын
@@arnekrug939 I still have my copy, in basically mint or near mint condition. I can confirm, it's a delightfully interesting book. A tad short and a bit cheesy in places, like a collection of dragon dust is literally just several sizes of glitter in a plastic pouch, but for kid me? That was the coolest shiz ever.
@intellectually_lazy Ай бұрын
flashy cash grab. you know, there were books about dragons prior to 2005
@Beryllahawk 2 ай бұрын
My son has ADHD, and he and I have been having a lot of discussions about that lately. I heard so much here that echoes what he's told me, how he experiences the world, how he categorizes almost everything. And I've come to realize that I do too. Maybe it's because humans are so drawn to patterns, maybe it's something else. But listening to you, I realized something more. I had that rich imaginary life when I was a kid, and incredibly...I still do. I never lost it, or pushed it away - never conformed, still don't, and still don't give two shits if I ever "fit in" with any larger group. And for the first time in these forty-mumble years of my life, I'm really glad about that. And I'm glad you've come to a place where you can accept and treasure that imagination for yourself as well. Sending hugs to all of y'all out there who might need one. Please be weird, and be happy in that weirdness - it's what makes us, US.
@LordAryu 2 ай бұрын
I dealt with undiagnosed ADHD for 23 out of 25 years of living. Your words brought tears into my eyes. Your son is really fortunate to have a mom like you. Thank you and best wishes!
@Beryllahawk 2 ай бұрын
@@LordAryu Hugs!
@turbomayonnaise Ай бұрын
as a young kid i would always draw dragons during recess and always got mocked and teased. actually whilst watching this video i found myself sketching/redesigning my dragon OC ive had since i was 12. dragons will always go hard as shit
@concavacatbc 12 күн бұрын
When i was much younger i also had an obsession that kinda ostracized me from the other kids and that people treid to condition out of me. It wasn't with dragons though, instead it was fictional cats that i made up all own my own, not directly inspired by anything in particular and definitely not by the warrior cats book, since i had no idea what those were untill years later lol. I never really dropped the obsession tho, not even as a teenager. I instead took everyone telling me to stop being obsessed with cats as kinda a challenge, and started creating just creatures. Now probably about 5% of what i create are cats, the rest are weird and wonderfull creatures that are in many cases some of the most unique creature designs ive ever seen. So here for childhood obsessions
@DarkKing009 2 ай бұрын
There are two types of high fantasy: The world used to be more magical when the dragons were around and now it's less Majestic and the world is lesser for it's without dragons. And How do we get rid of these dragons that are destroying everything?
@hughstout9951 2 ай бұрын
Skyrim manages to do both
@greenhydra10 2 ай бұрын
A classic. And then there's Monster Hunter: "Yeah, we have walking forces of nature that pop up every once in a while. Best start stabbing."
@TheArtistKnownAsNooblet 2 ай бұрын
You've forgotten the SCP answer. "The dragons are dying and it's our fault"
@keyboard-smash 2 ай бұрын
and also "Dragons = humans and humans = annoying ants who have tech but a couple happened to kill a dragon queen/thousands of years ago had started The Scorching, which was ironic because even though the humans wanted to enslave young dragonets to use as their weapons for personal gain by conquering & invading other empires, it caused their (humans/scavengers) own demise/near extinction" (WoF reference) (Wings of Fire; go check it out!)
@cosmicspacething3474 2 ай бұрын
@@TheArtistKnownAsNooblet I’d say that falls under the first category
@zacharymoss2994 2 ай бұрын
16:29 I'm on the Autism spectrum, I'm about to be 30 next month, and i tell you never throw away your old books. Give them to someone you love, like a family member or a friend, perhaps your niece or nephew, donate them to a school, a church or library, or a resale shop, or keep them in a box till you have a wife and some kids and give the books to your kid(s). Treasures like books should never be thrown away unless it is the most extreme circumstances. Even when I turn 30 I'll never give up my obsession with monsters especially dragons and dinosaurs.
@vashtic2036 2 ай бұрын
Tangentially related; I went through a big dragon phase too (I'm talking jewellery, art both bought and made, glow in the dark shirts, and books books books) and last year, my mum sent me a big box of all my old dragon stuff, including about a dozen books featuring them. I'm not that into dragons anymore, and was never going to read those books again, so I advertised them as free to a good home, and within the hour had a mother asking if she could come get them ASAP for her own young, dragon obsessed child. Later that night, she messaged me letting me know that I'd made her kid's week and thanking me- the feeling of passing on things that brought me so much joy to someone who was just as excited about them as I had been (maybe even more so, since I had built up that collection over years of Christmases, birthdays, and saving up dollars I found on the ground, and they'd gotten the whole lot in one box) was something really special. Books really are treasures, and sharing them is definitely the way to go.
@Magus_Union 2 ай бұрын
Yeah, I'm a bit surprised that the video didn't touch on this. Sympathizing with the 'Other' has always been a reoccurring theme in my life. It wouldn't be till I was almost 34 that I would be diagnosed with Level 1 ASD. Growing up I always knew that I'm 'different' from everyone, yet couldn't put a finger on why. My equal measured obsessions were just as described as this videos. Hell, I still have an immense love for everything 'dragon' as well, lol.
@v.j.bartlett 2 ай бұрын
Love dragons and monsters. Became a writer and artist so I can create my own. And I'm ASD so go figure.
@JasuQ 2 ай бұрын
What does you being autistic have anything to do with the rest of your comment
@zacharymoss2994 2 ай бұрын
@Magus_Union when I saw his video on sympathy for monsters, I meant to type on how the cartoons I watched like gargoyles, beast wars,digimon and pokemon, and growing up with autism made me realize why I felt such love for non human animals, I saw myself in such monsters. When I was in high school, I saw videos on KZfaq about how people didn't like people with autism, being seen as too strong and uncontrollable, too weird and wild and felt more closer to animals, aliens and robots. But when I heard the song Animals careless and free, saw where the wild things are and re-watch the cartoons I enjoyed, I thought if being on the Autism spectrum makes me a monster, fine I'll take it as a badge of honor, knowing the famous people with autism that made the modern world possible, I'm proud to be on the Autism spectrum.
@GOBIAS.INDUSTRIES. Ай бұрын
The Zombie Survival Guide later became what I used Dragonology for as a kid - a real world reference guide 👍🏽
@lucalovespopculture3743 19 күн бұрын
This video hits home so much. I was also obsessed with dragons as a child. I even had the exact same book and also saw that mockumentary. I also did research about dragons, trying to find them. The same about trying to understand something else, cause you have problems understanding humans. Im autistic and i have ADHD, so i often felt isolated or not being able to understand. The part with becoming a teenager and getting rid of your "childish" interests is also something i did. Like i was afraid to talk about Pokémon when i was 13, cause i was afraid of being seen as childish and a weirdo.
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