[UA] Outsider (was Re: True King)

[David M Jacobs]

At 08:14 PM 28/03/02 -0800, Chad Underkoffler wrote:

>I've always thought that the Reble and the Outsider should be
>collapsed. There's some weird crossover between Healer and
>Confessor, too, but not as direct.

I think that the major difference between the Rebel and the Outsider is 
that the former _wants_ to be different, whereas the latter just _is_.  In 
many ways, they're opposites; they approach the same problem 
(non-conformity) from different directions.

Deep down, the Outsider fears that he'll never be respected for his 
differences to the masses, and never be truly respected by those around 
him.  He was thrust to the periphery by everyone else's perception of 
him.  Chances are, he'll have low self-esteem.

Sometimes, he'll try to conform (pretty much doomed to failure); sometimes 
(if the angst doesn't kill him first), he'll come to terms with his 
"eccentricities".  Nonetheless, his circumstances are largely beyond his 
control; the Outsider is more of an "accidental" archetype (as per 
Statosphere).

"12305(te Nacht)" (Einstürzende Neubauten) would be a good (if subtle, and 
admittedly, obscure) theme for the Outsider; so would most songs by Rollins 
Band.

The Rebel, OTOH, fears for his individuality; he doesn't want to be thought 
of as "another face in the crowd".  He actively seeks to differentiate 
himself from those around him, and is usually highly motivated.  This is 
very much a deliberate path; purely "accidental" Avatars (though not 
impossible) would be quite rare.

"Rock 'n' Roll Nigger" (Patti Smith) would be a good theme for the Rebel, 
as would "American Society" (L7).

I agree, though, there is some crossover between the Outsider and the 
Rebel.  There's also some element of the Fool and the Savage in the 
Outsider as well, though.



David M Jacobs
dmjacobs at zipworld.com.au
http://www.zipworld.com.au/~dmjacobs/
ICQ UIN: 17027598

"'Kevin,' David interrupted, 'what the Germans should have done
was show the Russians a dead cat and ask them to explain it.'

"'That would have stopped the Soviet offensive right there,' I said.
"Zhukov would still be trying to account for the cat's death.'"

— from Valis, by Philip K Dick


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