💝✨️ Love with Clarity and Balance – A Valentine’s Greeting with the Flax Flower (Linum usitatissimum)

Love is more than just a feeling – it is a harmony of emotion and reason. Just like the blooming flax flower is not only beautiful but also provides valuable Omega-3 fatty acids through its seeds, a mindful diet can support our emotional stability and cognitive abilities.

🧠🫀 Why Omega-3 for Mind and Heart?

🧮🧩 Enhanced Cognitive Function: Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for the cell membranes of our neurons. They improve neural communication and can strengthen memory, concentration, and logical thinking.

💔❤️‍🩹 Emotional Balance: Studies show that Omega-3 (especially EPA and DHA) can help reduce stress and anxiety. They contribute to calming impulsive reactions and improving emotional regulation.

🌈☀️ Reduced Susceptibility to Cognitive Biases: A well-nourished brain is better at recognizing and avoiding thinking errors like black-and-white thinking or the base rate fallacy.

👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Greater Resilience in Relationships: Those who are emotionally balanced can approach conflicts more calmly, resolve misunderstandings more effectively, and respond with greater reflection.

👨‍👩‍👦 Whether in relationships or daily life, the right balance between heart and mind helps us navigate highs and lows more consciously. A well-nourished brain is a clear-thinking brain.

With that in mind, I wish you a Valentine’s Day filled with love, clarity, and inner balance! 💙🌿

⚠️ Additional information:

🐟 Only about 5-10 percent of the alpha-linolenic acid in linseed oil is converted into EPA and DHA. Sea fish and algae offer better and more direct availability of these fatty acids.

‼️ Linseed contains hydrogen cyanide, which is why only about 15 grams of linseed per meal is recommended.

‼️ Particular caution is required for children and pregnant women - please inform yourself about possible dangers beforehand.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

🌎 The Endless Blue 🌍

I sometimes feel like there’s something missing in my life that would give me a deeper sense of definition, but it’s not about not knowing who I am. I have a strong sense of my identity, my core values and beliefs, but there’s still a part of me that feels incomplete, like I haven’t fully figured out my place in the world. My confusion is more about my existence, my purpose, and how I fit into the bigger picture, not about who I am as a person.

When I express this, I want to feel understood. I want others to engage with my feelings without jumping to conclusions or offering unsolicited advice. It’s frustrating when people try to simplify my emotions or impose their own ideals on me, especially when I’m not seeking to be fixed but simply to be heard. I desire genuine connection where my feelings are respected, where someone is willing to sit with my uncertainty and explore it with me, rather than rushing to tell me how I should feel or what I should do.

I often feel like people tend to moralize feelings or offer solutions before truly understanding what’s going on. I don’t want my emotions to be dismissed or minimized. I just want someone to truly listen and try to understand me without trying to change how I feel.

In general, it feels like there’s a lack of true engagement with people’s emotions these days, and I wish I could find someone who is willing to connect on a deeper level, without simplifying or judging what I’m going through.

I recognize that the search for meaning and purpose is a process, one that is ongoing and perhaps even endless, and I am open to the uncertainties that come with it. I am someone who doesn’t shy away from life's bigger questions but is willing to sit with them, allowing for ambiguity and imperfection in the process.

I certainly won't settle for a substitution if I know exactly what I want, at least in this respect.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

🐹🥕 I have changed my lifestyle since mid-December. I have almost completely given up sugar. This means that I haven’t had any cola, lemonade, or sweets for about eight weeks - except for two homemade cheesecakes and chocolate milk.

🚭🐛 Additionally, I quit smoking completely from one day to the next and made my diet more diverse. I follow a daily fitness program and have gained over 20 kg (44 lbs) in the last 7–8 weeks without putting on much fat. Everything feels firm and toned. Eight weeks ago, I was underweight at 64 kg (141 lbs), and now, at 85 kg (187 lbs), I’m back in my comfort zone.

🧠👨‍💻 The past year has taken a toll on my nerves, especially because I was working through trauma and grief while also dealing with unnecessary and unfair behavior in my personal life. I buried myself in work, ate too little, thought too much, and spent too little time outdoors.

🌈🌎 I also put a lot into this project over the past 6 years. After all, I invested not only several thousand euros but also countless hours of work into the megagroundsloth project. Then Instagram’s algorithms changed, and public sentiment shifted significantly against diversity topics. That frustrated me a lot.

🚫👎 When I brought up the subject of ADHD, a few people showed interest and I responded in detail. Strangely enough, it seems normal to then simply stop the conversation or complain because I didn't respond quickly enough - I didn't expect a thank you.

💔😳 When I announced a long break from Instagram at the end of December, only two people cared. That was really hurtful. How would you feel if you had been involved with people for years, and no one reacted when you said goodbye?

😵‍💫⁉️ When I expressed my frustration in my stories, intensified somewhat by quitting smoking, I quickly realized that this wasn’t the right way to handle it. I apologized right away.

🦥✨️ If you noticed: I drastically shortened my announced break. I’m back and mostly posting selfies. Yes, I’m here, and I’m claiming my space. I write texts that are meant to make people think, and even if only two out of a thousand people read them, I’ll keep going.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

⚖️ I am against any form of injustice - whether it concerns physical characteristics, psychological traits, gender, origin, religion, or interests. This is not just about social peace but also about fairness and the foundations of constructive coexistence. Aggressive rhetoric cannot be helpful, as it builds walls. Journalists must work responsibly to avoid reinforcing harmful narratives.

🎯 In addition to the rise of right-wing extremist forces, I am also frustrated by the dichotomous view of gender. It is not helpful to portray men as the root of all evil. If only about 1-2 % of men become violent, one cannot act as if men, in general, are incapable of resolving conflicts in a normal way. This aggressive rhetoric against men, in particular, demonstrates that the problem cannot lie solely with men. 20–30% of men have been violent at least once in their lives (e.g., in a fight, domestic violence, or in other situations). Most of these occurred at a young age and drunk.

📰 We are not incapable of talking about or regulating our emotions, but the way we are portrayed in the media might make us start believing that we are (gaslighting). Just because measurable differences exist in studies, they should not be taken out of context to demonize men!

🔎 Prejudices regarding empathy, in particular, are often distorted, even though the studies themselves emphasize their limited significance. It is about respect and decency. About objectivity in pursuit of a common goal!

🎣 Polarization generates attention, engagement, and ultimately profit - whether in the media, politics, or social networks. Clear enemy images make complex problems seem easier to understand and emotionalize the debate, which in turn leads to more clicks, higher ratings, or more votes.

🐾 The fatal thing is that such narratives often take on a life of their own. Once a group has been established as "guilty", every single misconduct from within that group is perceived disproportionately and reinforces the stereotype. At the same time, a dynamic emerges in which factual discussions become increasingly difficult because any contradiction is seen as "trivialization" or "taking sides" with the other group.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

🤺 Male Violence? A Distorted Perspective!

Discussions about violent crime often highlight that about 93% of such offenses are committed by men, implying that "masculinity" is the core issue.

However, this ignores an important fact: about 0.3 to 1.4% of men actually commit violent crimes (🇩🇪). The vast majority of men are not violent offenders, making it misleading to link violence to masculinity itself.

🎯 Social Dynamics Matter More Than Gender

The real question is why a small percentage of men turn to violence. While testosterone may influence aggression, socialization plays a much greater role. Boys are often taught to be tough and independent, while emotional expression is discouraged. Violence is sometimes normalized through rough play, peer conflicts, or societal expectations.

However, social influences extend beyond men. Parents, caregivers, and broader societal structures shape early behaviors. Dysfunctional family dynamics, neglect, or emotional manipulation can contribute to violent tendencies, regardless of gender. Violence is less about being male and more about the environments that shape behavior.

⚖️ A Balanced Approach to Reducing Violence

To tackle violence effectively, we must move beyond gendered blame and address the root causes:

👪 Early emotional education to help boys and girls process anger constructively.

💑 Promoting healthy conflict resolution instead of normalizing aggression.

⚡️ Recognizing harmful behaviors across genders, not just “toxic masculinity”.

🌈 Challenging restrictive gender roles that reinforce destructive behaviors.

🔎 A meaningful discussion about violence must look at the bigger picture - social structures, upbringing, and cultural norms - not just statistics that fuel one-sided narratives.

-

😶 I have been violent myself. As a teenager I fought with boys my own age. I can remember five fights. Three of them were in a children's home. I also once hit my father in the face. As a child I was often hit by my mother, but never by my father. I have never hit a woman. My mother once asked my father to hit my older brother. He didn't.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

I pull on doors that say push. But actually I like efficiency. My bed is efficient. And I want to present things accurately. That's why I look at the world critically and question a lot. Journalists, well, are not necessarily the best measure to properly assess the methodology of studies. Simplifications are much more catchy!

It is often assumed that women are more empathetic than men because of their social connections and supposedly stronger emotional perception. However, this assumption may be inaccurate because it does not fully capture the complexity of empathy and human perception. Rather, it can be argued that women develop a greater basic knowledge of other people's emotional states because of their kind of social connections. This basic knowledge often leads to a greater agreement with others' feelings because they often apply their own emotional projections to what they observe. However, this agreement is not always a sign of accurate empathy, but rather a result of the personal ideas and assumptions that are projected onto others' perceptions.

Men, on the other hand, may try to understand others' emotions and thoughts from a more unbiased perspective without automatically imposing their own assumptions. This may lead them to look more closely when recognizing feelings or needs, even though they may make more erroneous judgments in doing so.

Empathy is not just an intuition, but an active, individual process based on discussion and reflection. It requires the ability to set aside one's own prejudices and understand others.

Experiences in which one is outside the social norm and is therefore often confronted with misjudgments create a deeper sensitivity to the complexity of perception and empathy. They recognize how easy it is to draw wrong conclusions based on projections or preconceptions and experience first-hand how important it is to consciously detach oneself from one's own ideas in order to really understand. This outsider perspective can therefore provide a valuable basis for deeper and more precise empathy that is based less on assumptions and more on genuine discussion.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

🧠 People who are so focused on rationality that they fail to acknowledge their own emotions can miss important opportunities for self-reflection.

❤️‍🩹 When individuals mistake their feelings for objective logic, they risk avoiding accountability for their role in a situation.

👻 The real problem might be the way people, in general, avoid difficult conversations, whether through ghosting, blaming, or running away from emotional responsibility.

🌱🌱 Real growth happens when people face discomfort, acknowledge their emotions, and take responsibility for their part in conflicts.

🤷‍♂️ I wonder why people keep making seemingly critical statements, but as soon as an argument comes up that contradicts them or relativizes the statements, they can't discuss them. Instead, other measures are taken: silence, ignoring, aggression, escape.

👫 This applies to all genders, including those who regularly claim that they are able to deal with emotions so well.

🎯 I present my personal views publicly. There is the option to comment and people can write me messages. Sometimes my posts are seen by several thousand people. If I were afraid of that, I wouldn't do it. And I know that some of my views are controversial.

🤗 I would therefore like to point out again that I even offer an anonymous contact form on my website (megagroundsloth.de -> contact -> anonymous contact).

😶‍🌫️ This is specifically designed so that people who don't dare to criticize me directly can do so in this way.

🥱 However, most people don't do anything at all.

⚡️ I find that sad because I like being criticized.
⚡️ I love creative friction.

🌈 I know that no one is free from errors in thinking and that no one can completely keep their feelings out of their perception.

🙃 And sometimes - if not often - I want to deliberately provoke people so that they think. Being right all the time is less important than the exchange of ideas.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

Women are generally considered to be the empathetic gender. I can't really confirm that. I think the term benevolence is more appropriate here. I think women tend to be more benevolent, whereas empathy is a skill that can be developed regardless of gender. I think many people don't know the difference between morality and empathy. Empathy means being open to the perspective and needs of others. Morality is an ideal that everyone has for themselves. Forcing this ideal on others has nothing to do with empathy.

One example is that men are often told: You don't need to build muscles. You don't need to reinforce your masculinity. But that immediately makes a judgment, then connects it with a personal ideal and then tries to talk the other person into adopting that very same ideal. That is not empathy, even if it stems from a motive of benevolence. That is moralizing.

In fact, even if the motives are fundamentally different, the effect is not so dissimilar to the infamous gaslighting (a subtle form of violence). As a man, you can become just as insecure and doubt yourself as women and non-binary people. Nobody - regardless of gender - wants to be told what they can and cannot want.

For men, physical strength is not a universal need, but a common one that is in the nature of men. Likewise, dominance or strength through superiority are completely natural drives - which, by the way, also occur in women.

In a society, it is not about setting rules about who can be what, but about everyone being able to live out their needs freely within a socially acceptable framework without being reduced to that or judged as a human being. When we talk about toxic masculinity, we mean a dynamic that is harmful - for example, aggressive behavior that harms others (that is, not socially acceptable). But if we keep talking about toxic masculinity, we must also talk about toxic femininity. Toxic femininity, for example, is the moralizing behavior I described. And if we now separate ourselves from the idea that both things can be stereotypically assigned to genders, we might be able to find a more objective basis for discussion that is not based on demonization but on empathy.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

🦆🦴🥣 Living in a shared space requires compromise, mutual respect, and shared responsibility, but communication barriers can make understanding difficult. I faced this challenge while living with housemates whose actions initially seemed selfish or dismissive. Over time, I began to wonder if their behavior stemmed from challenges related to the autism spectrum rather than narcissism.

🎄✨️🍗 I worked hard to create a welcoming environment, defrosting the freezer, decorating for Christmas, baking a cake, and buying ingredients for our holiday meal. Despite these efforts, I wasn’t informed when the dinner started, and by the time I joined, only scraps remained. To make matters worse, my housemates laughed off my hurt feelings, leaving me feeling excluded and unappreciated.

😡💢🗯 At first, I saw their behavior as narcissistic, but I began to question whether it reflected difficulties in understanding social norms rather than intentional disregard. Neurodivergent individuals often process social interactions differently, which can lead to missed cues or unintentional insensitivity. My housemates may not have recognized my contributions or understood the emotional impact of their actions. Unlike narcissism, which involves deliberate disregard, these behaviors likely stemmed from communication challenges.

💔🤔💭 I tried to express my feelings but realized that clearer communication—such as setting expectations—might have been more effective. I also focused on small positives, like repurposing leftovers into soup, while recognizing that supporting neurodivergent needs shouldn’t mean neglecting my own boundaries. Respect and acknowledgment are essential for everyone.

🗺🧭 This experience taught me to distinguish between selfishness and neurodivergent challenges. Navigating such relationships requires empathy, patience, and clear communication, but also firm boundaries to maintain emotional well-being. Striking a balance between understanding others and respecting oneself is key to healthier, more equitable relationships.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

🦬🦥 Why do I shave a yak? Because you humans bore me to death! – Just kidding! 🙃

🙋 The real reason behind the endless distractions isn’t boredom—it’s ADHD. Yak shaving, the term for getting caught up in small tasks before addressing the main goal, is something many with ADHD know well. It’s not a quirky habit, but how the ADHD brain works.

🕰 For someone with ADHD, even a simple task can spiral. You start cleaning your desk, notice a broken drawer, and decide to fix it. To do that, you need a screwdriver, but the toolbox is a mess, so you begin reorganizing it. Hours pass, and the desk is still cluttered. This is yak shaving: getting sidetracked by seemingly urgent tasks that pull you further from the original goal.

🧠 This happens because the ADHD brain craves novelty and stimulation, making it hard to prioritize long-term goals. While some romanticize yak shaving as a creative process, it’s mostly just a distraction. It’s not a superpower, nor a failure—just a reality of ADHD.

📆 Managing yak shaving isn’t about avoiding distractions, but staying focused on what matters. Writing down your goal, using a timer, and keeping visual reminders can help anchor your focus. When you drift, don’t beat yourself up—just redirect your attention.

🛤 Yak shaving isn’t a whimsical adventure or failure; it’s part of ADHD. With humor and practical strategies, you can navigate distractions and make progress. The goal isn’t to stop yak shaving, but to approach it with patience, so it doesn’t derail you. After all, whether or not the yak gets shaved, the key is to keep moving forward.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.