The Dragon Paradox

"Dragons aren't real in the same way that fish aren't real" - JRR Tolkien
---
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]

_"He might be autistic but darn it my boy can work a grill'_ -Senshi

[@thebutler4471]

That’s what I was thinking because I have it and his point reflect on me almost perfectly

[@wicked3972]

@@thebutler4471 yeah me too lol

[@riceavarice]

Pan 🍞

[@Kardur_Wrath_of_the_Abyss]

I also have autism

[@GunterThePenguinHatesHugs]

@@Kardur_Wrath_of_the_Abyss then get grillin'! 🫡

[@lyzzle]

What I expected: video about dragons What I got: tears and the feeling of being understood

[@viz2y]

literally 😭

[@mrcriminalpants]

More like dragon the paranuts across yo face

[@RGMRT]

Yeah i can relate

[@georgebeckons539]

THIS MADE ME TEAR UP

[@_philipp__]

You may want to look into autism / ADHD then.

[@NeoNinjaGames]

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]

Autism be crazy

[@Burger-km7ww]

Me too man.

[@mysticz3686]

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.

[@Muircat]

"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]

I couldn't agree more

[@NOBLE60000]

Same here ;w;

[@MrBrownLostHisM00]

Bro was cooking with gas with that one

[@hampterofficial]

>Drops the most personal and relatable video ever >elaborates >leaves

[@MemberoftheUnusAnnuscult]

Chad behavior

[@Marder_IFV]

That's like half (probably more like 30ish%) his videos lol

[@SergeyPupkoMusic]

Legend

[@Mallony]

so relatable holy moly

[@vee-bee-a]

A mic drop moment, man.

[@PBart7]

I can't trust people who *don't* think dragons are the sickest thing ever

[@danieladamczyk4024]

I don't.

[@absolutionone]

​@@danieladamczyk4024 Alright, so what is?

[@danieladamczyk4024]

@@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]

​@@danieladamczyk4024I don't trust you! Booo

[@danieladamczyk4024]

@@Elvis.D99 I understud. I wish you good day with dragons.

[@luismiranda7735]

As someone who can't stay on one topic for long and has to jump from interest to interest to keep occupied, I've always been fascinated with people who have this very deep and passionate attraction to certain topics and the way they speak of them. I really enjoyed your video, I hope to see more like it.

[@hussaindrees5781]

What a pointless comment

[@joshualawrence2963]

Well i personally LOVE your comment 😂. I think i definitely sit more towards “very deep and passionate attraction” than “jump from interest to interest.” Because of that difference in each other, you’re pretty fascinating to me too! Lol ^^

[@cyborgchicken3502]

​@@hussaindrees5781 what a pointless response... In fact I'd argue that yours is even more pointless... At least OPs comment has some expression behind it and some kind of meaning for them, and judging by the number of likes, some people connected with it and could relate ... What purpose does your comment serve other than just being a jerk online?

[@hussaindrees5781]

@@cyborgchicken3502 What a pointless response

[@rixairu]

@@hussaindrees5781 are you a nihilist by chance?

[@roryarcher6014]

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]

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]

It is better, in my opinion, to be hated for being who you are than to be accepted for being someone else.

[@XDWASDX]

“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]

This is probably why I'm obsessed with UFOs and Cryptids too

[@pingpong5877]

I never liked people. That's why I'm a monster girl enjoyer.

[@dashadow1817]

​@@pingpong5877bro what

[@thenoobgamer95]

@@pingpong5877 Based

[@lema0925]

I assume that is why a lot of my friends are furries... frankly, it is depressing they have to resort to that.

[@cherryfirefly97]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[@sierraskies3403]

I clicked on this video to hear about dragons, not cry over being understood in my fixation! This video felt like looking in a mirror. Thank you for this, sincerely. I'm glad you god another Dragonology book. I have my copy sitting next to me.

[@himesilva]

Those "ology" books were so fire, I loved them. They really made it feel like you were discovering some ancient, secret manuscripts

[@lakoneko]

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]

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]

Yeah dawg, you're describing autism. Special interests are our our business!

[@immanuelm.5156]

Me too man it’s amazing how he nailed it right on the head!!!

[@specialnewb9821]

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]

@@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.

[@shakeelali20]

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 KZbin video.

[@Jormyyy]

As someone who is ASD, it hit me really hard too.

[@CoconutFella]

Me too, this line dug deep and twisted as it went

[@joshfinch7041]

when they say words cant hurt you

[@alex.g7317]

I think he’s autistic or some other thing

[@BurnedRemains]

You lack purpose.

[@f1urps]

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]

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]

Gun go bang.

[@gocelotspice5766]

I felt similarly- this definitely reflected my experience as an autistic kid

[@thewriter1008]

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.

[@mafrarth]

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]

Fr and i love it😂

[@wagiqwq]

Who else loves dragons.

[@someguywithalowbudget1320]

Meeeee!!!

[@galigaystorm8051]

Me

[@acanadianderg4035]

Me three!

[@Azuli-Studios]

Who doesn’t?

[@Staide]

Here!!!

[@glacioaszalean9575]

"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]

Yeah, really an unforgettable line for me, it seems a lot of folks feel the same way…

[@hopethisworks33]

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]

@@hopethisworks33 well, at least he didn't "ruin" your childhood. there seems to be a lot of that going around

[@glacioaszalean9575]

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]

Damn he’s calling us out

[@god2752]

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

[@homicidalravens]

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

[@jonathanj8303]

0:20 Cardboard is basically a gateway drug at this point. Dragons, robots...

[@greenhydra10]

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]

​@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]

@@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]

"IMAGINATION" Spongebob, inside a cardboard box

[@frostdova]

lol i rememebr making a full suit of armor out of cardboard

[@ilnoediavolon]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[@max-trix5065]

This is the first video i watched on your channel and i instantly got interested in it, the idea that dragons don't have a specific classification or more like that they are unique so much that you can't classify them is just something that struck my heart. I had a similar obsession like you, it all started with httyd and from the moment i started watching i just couldn't stop thinking that dragons are something real, that they live here on our earth. I couldn't stop drawing them, looking at them, getting more info about them. I'm still a teenager but i still think that Dragons in general is something else than a myth or a legend. This video was amazing and thank you for making it.

[@AsuraSK]

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

[@sanshrayvinesh5167]

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]

in many ways the dragons have given them a push to "fly" in the sky of "curiosities"

[@thebeatles114]

The best channel on KZbin? Yes it is.

[@remonahurst2606]

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.

[@skylion44]

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!

[@ALilBucket]

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]

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]

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]

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]

I find it strange that a totally normal childhood interest is being painted as a mental illness.

[@zufalllx]

Show me ONE person who's NOT 'neurodiverse '.

[@mynym4543]

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]

Kinda sounds like Leviathan

[@NuclearspartanX]

@@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]

​@@NuclearspartanXim pretty sure its jewish=the 1st half of the book. Unless 2 kinds...

[@soccerandtrack10]

​@@NuclearspartanXor its another name...

[@koderamerikaner5147]

@@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.

[@naashayg]

I watched this video while having dinner. when you mentioned having lots of dragons strewn across your channel I decided to have a look. I noticed I've already watched just under a dozen of your videos at random times throughout the last 18 to 24 months... this one made me subscribe. you're so good at what you do. I hope all the personal discovery you made while creating this video did something for you. at the end of this video you mentioned picking up your pencil again. I think many of us would love to see what you drew

[@juneBug412]

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

[@AnneAskins]

"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]

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]

This was the part that got me too

[@catalyst3512]

That cuts deep... Damn.

[@Khann_2102]

😢

[@estivenamatrix]

Came here for dragons. Stayed for the incredibly relatable childhood experiences. Leaving after crying my eyes out. Thanks for sharing this.

[@GroundbreakGames]

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]

I wanted dragons, kept getting interrupted and skipped most looking for dragons. Still looking for dragons.

[@Valigarmanda]

​@@jayeisenhardt1337the dragon was within you all along

[@mesquitatm104]

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!

[@athy8763]

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.

[@woah10spac18]

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]

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]

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

[@TheLostDrifter]

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]

GDT =

[@nurrodenthyme1671]

I had never heard that quote, and now I have thanks to you. That really lit something in me just now. Cheers!

[@catbatrat1760]

Wow... :')

[@tudorstoica9691]

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.❤

[@Naknave]

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

[@DarrieusJohn]

I clicked expecting a fun video about dragons and now I'm in tears.

[@Techhunter_Talon]

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]

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]

Does it do both eastern and western dragons?

[@grey8288]

​@@koharumi1The focus is on western European dragons, if I remember right.

[@charlw3583]

​@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 KZbin definitely worth a watch; the animation is really decent for how old it is too.

[@user-nt8dq9se2e]

YES ​@@charlw3583

[@honorforge4150]

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

[@lionfish1016]

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.

[@smilestheemo3365]

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]

I have that same book

[@Kardur_Wrath_of_the_Abyss]

@@Thunderfaaal me too

[@AristasTheMonsterHunter]

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.

[@Eclipse_101]

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]

As I've realized now, its like the rectangles and squares thing, All wyverns are dragons, but not all dragons are wyverns

[@pocketinfinity6733]

inside boiling hatred swells, "wyveeeeeeerrrrrnnnnnnn"

[@blackdragon5274]

I'm the opposite, autistically obsessed with broadening the classification of dragons beyond what d&d decided only like 40 years ago.

[@hughstout9951]

@@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]

As a 29 year old man on the Autism spectrum and obsessed with monsters and animals, I find this video quite nice and therapeutic.

[@firstnamenulllastnamenull1174]

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

[@ShockedTaiLung]

I had that dragonology book growing up you just unlocked a memory for me

[@thelampgod]

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]

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]

I'm glancing up at my copy of it right now lol

[@toiletball8420]

SAMMEEEE

[@Oguh608]

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]

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

[@NinjaAdorable]

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!!

[@xXtrichnoXx]

this is the first time I think I've found one of your videos. Thank you. Like a lot of people in the comments, this might be one of the most relatable bits of media I've seen, especially recently. Thank you for taking the time to articulate your story for us strangers on the internet. You're awesome.

[@MotleyMaven]

as someone who had the same obsession and the exact same dragonology book as a child, I feel so seen

[@declanshannon8561]

Man the bit at the end where you changed just because you were worried what other people might think, hits close to home.

[@martenmaarten]

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]

This is basically adulthood summed up for all people today lol (possibly all people in history)

[@Pyritie]

@@ViralWinter I didn't change and ended up as a furry (/scalie, whatever) instead, so, not a whole lot better lol

[@inaminayo5327]

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]

Which episode was this again? Might need to rewatch that.

[@modenoatr]

@@BasicallyBaconSandvichIV Their Trope Talk on Dragons, natch :p

[@BasicallyBaconSandvichIV]

​@@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]

@@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-]

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.

[@yamster5039]

it was supposed to be a video on dragons, but you made it too relatable bro goddamn you touched my heart with it

[@alliemoon5532]

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 💙

[@Ari-gc7sz]

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]

The real dragons are the friends we made along the way

[@olwiz]

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]

your comment literally just made me tear up

[@ProSkillzDragonGal]

@@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]

@@olwiz This. This is really beautiful.

[@jaywalk9364]

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.

[@antoniogranados3949]

I've never felt a video so personal and comforting than this one. It truly shaken my core.

[@nubiannerd]

What a beautiful video essay. I have affectionately labelled it the "tell me you're on the spectrum without telling me you're on spectrum" essay. It is one of those videos that reminds one that one is not alone in having special interests....that include lots of lists and taxonomies. What one may think idiosyncratic proves to be widely shared by a community of kindred minds. That's what this video reminded me of.

[@snqko]

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 KZbin, thank you.

[@garyprimmjr7392]

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.

[@skylarwinter2596]

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.

[@stevencanter3244]

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.

[@10Bendog]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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 :)

[@Ezpo1027]

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]

Same

[@tessabakker662]

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]

I thought that 'Documentary' about dragons was real, until I realized when growing older that it wasn't. Still It was cool.

[@MegaNightowl11]

@@assaulthetz Same, I turned off the tv before the disclaimer after the credits.

[@hansvandersande9537]

I really appreciate you opening up and sharing your experiences, I feel heard and at the same time feel hopeful. Thank you.

[@JoanLamrack]

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.

[@katherineryan7126]

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]

Yeah, I felt a lot of this video for that same reason.

[@c.d.rstudios4691]

I'm autistic and I just wanted to know everything about the transformers

[@user-oe5gv4sm3z]

Same❤

[@plebisMaximus]

Couldn't have worded it better myself. It can be rough to live in a world you aren't built for.

[@Skorpychan]

@@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.

[@thegreatdreamer8377]

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]

You might as well be yourself, you're the only one who can.

[@cosmicspacething3474]

Damn, good luck. There are websites for ordering specific cards if you want to look those up

[@Soldadodelasombra]

Another dinosaur fan? May the Sun Dinosaur God shine upon your quests

[@Wyrm7774]

Ghisath players best players

[@arturoaguilar6002]

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...

[@indianministryofilluminati3531]

This vid is sooo relatable! Books are my escape hatch from reality. Been crafting my own spec evo world since 5th grade-it’s super detailed and I use it for everything from DnD sessions to my drawings and stories.

[@saegerrr]

As always, great job on the video. The Gris soundtrack at the end fitted particularly well.

[@fluffybluedrgn2706]

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]

Pokemon is watched by both boys and girls

[@acommenter6737]

Anthropology is pretty evenly gender split, there’s plenty of female archaeologists

[@javelynhobinson6405]

@@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]

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

[@justv7536]

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]

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]

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]

​@@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]

@@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]

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.

[@dappledthedemoniccrow2553]

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.

[@antis0cial426]

So amazing to see a book I was equally obsessed with as a kid talked about now as an adult wow

[@catpaw3339]

This video really made me feel better knowing I wasn't alone in my little child yearning to search for dragons

[@iamatree4372]

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]

So did I❤️‍🔥, I still do and it's still amazing for me😂

[@stormywolfhowls]

I still have my copy and I have translated it.

[@jan_Masewin]

me too... I loved it to literal pieces

[@horrorspirit]

same here!

[@helmaschine1885]

Still have mine and my Egyptology book from the dame series xD the dragon one was way cooler and interactive.

[@abiotic_sloth1768]

This was an incredibly vulnerable story for you to share and me, and a million other people feel the same way. We all were that kid with the dragon costume, one way or another. I too had extreme obsession over dragons, dinosaurs, fairy tale monsters, and so on. And just like you said, it's because I didn't understand humans that I felt the strong need to understand something, something not human. Thank you so much for sharing your history and being so vulnerable and raw. In your dragon drawings, I see a child experiencing joy. In your voice, I hear an adult healing the hurt child inside. Your child self would be so happy to watch this video. Thank you again. 🐉

[@charlottemansfield6916]

Im so happy I wasnt the only one obsessed with that dragonology book, Im sure I still have it somewhere

[@Kelto28]

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]

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

[@cyanic-1042]

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!”

[@lewisl7691]

Wow what a beautiful video, I found myself relating to everything you said and you managed to voice feelings I had never been able to put into words, incredible job. Might just be my favourite KZbin video ❤

[@Masternuckable]

I knew as soon as you said dragon books, you'd mention Dragonology. I loved that book.

[@terrorcop101]

Still have my copy.

[@Masternuckable]

​@@terrorcop101 that's awesome. I unfortunately had a similar phase to Curious Archive and threw all that stuff away.

[@imdjbacon2226]

I have the other one with the monsters and the dragons

[@tessabakker662]

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]

@@terrorcop101 Same

[@canyouread]

When you brought up that Dragonology book, I had to go find mine. And man, the memories it brought back, thank you.

[@nathanielwinston8084]

Brother there is nothing wrong with you

[@zacharymoss2994]

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]

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]

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]

Love dragons and monsters. Became a writer and artist so I can create my own. And I'm ASD so go figure.

[@JasuQ]

What does you being autistic have anything to do with the rest of your comment

[@zacharymoss2994]

@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 KZbin 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.

[@funky_pepe]

What a great video. So personal, yet you managed to keep it in line with the style of your other work. Great work man

[@bruceistired]

this is such a genuinely incredible and relatable watch - I was going through my own dragonology book the other day so this is great timing

[@TeaGarrison]

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]

I didnt have Dragonology, but I loved the Dragon Chronicles.

[@BasicallyBaconSandvichIV]

Might need to get both now. I'm a n adult I can buy as much books as I want!

[@arnekrug939]

​@@BasicallyBaconSandvichIV My judgement might be heavily clouded by nostalgia, but that Dragonology book was truly awesome as a kid.

[@ComotoseOnAnime]

@@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]

flashy cash grab. you know, there were books about dragons prior to 2005

[@Beryllahawk]

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]

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]

@@LordAryu Hugs!

[@Oguh608]

I was obsessed with dragons but mostly dinosaurs as a child. So much so that I read a lot of informative books about dinosaurs with hundreds of different species of dinosaurs explained in a small little book. I had multiple of these. I also drew a lot of reptilian creatures as a kid. Honestly, I was always simply fascinated about the world, it's creatures and dinosaurs. Especially dinosaurs because they weren't something you could truly grasp which made them just that much more interesting to me. Now that I think of it, maybe part of that obsession was because I did that to escape the real world and hide inside a fantasy world to cope with my life at that time.

[@sreevishakhv8553]

This video hit me on a personal level. I felt like I was seen, not alone.Thank you so much!!

[@nuker6724]

I remember when I was a kid in elementry school, and we had to write a paper about a subject we liked. I chose to write about dragons and because of that some of my classmates started making fun of me, because it was "not a real subject". Got an 8/10 for it and never stopped liking dragons

[@realkittykatluvr]

knowing there are other people out there who have felt the exact same way that i have before is really comforting. growing up feeling like you’re the odd one out is so isolating, especially when its because of traits you can’t control. i’ve learned to come to terms with these traits and instead of feeling ashamed for liking things so intensely, i’m going to allow myself to be happy. i hope anyone who is currently struggling with feeling “different” can learn to do this too, because nobody is ever truly alone and you deserve to feel unbridled joy and love.

[@CarlosRodriguez-ln1fo]

I loved this video!! I came thinking I was going to watch a 20 minute documentary, but ended up super engaged with that inner conversation you had all these years. It’s super rare to come across such… personal videos. I don’t know. I really liked it! Keep loving dragons, we all have our fantasy-like fantasies 😉

[@PedonculeDeGzor]

That was more emotional than I anticipated. Great video, thank you

[@levi_octavian]

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.

[@netchish]

i dont think ive ever seen anyone whos life and story about dragons synced up with mine so harmoniously. I've had the exact same experiences, saw the same documentary, had the same books (mostly) and had always been "othered" throughout my whole life. bullied, called weird, had people actually throw my dragon creations of pipecleaner over a fence before feeling bad by how upset it made me feel. only difference is...i wasn't alone. I've always had my best friend, someone who became drawn into the same things as me just by us sitting in class together by chance. and she's my best friend even all these years later. we never grew out of a "weird dragon phase" we just evolved. drawing, creating, imagining, creating stories. I have hundreds of pipecleaner dragons that we've made in my closet that I've never dared thrown away. and still occasionally make some even all these years later. we've talked about the "dragon paradox" before, many times, and its something I've always and will continue to be fascinated about. there's a documentary somewhere out there that talks about Cresseda Cowell's inspirations growing up (she's the original creator of how to train your dragon and wrote all the books) that I feel is very close to the reason why dragons exist. i think its wonder, curiosity. the potential of what could be killing the livestock or sleeping in a mountain that's suspisously shaped like a slumbering dragon. they're real all right, and they're everywhere too. But theyre only real because we dream of them to be.

[@scrathed]

For the first half of the video, I felt like you were talking about MY experience growing up. Being a little outsider, kindled by that documentary, devouring "Dr. Earnest Drakes" Dragonology books, having Ciruelo art on my walls and watching and reading EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF MEDIA ABOUT DRAGONS OUT THERE AND WISHMANIFESTING THEIR EXISTENCE was pretty much what I did too. Funny enough, I never saw the "How to train your Dragon" movies, and I think it might be because I dropped out of the - at some point similarly frustrating - passion maybe a year too early to be around when they came out. But judging from your account, I might have developed and felt the same way about the movies, would I have seen them then :D Thank you so much for sharing this with us! Seldom have I felt so understood in my child experiences.

[@Burger-km7ww]

This is why I subscribed to this man. This is the type of content I need.