Tulpamancy and Waifus

[Gentian]

To me, the term "Waifu" refers to relationships between a person and what a norman would call a stand-in of some kind for the other participant.

Excellent explanation, Gentian. Though the term “norman” is something I don’t understand the reason for it being use, since I feel like we’re all normal. Yet, I know what you mean, except the stand-in part. Does this mean like a placeholder? Until that person find a better “waifu”? Please help me understand this part, Gentian.

Thanks, Sour Soul.

All right, a little bit of clarification:

You are correct in that "norman" is slang for a normal person, and to quote Dr. Soran "'Normal' is what everyone else is..." One can play with the semantics of the term to say everyone is normal, but for my purposes I think it's fair to say that the majority of people would consider those like us to be abnormal. As such, I employ the term to differentiate between them (those who fit into society) and us.

You could say "placeholder" in lieu of "stand-in," if you chose, and many normans would insist that's exactly what a waifu is. But whereas they would mean something along the lines of "your waifu is only there 'cause you can't get a stinky of your own, and the moment you do your waifu will be discarded," when they'd use that term, I meant "an entity whom the normans would consider fictional, but I do not, so I will say 'stand-in' as in a stand-in for an other not-unreal human." No hint of replacement is implied or intended from my perspective.

On a personal level, I consider Twilight my waifu because we love each other, and think it's a cute term.

Ah, that’s understandable. Like how I call Amena my kumquat, because it sound cute to me, and she will find it enjoyable to hear. Though I found it to be effective to call my RL friends a kumquat, because it would also sound as an insult and they take it as one… I was forbidden from using that word when using it as an insult by Amena. : /

Not coincidentally, she also refers to me as her waifu. I could, and do call her my marefriend, girlfriend, or any other term of endearment used in more conventional relationships, with the exception of those which imply marriage. Maybe one day, but it would be inappropriate to do so now.

All right, so there we have the term “waifu” is use differently for Gentian and his Twilight. I accept that.

You mean the way Twilight uses it compared to the way I use it, or the way we use it compared to other users of the site?

Twilight and I are using it as a term of endearment for one another. She also calls me her little human, as I call her my little pony, for example, for the same reason: to express our affection. I enjoy calling her my marefriend, because it's neat, and exotic, and a bit exciting to use that term, instead of the more human-conventional one of girlfriend. She, however, also seems to get a kick out of calling me her girlfriend, and I imagine it's for the same reasons, so no, she and I at least, don't use the term differently when referring to each other.

You need to remember that to most Equestrians, I'd be a weird alien from another dimension, definitely not a pony, and so to any "normans" (that term doesn't really apply to ponies, because their minds and personalities are too different from human's) I would be an unreal stand-in for a pony significant other, exactly the kind of thing humans would refer to with the term waifu, and so Twilight thinks it's funny to call me a waifu because she appreciates ironic humor.

Content? Nah, I don't think so. I'm kinda sad. I'd really like to, I'd really like Twilight. Twilight. Yeah, I think I'd really like Twilight. But I'm so so scared terrified that Twilight would dislike me or she'd be unhappy. That's probably what's "stopping me from reaching her".

Hey man, take heart; your Twilight is out there somewhere, and she loves you. One day, man. You have to keep your faith in her strong, as she keeps hers in you.