About People

Getting Rid of the Toxic People in Your Life

Here’s something we can’t deny: there will always be people who will attack and sabotage us and our personal growth. Today, they are what we would call “toxic” people.

Unfortunately, they’re not just the colleagues we don’t see eye to eye with, but also those who are close to us like friends and family members. Even then, you have to try your best to cut these people from your life because your future might really depend on it.

If he/she isn’t necessarily close to you…

Of course, it’s quite easy to get rid of a toxic person if they’re not necessarily a close friend. You can just ignore them or avoid interacting with them! Sometimes you don’t even have to do anything at all. Or if there’s a person you’ve just met and you hear stories about how manipulative they are, for example, best not to befriend them.

But if it’s a family member…

If the toxic person is really close to you, like a family member for instance, this poses a bigger challenge. The first thing you should really do here is to take distance. Spending time apart from them will not only help you detach physically but also emotionally.

If you can’t do that or the toxicity still stays, express yourself in a calm and rational manner. It will be better for you to just call them out and let them know about their negative behavior than not doing anything at all. The most important thing to remember here is to never be aggressive, especially since Singaporeans are quite family-oriented.

Remember that it’s not going to be easy

When getting rid of toxic people, you have to remember that it’s never going to be easy. Even though they have negative attitudes, you’ve still shared good experiences with these people at some point.

But then again, if the negatives already outweigh the positives, you can’t hinder your own growth just to save a friendly relationship. Just remember that getting rid of these people will be a long process but you have to endure it for the better.

Keep it simple

Just keep everything simple! If you feel like explaining more details, just don’t. You feel that way because you get guilty for ending the relationship. But again, cutting ties with toxic people will be for the best. Just tell them kindly about why you wouldn’t want them in your life anymore without any unnecessary side-stories or details.

Create distance

Sometimes there are people who simply annoy us and that doesn’t mean they’re toxic. Chances are, you might not really want to cut ties with these people. This is really why the first important move to take is to create distance. By doing so, you’ll usually be able to determine if the person is just annoying or if he/she really is toxic.

Popular Materials for Cosplay Armor

Cosplaying is a serious business to a lot of hobbyists nowadays, and creating an outfit from scratch is no joking matter. In fact, you can become an instant celebrity if you’re good at the craft. These are the most common materials used by cosplayers for creating armor.

Foam

There are two popular types of beginner materials commonly used to create armor; craft foam and floormat foam. Each one requires different techniques and your preference will depend on the size, function, and design of the armor you’re cosplaying.

Craft Foam can be bought cheaply in rolls or sheets and is common in most hobby shops in Singapore. What makes them ideal for most cosplayers who need a full armor is that they are easy to carry around because they’re light. They’re also easy to shape and manipulate using heat, but they are not ideal for creating round pieces. It’s a flimsy material and needs resin or glue and fabric to make it last longer and to seal its porous surface.

Floormat Foam, also called EVA foam, is also cheap and is much lighter than craft foam. However, it might be challenging for beginner cosplayers because it’s more difficult to work with. It can be sanded, but you will need a respirator. It will also leave a lot of mess and it needs to be sealed before it can be painted. You’ll also need a lot of practice when cutting the floormat foam because it’s thick. Most of the seasoned cosplayers will opt for thermoplastic and PVC foam once they are more confident with their crafting skills.

Cardboard

Cardboard is used for papier mache and paper clay armor. Some cosplayers find these materials much easier to work with than the others, although they need the same level of skills to create a cosplay-worthy piece. For a cardboard armor, you will need the following additional items: newspaper, glue, papier mache paste or mix, paper tape or masking tape, gesso, and sand paper.

Casting and Molding

Casting and molding is an advanced armor-creation technique that will require knowledge of how to work with materials such as, plastic, resin, and rubber compounds. The most common resins used by cosplayers are polyester, urethane, and epoxy. The molds are usually made from scratch using either a putty or a paste, but the material will also depend on the type of resin you’re going to use to hold it in.

Advanced armor cosplayers go the extra mile by learning how to craft leather, chainmail, fiberglass, and other advanced materials. Even your skills at other crafts, such as dressmaking and sculpting, will also be a bonus when creating armor.

Smart Ways to Deal with People with Bad Attitudes

You do not live in a perfect society. As much as you want to like all people, it doesn’t work that way. There will always be ill-mannered people that you have to live with. If only there is a way to gather all rude people and let them live on one island together so you do not have to bear with one or more of them.

That is not possible. You have to focus on the things that you can control. You can actually deal with these ill-mannered people the smart way. Here’s how:

Remember rudeness doesn’t mean they are a bad person. There are bad days and sometimes you cope up by being rude or ill-mannered. That is normal. Even the kindest people have rude moments at some point in their lives but this does not mean that they are a bad person the moment they burst out. The best thing to deal with ill-mannered people is to remember that they are human and that is normal.

Even if it is personal, do not take it personally. Sometimes it is easy to take the bait when someone is rude or ill-mannered and react especially if it becomes too personal. You can burst out and make a scene but that will reflect poorly on you. If someone is ill-mannered, you have the choice how to react.

Find the reason why they acted that way. There is always a reason why someone acted that way. You have to find the reason why they acted that way and perhaps they just did not realize their manners. Do not end the day without asking why. Just be calm and you can just say “I think that is rude. Why are you being like this?”

Don’t let yourself be absorbed by the drama. It is just too easy to join the drama when you see yourself at the center. If you join in the drama, it will only make things worse. Sometimes it is easy to react when you are provoked but make sure that you will not regret it. Just think of your words and actions first before anything else.

Walk away. Walking away may be the smartest thing that you can do when you face rude people. Ill-manners are painful enough and removing yourself from that situation is the surest way to avoid escalating it. Even if they are still talking, turn your back and walk away. Perhaps they will realize what they have done when you are nowhere in sight.

If the rudeness becomes a habit, it is difficult to shake it off. Whether many Singaporeans are ill-mannered or not, how to respond will definitely be up to you.