"It's not all bad"

[Yukia]

I was a bit bored and wrote a few comments for what I assume to be an old post (https://wildminds.ning.com/page/it-s-not-all-bad).

I only commented on proposed "pros of maladaptive daydreaming".

-extreme creativity

How is that a pro if it literally says “extreme”? Extreme degree of something rarely means something safe or positive. And MD is not about creativity, but about distancing yourself from reality by abusing creativity.

-the ability to think through complex issues on our own

This is vague, so I have to make a few assumptions about its meaning.

If this statement means that you’ll be granted ability to solve problems on your own - that’s false because MD operates by making you run away from them.

If this statement means that MD benefits the development of critical thinking or similar concept, it's still false. MD fantasies are forcing you deeper into your own bubble/eco chamber, which hinders independent thinking.

Instead, you pretend and imagine to think through complex issues (plots) on your own. If that's what the author meant then yes, that statement would be accurate. It doesn't make it real without thinking through complex issues (relationship, finances, career etc.) in real life.

-the ability to see issues from many perspectives (we can have intense dialogs in our own minds)

This one I agree with. Researches also confirm that MD fosters empathy.

The fly in the ointment is, and I'm speaking from my experience, that it's easy to get lost in so many different perspectives and fail to work on your own set of moral, political etc. views that will guide you through life.

-the ability to think quickly

This one contradicts two of the cons in the same post, which are “sluggish” and “forgetful”. Both the opposite of quick thinkers.

Again, poor word choice in my opinion: it’s not quick thinking but rapid change of scenarios in your head. Completely different things.

-strength. (It takes a lot of strength to live in two worlds at once.)

Romanticizing. It’s neither strength or weakness. MD is an impairment that prevents you from improving your life.

-insightful and empathetic

Agree, but it’s the same as number 3.

-loving (Even when no one's around, we still have people to love in our minds.)

Romanticizing again. If you paraphrase that, this is what it’ll sound like: “We seek love in our fantasies when there’s nobody else to love us in real world.”

[Mils]

You make some good points. I think it depends on the individual, and what their relationship with MD is like.

[Yukia]

I agree that "abusing creativity" was a shot in the dark though in terms of phrasing.

[Yukia]

I see your point, but maladaptive daydreamers aren't expressing themselves per se. Just to make myself clear: I'm talking about MDers who are watching scenarios in their heads only, while showing only like 10% or none of their dreams to the real world in some form (novel, script, drawing etc.)

Expression is all about getting yourself out there and let the world know what you are, what you do, what you think. MDers are the opposite of that. Instead they pretend to be expressing themselves to imaginative realities, which of course does more harm than good because it's dividing creativity by zero.

[Mils]

I guess people are trying to find the bright sides to it. I agree with a few of those tho, like the creativity one (also I don't think means people are 'abusing creativity', rather they're using it as a way to express themselves, when sometimes all they have left is their daydreams, and maybe artistically expressing it allows them to physically manifest them). And I don't think it's romanticising, I think it's trying to be positive, or frame it in a positive light.