Congrats to AARCHANE for winning the elusive glacian arcane egg... which as most of you know can no longer be looted at all! Keep your eye peeled as many of you know we are going to take our guild events / contests to the next level! It's fun to include everyone on the team in helping to devise our fiendish friendly competitions within ENIGMATIC! Everyone plays a part and in our next guild contest we'll make sure everyone, with a little effort, can have a chance at the grand prize. I know during this time in game waiting for an expansion that seems late can be a little frustrating for everyone but it's just part of the game. Remember what it means to be ENIGMATIC: How to Be Enigmatic
1 Keep silent more often than not. Be prepared to leave some things unsaid and to hold back on sharing your thoughts all of the time. Talk when you know it's essential but don't speak every chance you get. Not everything needs to be commented on––saying things just for the sake of being seen to be "participating" or "one of the crowd" is often simply "noise". Most importantly, your existence doesn't depend on senseless chatter; forming a powerful impression is often about how you carry yourself, how you restrain yourself from idle commentary and how you interject intelligently when it really is a purposeful and meaningful thing to do.
2 Don't be so keen to fill in the gaps. Pauses in conversation have a power all of their own; they can allow for reflection, they can permit the speaker to regain composure and they can also leave plenty of time for the listener's imagination to conjure up whatever it will. Sometimes it's not so much what you say as what you do not say.
3 Be cautious about how much information about yourself you share. In a world where we're constantly told that we have to speak up or risk never been noticed, too much talking and giving away all of your intent, dreams and desires can result in information overload and stereotyping. With nothing left to share, the mystery has gone and it can sometimes be hard to change people's perceptions of you because they've heard too much about who you think you are now. Don't box yourself in––be judicious with what you tell acquaintances and strangers about yourself; be more generous with those closer to you.
4 Be creative in your conversations with other people. Small talk by nature tends to be very banal and tedious. It's about the weather, work hassles, childcare, traffic snarls, more weather, the cost of living, etc. Ultimately, small talk is not the domain of an enigmatic person. Be prepared to tackle the slip into banality through creative responses.
5 Expand your vocabulary. Spend time every day learning a few new words and practicing them in your usual conversations. The broader your vocabulary, the more fascinating you will sound to others and the more enigmatic you will seem when they're forced to check their dictionary to truly grasp what you're on about.
6 Keep your plans to yourself. (except among guild of course) Apart from those closest to you, there's no need to broadcast your whereabouts all the time. Never mention where you're going. If someone asks, reply in kind, such as "same place as you eventually" or "now that's a good question, I just wish I had the answer", and so forth.
7 Make people work hard to get close to you. (this doesn't mean not be friendly) While you may have an abundance of trust, an enigmatic person also exercises a great deal of discretion in whom they place that trust. Those whom you call your nearest and dearest must earn that place by demonstrating their trust in you and not doing anything to undermine your trust in them. Equally, realize that you must also earn people's respect; it's something that can't be bought or forced.
Do not suffer fools. If someone turns out to be very different from the person you thought they were and behaves crassly or stupidly such as gossiping, backstabbing, being dull or belittling you, do not hesitate to distance yourself from this person. Unless (if ever) this person is able to resolve his or her issues, this is not someone to be close to.
8 Be stoic. Stoics control their emotions and passions so that the front they present to the world appears composed, calm and unruffled. This isn't to say that you lack passion or emotion; rather, you choose not to debase yourself by acting in ways that appear overly emotional, reactive or ridiculously excited. Instead, choose to take life as it comes, react calmly to all sorts of news that comes your way and have a "well, after I've looked into it, I'll make up my mind" approach to everything. Overreacting, behaving childishly, jumping with excitement or collapsing with worry are not something you do; enigmatic people do not give much away, ever.
9 Live in the present. The past has passed and you don't buy into nostalgia or weeping for the victim you once were. In fact, enigmatic people never see themselves as victims; things happen, you learn, then you move on. In particular, avoid being drawn into conversations about the past with others; whenever your colleagues, friends, teammates or whoever seem to be getting bogged down waxing about the "good old days" as if today doesn't matter, set them straight. Change the subject and return them to the here and now.
10 Be kind and be reassuring. Enigmatic people may seem mysterious but they're not mean spirited or thoughtless. Indeed, your strong presence is often found to be reassuring because people know that you don't gossip, breach trust or hang others out to dry. You are trusted and people are likely to bring their confidences and concerns to you. When this happens:
11 Be fair minded and willing to break the rules where the rules are stupid. Stupid rules are made to be broken when they don't serve their purpose; everywhere in life there are self-imposed rules, workplace rules, school and college rules and many other rules. While many rules are handy and important for the good functioning of our lives, many other rules are past their use-by date or make another's life easier at the expense of someone else. Rules breakers are independent thinkers who start movements, sway crowds and create better futures because they see outside the box and are not afraid to challenge what deserves to be changed.
Know the difference between a stupid rule and a valid rule. A stupid rule might be one that stops some people from achieving their full potential but allows more privileged people to get what they want; or, it might be one that favors conformity over innovation and creativity; or one that tells people to work harder and faster when to do so is harming them. A valid rule might be one that ensures that people don't harm themselves or others or one that ensures that everyone's opinions have been taken into account. Determining the stupidity or validity of a rule will depend on the context and your understanding of how things work in the given situation. Also, be sure to fully understand the consequences of not going along with the rules; typical responses include social ostracism, getting fired and losing out on things you wanted. Make sure that you can handle the consequences, or be so subtle nobody knows about your involvement or how the changes happened!
12 Pursue unusual interests and hobbies. Let out your inner weirdness by following an interest or hobby that is out of the ordinary and definitely something that arouses curiosity in others. Collect strange things, go on treks to places few visit, take photographs of street grates, disappear in the back shed for hours on end "doing something mysterious", attend conventions about outer space aliens, and so forth. Whatever you choose to do, don't follow the pack; even if you pursue a fairly conventional hobby or interest, find an aspect of it that others have neglected or haven't yet realized exists and make the most of becoming the foremost expert in it.
13 Be prepared. Always have the right tool for everything with you. Think ahead to the places you will be for the day and the types of things that might confront you and be sure to have the items on you. For darkness, have a phone with an in-built flashlight. For spills, have a stain wipe to offer the hapless victim. For cuts, pull out a Band-Aid and a little antiseptic cream. For thirst, offer your spare water. Always be prepared so that others are in awe of your effectiveness in any situation.
Knowing how to make the most of everything is definitely the sign of an enigmatic person because it draws together self-assurance, deep knowledge, capability, ability to stay calm and composed under pressure and a willingness to give new things a try.
14 Stay relaxed. Above all, enigmatic people are not fussed about what others think of them. Nor do they try to hard to cultivate charm––charm is a by-product of being calm, thoughtful, considerate and ready to challenge the status quo. Charm is not something that can be plucked off a shelf and worn (although enigmatic people should always take care to present themselves well through good grooming and neat clothes). By staying relaxed and at ease about yourself and the situations you find yourself in, you will always manage to exude both enigma and charm.
Enigmatic is what this guild is about... it's who we are and why we will earn the respect of others.
Sometime people lose their way and it's unfortunate but there's no reason to need being weighed down by any weak links in our chain. Loyalty is something that's earned.
Stay strong... stay ENIGMATIC!
Originally Posted by Leambow
Be enigmatic!
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