they changed
I know this person who very often has very immature opinions.
It's hard to describe it more in detail, but their opinions are always... extreme, but in a childish way? Like lacking maturity, foresight, context, taking things too literally, weird focus on a specific aspect, feeling offended more quickly about stuff, and it's about really inconsequential stuff too.
Someone will say a piece of media has aged badly or well or whatever and it will be their personal trigger word, going on a rant about media doesn't age... weird rigidity like that always, like going off the rails about having to enjoy media in the correct order... just two examples.
I actually don't mind hearing or discussing any of these takes at its core (in the mouths of others, one of them would be worth discussing, the other is a lukewarm take), just how and when they are presented, together with that whiny and weird tone/way of expressing it, and parts of the personality. It's the type of person to butt in to a chat convo of two people just to let off steam because of a keyword was being dropped that set them off, and making it all about them, not giving in at all, then disappearing when they are challenged or becoming more heated until the others just give in and drop the subject. At least two people were uncomfortable by this, but unfortunately this person kinda has defenders that are just used to tiptoeing around this person because they are surrounded by abusers anyway and just don't know that this isn't normal. So all the advice that is given is: "Just don't say xyz, don't do abc, and comply with their personal rule, and everything will be fine. It's just so little to ask." Meanwhile they miss the point that it's not normal to have to walk around on eggshells about .... talking about a medium's age..... and other things like that... like yeah it is easy not to talk about this or that but this isn't a trigger topic/content warning topic that triggers trauma or whatever, these are really normal discussion points and maybe one person shouldn't emotionally control an entire server in this weird way? Like, when are we going to teach that baby emotional control and being able to sit with their feelings about something, especially when they are in the minority? It's kinda crazy that in a server of 30+ members, only one person has specific rules around media that everyone needs to follow and they feel very arbitrary and often feel like devils advocate/I'm not like other people stuff. Idk.
I do understand it's a consequence of neurodiversity and being a shut-in without a job, not getting much exposure to stuff. That is not meant as a roast, I just also personally know how much I begin being in my own head and ranting and raving about inconsequential stuff when I was in such positions before. In those times of my life, these ages (they are also slightly younger) some things used to be so meaningful and big and deep to me and I felt really smart saying them but in retrospect, I was really just isolated and while others had their jobs and responsibilities and some more, dare I say noble/socially acceptable things to talk this way about; but some people have to pump that energy into weird shit like this. I do still believe they are immature for their age, but I try to consider the circumstances.
Anyway, I have observed them becoming a bit more reserved, serious, withdrawn, if I had to describe it somehow, recently. That edgy teen-like vibe isn't coming out nearly as often or much, and I think some life events may have contributed to that. However, it also feels a bit forced, and I can't exactly pinpoint why; it just feels like they noticed they were acting immature and slightly embarrassing, vowed to clean up their act, but the way they go about it is seemingly to keep being this rigid and snobby, but saying less and being more serious in saying it. What I could appreciate about the previous version was that at least they were able to not take themselves so seriously most of the time too, and be funny about it at times; but now none of that is left.
It feels like when a child wants to act more mature, and they think just having a more serious demeanor and using bigger words is what makes that. But they still have the same weird behaviors, reasoning, views, hangups... honestly, now that I think about it, this is also the type of person to have found a new character to hyperfixate on and take on their personality, so maybe that is what happened. I have only known them for a short while, so maybe the previous version was simply a different video game character or something.