Shaula Evans

If you see people on Mastodon talking about "spoons" in a way that doesn't seem to make sense, they are probably making a reference to "Spoon Theory," a great analogy for limited & unpredictable personal resources.

Here's the original Spoons essay that started it all, which is well worth a quick moment to read.

https://web.archive.org/web/20191117210039/https://butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/

#Spoons #SpoonTheory #DisabilityMastodon #Etymology #LongCovid

The Spoon Theory written by Christine Miserandino - But You Dont Look Sick? support for those with invisible illness or chronic illness

Please take the time to read Christine Miserandino’s personal story and analogy of what it is like to live with sickness or disability. Click HERE to download “The Spoon Theory” in PDF format. The Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino www.butyoudontlooksick.com My best friend and I were in the diner, talking. As usual, it was very …

But You Dont Look Sick? support for those with invisible illness or chronic illness
Jun 11, 2023 at 1:51amWeb
Show threadHeather Cook🖖Autistic CoachJun 11, 2023
@ShaulaEvans Thank you for the link to the original, I’ve been looking for this again for ages!
Show threadSweetAI Belle Jun 11, 2023

@ShaulaEvans
I'll admit, these days, I tend to expect people to know what I'm talking about if I mention spoons.

Though I remember hearing spell slots suggested as an alternative once, and kinda liked that idea...

Show threadDawn Tåke 🌙 Jun 11, 2023
@SweetAIBelle
I've used Mana/MP as an analog too, though then I usually have to refer to sp[ns anyway.
Show threadcytokine_stormJun 11, 2023
@SweetAIBelle @ShaulaEvans the problem with spell slots is they don't randomly increase and decrease over time. Like, I required my entire day's supply of spoons to do 20 minutes of wedding suit shopping. But sometimes I can work for 8 hours, plan a trip, and socialise, and **still** have spoons left when I go to bed.
Show threadCarol ConnollyJun 11, 2023
@cytokine_storm @SweetAIBelle @ShaulaEvans Our imaginary GM uses a homebrew system that we suspect is actually them just pretending to roll dice and then choosing to go with whatever causes the most chaos
Show threadالحرية لفلسطين חופש לפלסטיןJun 11, 2023
@ShaulaEvans I thought it was a reference to Tommy Wiseau's The Room.
Show threadDeesaroo68Jun 11, 2023
@ShaulaEvans personal experience is not always a qualification of an unbiased assessment of something. It is an opinion, a one time, one small time in the scheme of things. It needs to be an addition to a lengthy talky of many voices. I take for the limited time it is in comparison to the big picture.
Show threadBlippy the Wonder Slug (MOVED)Jun 11, 2023

@ShaulaEvans
Also used in the addiction world, i.e. "spoon calls."

However, one is probably not going to run across this usage outside of the addiction recovery crowd.

Show threadPauline von HellermannJun 11, 2023
@ShaulaEvans thank you for this.i had seen it a few times without it registering properly - very glad to have read the essay now. Just wondering, is it also used for people who might not have disabilities themselves but who have caring responsibilties for others, and who also have to spoon their time and resources more than those without those responsibilities?
Show threadcytokine_stormJun 11, 2023
@pvonhellermannn @ShaulaEvans it's for anyone lacking resources really. My resources might be limited by my fickle brain, and yours by your responsibilities. But we both have the same problem.
Show threadDennis1212Jun 11, 2023
@ShaulaEvans I get it.
Show threadTane Piper ⁂Jun 11, 2023
@ShaulaEvans @rysiek it's the only language my wife and I use now - forks and spoons as measures of energy.
Show threadRob ParsonsJun 11, 2023
@ShaulaEvans thank you - as a relative of a person with no spoons due to #MECFS, it's very important for ordinary people to understand this concept.
Show threadSarah Jane Schmidt Jun 11, 2023

@ShaulaEvans

I hadn't actually read the original essay, thank you for sharing!

Show threadDidactylosJun 11, 2023
@ShaulaEvans @CassandraZeroCovid Does the same reference work in a somewhat different way for a carer? Just pondering out loud.
Show threadJeff ♨️ DarcyJun 11, 2023
@ShaulaEvans Spoon theory is often presented in the context of disability, but I can not emphasize enough that it really applies to everyone. Some people have more spoons, but the number is still finite. Save the spoons!
Show threadBarrettJun 11, 2023
@ShaulaEvans I hadn’t seen this previously but it seems like a great idea for helping people understand the experience. Thanks for sharing.
Show threadSaskboy K.Jun 11, 2023
@ShaulaEvans thanks
Show threadMariaJun 11, 2023
@ShaulaEvans Thank you. As a person with life-long disabilities, absolutely yes This is a wonderful brilliant way to make it clear. I love it.
Show threadhojomoJun 11, 2023
@ShaulaEvans Thanks, but not able to read it because they don't like ad blockers! I'm sure it's a very good theory 🙂
Show threadIndieterminacyJun 11, 2023

@ShaulaEvans I often struggle to have my experiences with #IBS understood, in part because its easier to perceive me in terms of when I am high functioning and active but it feels perplexing if 15 minutes later Im unable to lift my arm and move.

Even though its something which impacts me as a daily concern it really appears nothing compared to a description such as #Lupus or #behcets disease.

Thanks for flagging up the article

I too was thinking of either the Room or Wetherspoons originally!

Show threadMark MasonJun 11, 2023
@ShaulaEvans I’ve also heard people talk similarly about ‘emotional currency’. You get some e$ at the start of the day. Everything you do requires some investment. A chat with a friend might be a nett earner but some people (and websites) are just takers and drain your resources. Lose too much too often and you risk burn out and mental health issues. Some problems mean you start each day with less in your bank. Some days you have to be sure you can afford contact with selfish people.
Show threadA-DubJun 12, 2023
@ShaulaEvans it’s really annoying how much intellectual property Cam claims over this idea. i was talking about having a limited battery size as an analogy *years* before she launched her “idea” 🤷
Show threadAsinyJun 12, 2023
@ShaulaEvans Wow that is graphic. I only have come close with a back injury that kept me from walking and having a pee etc. Thankfully surgery has corrected most of the problems.
Show threadfreetobemeJun 12, 2023

@ShaulaEvans

I hope everyone takes time to read this, and not just the once, not just for a quick moment, but to remember forever.
I also wonder how many others, just like me, wondered what "spoons" meant, when the word was encountered, here, several times, but had not before taken even once the tiny amount of time it would have taken to look it up.

Show threadJust BobyJun 13, 2023

@ShaulaEvans @CoolBlenderKitten Might be interesting: My Twitter friend who is disabled wrote a book how she ended up living in a vintage airstream, also mentions a spoon :)

https://www.amazon.com/Airstream-that-Ran-Away-Spoon/dp/1946425370

Might gonna see her mention one day so I tag her @loafingcactus

Amazon.com