How RPGs have helped you

[sarendt]

I was once asked in the middle of class to explain where I learned 'obfuscate' from, which was a White Wolf Vampire game, specificly a LARP.  Not the easiest thing to explain to a group of people in a sentence or two. 

I think RP games in general taught me there is always options in life.  If you don't like the ones your given make your own options and run with them.

Also it helped me realize that fitting in, or being 'normal' was over rated.

-Scott

[Tadanori Oyama]

I like to carry around my RPG books because I read the things for entertainment. It also gives me the chance to see what people think of the games I play. Since most RPG books have fairly impressive and eye catching cover art I sometimes get people in line with me for coffee or passing by my table at restaurants who ask about them.

They ask in that way you'll find people asking questions of small children most of the time though. Most of the people who are most interested are the ones with an artist bend who seem to think I'm carrying around art collections and seem disappointed when I show them the books are, in fact, mostly rules.

I've never had anybody react negatively to the books which kind of surprises me.

[Setherick]

That's because the whole Jack Chick spin on D&D, while popular in the media who has to have something to sell a story, never caught on with the public at large.

[Kelkesh123]

I was once asked in the middle of class to explain where I learned 'obfuscate' from, which was a White Wolf Vampire game, specificly a LARP.  Not the easiest thing to explain to a group of people in a sentence or two. 

I loved explaining why I knew what salubrious means, rather than try and explain it logically, I ended up making my self sound stupid.
Though I did meet another White Wolf player, which was a nice plus.

Oh, and when a professor overhears you talking about the Screaming Pelican, don't try to explain it.
DON'T. TRY. TO. EXPLAIN. IT.

On another note, I find people who believe that D&D leads to homicidal actions is ridiculous.
Even with Orphansbane running around.
As Malyss said, the amount of killers who have been players is very low, and these people likely ( read : have ) had other mental issues.

Of course, trying to explain mental issues doesn't mean much when my nickname is the School Yard Bayonet Killer.