Book of questions #s 51-70
Due to a long hiatus, here's a double length questions post, weeeeeeeeeeeee!
51: Do you have any specific long-term goals? What is one and how do you plan on reaching it?
Super specific, not really…I suppose having children, and I think there’s no need to explain how you get those (although I am gonna be adopting some, too)
51b: How often do you step back and reflect upon the way you are living and where you are headed? In what way will reaching your goals make your life more satisfying?
In a minor way, daily, and in a more major way I recently made a list of everything that I don’t like about the way I am living my life and the ways to solve every single one of them. I think that reaching my goals especially in the recent list I made would make my life better because it would be a healthier lifestyle and hopefully one where I become more accepting of myself and thus my life would be more satisfying.
52: For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
Despite the recent ups and downs, I am most grateful for my family. Also, I am grateful for my own internal beliefs and personal moral code. I don’t have a religion per se, so I guess is the closest to being able to word it for easiest comprehension, but I just like that inner core of what makes me who I am and helps ground me in some kind of structure that is always present. Language is something that's kinda inextricable from that, and I am grateful for my internal understanding of that. Finally, my friends! They get me, and they keep me sane :)
53: How do you react when people sing “Happy Birthday” to you in a restaurant?
I am usually flattered if not a bit embarrassed as well. Still, I always try to take it in stride and appreciate the gesture.
54: What is the worst psychological torture you can imagine suffering? Anything causing even minor physical injury should not be considered.
Ohhhhh, I misread that, lol. I was about to go on and on about fingertip slicing, but given that that’s not an option, I would think psychological torture would be pretty close to what happened to me this morning but exaggerated. This morning, I was stuck in a dream. While I felt rested and had woken up earlier in the day, I went back to bed for a quick nap, and was stuck inside a dream trying to wake up for hours upon hours. I think psychologically, it would be torture to get stuck like that but inside a horrible nightmare - especially the really realistic ones I have! Generally, anytime I feel helpless in nightmares is pretty torturous!
55: Would you like your spouse to be both smarter and more attractive than you?
Smarter, but only in certain areas. I don’t mind admitting someone’s smarter than me, and hell, I’d take him being smarter than me in every area but at least 1. I like having something I am good at, and if my spouse is better than me at EVERYTHING, I think it would make for a very boring life together. I’d like to think that we can depend on each other’s strengths to keep conversation interesting as we age. As for more attractive, YES, gods, please!
56: If you found that a good friend had AIDS, would you avoid him? What if your brother or sister had it?
I would not avoid anyone that has AIDS.
57: Would you be willing to give up sex for one year if you knew it would give you a much deeper sense of peace than you have now?
I have given up sex for 22 years now, I think it’s time I actually disturb my peace…
58: A good friend pulls of a well-conceived practical joke that plays on one of your foibles and makes you look ridiculous. How would you react?
With laughter.
58b: How forgiving are you when your friends let you down?
Externally, I try to be pretty forgiving. Internally, I am not a very forgiving person at all and deep down will likely not get over most things for years. I am happy to say I haven’t had many friends let me down in any major way.
59: By controlling medical research funds, you are in a position to guarantee that a cure will be found in fifteen years for any disease you choose. Unfortunately, no progress on any others would be made during that period. Would you target one disease?
It would depend what level of progress could be made on the others in that span really. If you could get even 90% towards curing others, I’d say it wasn’t worth it because the last 10% could be found in a few years more. Then again, you could just get stuck and not progress for many more years or ever, so maybe it would be best to get 1 for sure out of the picture. There’s always new ones cropping up though…I dunno. I think I might say yes on this one.
60: Would you add one year to your life if it meant taking one year from the life of someone in the world selected at random? Would it matter if you were told whose life you had shortened?
You’d think I’d say yes seeing as my other answers about life etc. seem to be geared towards the idea of the longer, the better. However, after having recently read some stats about how you spend x amount of years in a car or looking for lost socks etc, I think 1 year isn’t worth it. I’ll just waste it looking for socks lol.
61: Can you urinate in front of another person?
It depends on the person.
62: If you walked out of your house one morning and saw a bird with a broken wing huddled in some nearby bushes, what would you do?
Bring it in and try to patch it up. If need be, take it to a vet.
63: Assume there were a technological breakthrough that would allow people to travel as easily and cheaply between continents as between nearby cities. Unfortunately, there would also be 100,000 deaths a year from the device. Would you try to prevent its use?
No. There are deaths driving places every year, too, and that’s still going on.
63b: In the mid 1800s , had you been able to look into the future and see that the automobile would cause 5 million fatalities in the next century, how would you have felt about this new device? Is there scientific knowledge that is best left undiscovered? If so, what areas of research do you feel should be restricted?
The only thing that freaks me out a little bit as far as where science goes is the kind of stuff that could kill us all like...nuclear stuff and even the idea of these scientists making mini black holes in a lab somewhere. I'm like, pls don't suck the Earth into your lab, kthx. Other than that, I can't think of anything we should restrict. If I could have looked into the future and see the car fatalities, I probably would have thought it was just a risk that comes with that kind of technology.
64: You and a person you love deeply are placed in separate rooms with a button next to each of you. You know that you will both be killed unless one of you presses the button before sixty minutes pass; furthermore, the first to press the button will save the other person, but will immediately be killed. What do you think you would do?
Not press the button.
65: When you tell a story, do you often exaggerate or embellish it? If so, why?
I try not to. By nature, I am prone to getting slightly fantastical in my retelling of events, but when it is something out of real life that I am trying to get across in a serious manner, I try to tone that down.
66: Do you feel that advice from older people carries a special weight because of their greater experience?
Yes, I do.
66b: Do your comments and suggestions influence other people much? How could you present your ideas so that they would have more impact?
I don't know that they do, and I can't think of any way for them to have more impact other than maybe telling them face to face - especially if I traveled to see them face to face specifically to tell them this thing. I think it would carry more weight then...
67: Without your kidney as a transplant, someone close to you will die within one month. The odds that you will survive the operation are only fifty percent, but should you survive you would be certain of a normal life expectancy. Would you consent to the operation?
It depends, how close and how much life am I giving them? I wouldn't do it for just one more extra month 'cause the risk is kinda high for that little a time, I think. Still, if I were also giving THEM a normal life expectancy, then probably.
67b: Would you risk your life for someone close to you out of feelings of obligation or out of feelings of love? Would it matter if you could refuse without anyone ever knowing? What if the person asked you not to risk your life?
I dunno where the line between love and obligation gets blurred in such a scenario really. I mean, if you love the person, aren't you obligated to at least try? I think it would matter if you could refuse without anyone ever knowing because in the public eye, it doesn't change people's perception of you, but internally, if the person survived, you'd always live with that knowledge. If the person asked me not to risk my life, I'd probably not risk my life, but again, a lot of these things depend on the situation. As generally as possible I'd say I'd accept their request and not risk my life.
68: When has your life dramatically changed as a result of some seemingly random external influence? How much do you feel in control of the course of your life?
The only external influence that I feel affects my life is society in general and its dependence on money and how that fuels everything we (and I) do whether for personal gain or survival purposes within our society. I wish I felt like I could just drop everything and do whatever I wanted, but every time I try to imagine myself doing that, I see myself living under a bridge by Turner Field or something, and it’s not a pretty sight. Other than that, I do feel fairly in control of my life.
68b: Does living as though you control your own destiny lead to a more powerful life?
Perhaps. I think so.
69: If a friend were almost always late, would you resent it or simply allow for it? Can you be counted on to be on time?
I can honestly say I cannot be counted on to be on time. It’s one of the things I hate most about myself and I’m trying to fix it currently. I especially hate being late for friends I really love because I feel like I’m letting them down. I think knowing I am how I am, I would allow for it because there are so many reasons for being late.
70: When did you last yell at someone? Why? Did you later regret it?
I’m sure there’ve been more, but the last shouting match I can really remember was right before I moved to college. I don’t think I regretted it as much for what I’d said or my reasons for it later except for the fact that I was moving away and I had that as my last memory with that person. I can’t remember the specifics of why for the life of me, but I have a feeling that, as usual, it dealt with being at different places in our lives and having different points of view.
Oh, and since Amber pointed out I seem to be forgetting to answer some parts to questions, I went back and realised, I never said who I wanted for a dinner guest. So, as an amendment to my answer for that question I'd say as of right now, I'd choose Zachary Quinto ;)
51: Do you have any specific long-term goals? What is one and how do you plan on reaching it?
Super specific, not really…I suppose having children, and I think there’s no need to explain how you get those (although I am gonna be adopting some, too)
51b: How often do you step back and reflect upon the way you are living and where you are headed? In what way will reaching your goals make your life more satisfying?
In a minor way, daily, and in a more major way I recently made a list of everything that I don’t like about the way I am living my life and the ways to solve every single one of them. I think that reaching my goals especially in the recent list I made would make my life better because it would be a healthier lifestyle and hopefully one where I become more accepting of myself and thus my life would be more satisfying.
52: For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
Despite the recent ups and downs, I am most grateful for my family. Also, I am grateful for my own internal beliefs and personal moral code. I don’t have a religion per se, so I guess is the closest to being able to word it for easiest comprehension, but I just like that inner core of what makes me who I am and helps ground me in some kind of structure that is always present. Language is something that's kinda inextricable from that, and I am grateful for my internal understanding of that. Finally, my friends! They get me, and they keep me sane :)
53: How do you react when people sing “Happy Birthday” to you in a restaurant?
I am usually flattered if not a bit embarrassed as well. Still, I always try to take it in stride and appreciate the gesture.
54: What is the worst psychological torture you can imagine suffering? Anything causing even minor physical injury should not be considered.
Ohhhhh, I misread that, lol. I was about to go on and on about fingertip slicing, but given that that’s not an option, I would think psychological torture would be pretty close to what happened to me this morning but exaggerated. This morning, I was stuck in a dream. While I felt rested and had woken up earlier in the day, I went back to bed for a quick nap, and was stuck inside a dream trying to wake up for hours upon hours. I think psychologically, it would be torture to get stuck like that but inside a horrible nightmare - especially the really realistic ones I have! Generally, anytime I feel helpless in nightmares is pretty torturous!
55: Would you like your spouse to be both smarter and more attractive than you?
Smarter, but only in certain areas. I don’t mind admitting someone’s smarter than me, and hell, I’d take him being smarter than me in every area but at least 1. I like having something I am good at, and if my spouse is better than me at EVERYTHING, I think it would make for a very boring life together. I’d like to think that we can depend on each other’s strengths to keep conversation interesting as we age. As for more attractive, YES, gods, please!
56: If you found that a good friend had AIDS, would you avoid him? What if your brother or sister had it?
I would not avoid anyone that has AIDS.
57: Would you be willing to give up sex for one year if you knew it would give you a much deeper sense of peace than you have now?
I have given up sex for 22 years now, I think it’s time I actually disturb my peace…
58: A good friend pulls of a well-conceived practical joke that plays on one of your foibles and makes you look ridiculous. How would you react?
With laughter.
58b: How forgiving are you when your friends let you down?
Externally, I try to be pretty forgiving. Internally, I am not a very forgiving person at all and deep down will likely not get over most things for years. I am happy to say I haven’t had many friends let me down in any major way.
59: By controlling medical research funds, you are in a position to guarantee that a cure will be found in fifteen years for any disease you choose. Unfortunately, no progress on any others would be made during that period. Would you target one disease?
It would depend what level of progress could be made on the others in that span really. If you could get even 90% towards curing others, I’d say it wasn’t worth it because the last 10% could be found in a few years more. Then again, you could just get stuck and not progress for many more years or ever, so maybe it would be best to get 1 for sure out of the picture. There’s always new ones cropping up though…I dunno. I think I might say yes on this one.
60: Would you add one year to your life if it meant taking one year from the life of someone in the world selected at random? Would it matter if you were told whose life you had shortened?
You’d think I’d say yes seeing as my other answers about life etc. seem to be geared towards the idea of the longer, the better. However, after having recently read some stats about how you spend x amount of years in a car or looking for lost socks etc, I think 1 year isn’t worth it. I’ll just waste it looking for socks lol.
61: Can you urinate in front of another person?
It depends on the person.
62: If you walked out of your house one morning and saw a bird with a broken wing huddled in some nearby bushes, what would you do?
Bring it in and try to patch it up. If need be, take it to a vet.
63: Assume there were a technological breakthrough that would allow people to travel as easily and cheaply between continents as between nearby cities. Unfortunately, there would also be 100,000 deaths a year from the device. Would you try to prevent its use?
No. There are deaths driving places every year, too, and that’s still going on.
63b: In the mid 1800s , had you been able to look into the future and see that the automobile would cause 5 million fatalities in the next century, how would you have felt about this new device? Is there scientific knowledge that is best left undiscovered? If so, what areas of research do you feel should be restricted?
The only thing that freaks me out a little bit as far as where science goes is the kind of stuff that could kill us all like...nuclear stuff and even the idea of these scientists making mini black holes in a lab somewhere. I'm like, pls don't suck the Earth into your lab, kthx. Other than that, I can't think of anything we should restrict. If I could have looked into the future and see the car fatalities, I probably would have thought it was just a risk that comes with that kind of technology.
64: You and a person you love deeply are placed in separate rooms with a button next to each of you. You know that you will both be killed unless one of you presses the button before sixty minutes pass; furthermore, the first to press the button will save the other person, but will immediately be killed. What do you think you would do?
Not press the button.
65: When you tell a story, do you often exaggerate or embellish it? If so, why?
I try not to. By nature, I am prone to getting slightly fantastical in my retelling of events, but when it is something out of real life that I am trying to get across in a serious manner, I try to tone that down.
66: Do you feel that advice from older people carries a special weight because of their greater experience?
Yes, I do.
66b: Do your comments and suggestions influence other people much? How could you present your ideas so that they would have more impact?
I don't know that they do, and I can't think of any way for them to have more impact other than maybe telling them face to face - especially if I traveled to see them face to face specifically to tell them this thing. I think it would carry more weight then...
67: Without your kidney as a transplant, someone close to you will die within one month. The odds that you will survive the operation are only fifty percent, but should you survive you would be certain of a normal life expectancy. Would you consent to the operation?
It depends, how close and how much life am I giving them? I wouldn't do it for just one more extra month 'cause the risk is kinda high for that little a time, I think. Still, if I were also giving THEM a normal life expectancy, then probably.
67b: Would you risk your life for someone close to you out of feelings of obligation or out of feelings of love? Would it matter if you could refuse without anyone ever knowing? What if the person asked you not to risk your life?
I dunno where the line between love and obligation gets blurred in such a scenario really. I mean, if you love the person, aren't you obligated to at least try? I think it would matter if you could refuse without anyone ever knowing because in the public eye, it doesn't change people's perception of you, but internally, if the person survived, you'd always live with that knowledge. If the person asked me not to risk my life, I'd probably not risk my life, but again, a lot of these things depend on the situation. As generally as possible I'd say I'd accept their request and not risk my life.
68: When has your life dramatically changed as a result of some seemingly random external influence? How much do you feel in control of the course of your life?
The only external influence that I feel affects my life is society in general and its dependence on money and how that fuels everything we (and I) do whether for personal gain or survival purposes within our society. I wish I felt like I could just drop everything and do whatever I wanted, but every time I try to imagine myself doing that, I see myself living under a bridge by Turner Field or something, and it’s not a pretty sight. Other than that, I do feel fairly in control of my life.
68b: Does living as though you control your own destiny lead to a more powerful life?
Perhaps. I think so.
69: If a friend were almost always late, would you resent it or simply allow for it? Can you be counted on to be on time?
I can honestly say I cannot be counted on to be on time. It’s one of the things I hate most about myself and I’m trying to fix it currently. I especially hate being late for friends I really love because I feel like I’m letting them down. I think knowing I am how I am, I would allow for it because there are so many reasons for being late.
70: When did you last yell at someone? Why? Did you later regret it?
I’m sure there’ve been more, but the last shouting match I can really remember was right before I moved to college. I don’t think I regretted it as much for what I’d said or my reasons for it later except for the fact that I was moving away and I had that as my last memory with that person. I can’t remember the specifics of why for the life of me, but I have a feeling that, as usual, it dealt with being at different places in our lives and having different points of view.
Oh, and since Amber pointed out I seem to be forgetting to answer some parts to questions, I went back and realised, I never said who I wanted for a dinner guest. So, as an amendment to my answer for that question I'd say as of right now, I'd choose Zachary Quinto ;)