Take a piece of me
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
Human nature, because it is at the root of all conflict. I believe everyone is essentially out for self-preservation so people can be very selfish to attain this. It’s at the core of all conflicts in the world.
What makes a person respectable? Integrity, individuality, credibility, status in the professional sphere, well put humour and an impeccable sense of style ;)
What do you look for in a friend? Mutual respect. That is at the basis of a strong friendship. Sharing mutual enemies and belief in reciprocity are means to achieve this, as well as (usually) descent from the same social class. Friends need to understand each other and be on the same line of frequency. Shared interests are the glossy finish that make the friendship ever more interesting and enjoyable. I also look for humour and good taste in a friend, because once people fail to compel me I feel like I’m wasting time and move on. Lastly, I am looking for individualists: people who actually have something to say instead of repeating the view of the masses.
What are your hobbies? I’m very active on campus life at my university. I am head of the debating club there to train myself for a future job (I’m a university undergraduate as we speak), and I devote much of my free time to it. I also love it to be a student and attend class because the material itself interests me (although I slack a lot, not very prototype but it works out for me in the end) but mainly prepares me as well as possible for a good job ahead. University is the place to make lasting connections with professors and students alike, so I am generally very active in campus life. I’m also member of ‘The New League’ which is a young artists’ collective aiming to improve conditions for us.
Apart from all this, I have taken up sports again just to improve my condition. I run every morning and check my reflexes by going karting. Smoking doesn’t do the body a favour, and feeling physically weak has a negative influence on my mental state too.
I write, because conjuring your own world and influencing others with it off screen is a brilliant thing to do and I have found a publisher this week who wishes to help me, the uncle of a friend of mine who knows me relatively well and really stimulates me and eggs me on.
I play the bass guitar in a screamo-oriented band. Since I’ve only just joined them (all guys except for me) I want to improve as much as I can, so a considerate amount of time is spent doing music as well. Music is a recreational thing for me as my life is usually kind of hectic because of my other hobbies, and I do it to relax.
Lastly I love the internet because it has so much to offer. On average, I spend two hours on it a day, mainly on LJ.
Have or would you give time and money to a charity? I haven’t done it in the past and I doubt I will do it in the future, for the simple reason it is no secret most overheads of charity donations are corrupted. Most of the money siphons into their own bank account instead of reaching the presumed target. It is a fishy business, and I’m usually quite distrustful with money-donating organisations in general.
What is the one thing you would most like to accomplish? Finish my undergraduate programme with top marks so I can get into the London School of Economics or Oxford University to finally pursue a high career in politics. I know it will take me time, effort and discipline to accomplish it, but the university I’m at right now is the most prestigious in the Netherlands and I managed to get in here as well.
Who is your role model? Oscar Wilde. Generic for an English Literature minor, probably, but I admire him more as a person than as a writer. The turbulent life he has led, dragged through the mud for abiding by his own rules to be pulled out of it sixty years after his death and become a living legend. He is an icon for homosexuals, but also for politicians; he is completely all over the place and has managed to accomplish everything he set out for himself to do when he was young. Also, the ambiguity and evasiveness of Wilde is amazing. As for his performance and persistence: they have been rewarded generously. I think Wilde will always remain a classic.
What trait most annoys you about other people? Inability to stand up for oneself. I cannot understand how some people’s respect for someone else can be broken time after time making them end up trampled underfoot, or resigning from the things they planned because they are demotivated without a good cause. I am saying this because some friends of mine have this tendency and I am always asked to pick up the pieces or do something about it. As I’ve said, connections between people are based on mutual respect, and once this rule is trespassed by one of the two the other should be able to solve it or at least defend himself. Vice versa, I admire people with a lot of mental spine.
What do you want to do for a living? My major is in Political Science and I definitely want to continue along those lines. The Euro Parliament would be the perfect eventual goal for me, I figured that from an early age. It is a lot of debating in an often exciting environment, demanding but very well paid. Since I’m also a great fan of writing, I would alternately want to be a journalist for an established newspaper such as the New York Times or a good opinion magazine, but these occupations are linked and easily interchangeable.
If my personal writing skills allow it and I’m granted a bit of luck, I would be a writer in the first place, but only under those conditions. Although I think locking yourself in a room with a laptop does have its charm, money has to be made as well, and I wouldn’t be satisfied being some paperback writer for the lack of recognition it brings with it.
If your friend was attacked (by a person, animal, or (in the magic world) beast), what would you do? Think if I could beat the creature, first of all. If I couldn’t control the situation I will not get into a fight, but probably try to distract the attacker in such a way it heads for anything but us, preferably inanimate objects ;). Since this is a general question I cannot say more than that or give details, but things like this have happened to me in the past (twice, maybe) with people and I always tend to go for a solution like that.
Would you ever use an Unforgivable Curse for any reason? If I had to seriously defend myself against a hazardous/murderous force, I would. I wouldn’t attack with Unforgivables myself as there are other, less radical ways to solve a conflict, but if my opponent does it to me I feel I have the right to retaliate with equal weapons.
What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
Versatility I can relate to various perspectives on things, but I also have many different things I enjoy. I like formality as much as informality, studying as much as partying, sports as much as mind games.
Leadership qualities As a child I was were precocious, and I have skipped a grade because of it. I was good at speaking and writing and always critical and highly opinionated, which I still am. I tend to stray from the crowd to peruse my own goals and I often notice people follow me. I am also good at keeping order and organising.
Ambiguity I think this is a good quality because it makes me hard for others to pinpoint me on any side of the spectrum, and therefore able to change my strategies whenever I want without people openly blaming me for it. I tend to keep important matters to myself and only trust the ones very close to me to share in it. This is one of the reasons Sirius Black is my favourite HP character. The reason I am fond of him lies in his charisma. Popular and a leading figure at school while always perusing his own goals, straying from the crowd while being noticed and adored by many all along -all products of a rarely seen charisma which I envy and my friends tell me I possess to a certain degree myself (no act of social polite convention, I hope). After his imprisonment he loses his name but not his identity. Example: the way he pulls Harry’s strings in GOF; Sirius remains a side character but his influence upon Harry, and hence the plot, is very much present. It takes a strong character to pull that off.
Drive As you may have noticed, I am very intent on reaching goals I have set for myself, and luckily I often succeed. Although I do have dreamy tendencies sometimes I am by now realistic enough to see what really matters in life, which is reaching self-accomplishment. I do anything I can to attain this, which includes love, friendship, status, wisdom and peace of mind at the end of my life. I’d want to be able to look back on it and be very proud.
Openness in the context people often say they feel at ease around me. I am usually the confidante for my friends because I can keep secrets very well, and I will not betray friends’ trust because it is an unwritten rule you don’t do such things.
What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
Arrogance Sometimes I expect too much of myself as well as people around me, which can lead to arrogance. Perhaps I should open up more and not think too much of first impressions. However, everyone suffers from this first-impression flaw because it is the first thing you notice about someone.
Impatience I can be very impatient at times, and it is not a good quality. I like to act swiftly and it can be a pain to see others take more time for things although I don’t blame them.
Obsessiveness Whenever I am into something, I focus on it so much I sometimes lose track of other things. Obsessions can range from boys to Harry Potter (yes, I should be working right now -it’s corrupting me! ;)). It also has to do with competitiveness. I am competitive, but usually not to the point where it drives people and myself insane. Just enough to aid me in things.
Ambiguity Of course ambiguity works the other way as well. It is hard for me to pinpoint certain emotions just because I take everything into regard. I can focus too much on details and pull them out of proportion.
Unpredictability As much as I am stable in mind and am always in accordance with what I feel, I know I can be quite unpredictable to people around me. I fight for what I believe to be just, but my interests change over time and it is hardly noticeable. Once in a while I need to sit down and reflect on what I’m really about. I can feel I’m still changing, then again I’m only 19 so I am supposed to be this way ;)
Define in your own words the following key traits:
Courage: The ability to face negativity in your life and be strong enough to deal with it. Many people lack courage because they tend to take the easy way out. Courageous people will not shrink back in times of peril, but stand up to it and make the best of it. But when taken too far courage can lead to impulsiveness and recklessness. In the end, though, courage demands admiring of others.
Loyalty: The ability to relate to others and possess a high emotional EQ. The loyal are often the ones who are popular, caring and genuine and will hardly end up as lonely cynics at the end of their lives. For them, emotional satisfaction is the highest reward, and the key word to them is altruism. They must watch themselves to not become too trustful in others, though.
Intelligence: Intelligence has many forms. There is streetwise intelligence or experience, as well as book intelligence. The highest intelligence is a mixture of both. Although the purely intelligent are often associated with coldness or elitism this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. It can also lead to integrity.
Ambition: The ability to stand up and take what is rightfully yours paired with a high and just self-justification. Ambitious people are aware of the fact life is a zero-sum game and they are often the ones to become most powerful and fulfilled. On the downside they are often envied or passed off as opportunistic, but the ambitious will know for themselves what they truly are about.
Name: Margeaux
Age: 19
What house do you think DOESN'T fit you? (This question is optional for those who feel they just DO NOT fit in a house. Please explain WHY.) This is a much occurring thing, but I don’t think I would fit very well into Hufflepuff. Whereas I admire them for their qualities (explained above) I don’t think I possess these qualities myself at all. I am too cynical and pragmatic to do well in Hufflepuff house.
Where did you find out about us? I was browsing HP sorting communities and came across you. Since you are active and promising and I hope to be an active and inspiring member, I hope my contribution to your community will be as good to you as you to me =)