since i am wary of manipulating code even to change the lj-cut text, have a nice long subject line.

[willfully]

• What sort of profession in the wizarding world would you choose and why?
  
  A more detailed description of why I chose this career can be found in the question below about my ideal job. To sum up, I will just say that I think the perfect job for me in any situation would be a science journalist or a leader in the scientific community.
  
  In the wizarding world, I imagine this job would be much like taking over the Quibbler (or even better, starting my own science journal) and making it less about cryptozoology and more about real, interesting experiments -- the science of magical creatures! (I do honestly think that there is at least a little science to everything magical, by the way -- human organs are not run by magic, after all, else Muggles would not exist.) I would not let the magazine be considered crackpot and full of conspiracy theories; everything would be checked and double-checked (preferably by people who enjoy that sort of thing, instead of me) and approved by the scientific community.
  
  In fact, if I could even START a scientific community in the wizarding world and get it running, I'd be happy. Why can't there be more studies into the interactions of the magical and the nonmagical, the way magical potential started (dare I say evolved?) in the first place? I realize it might be blasphemous to some to look for scientific reasoning behind magic, but I've never been one for spirituality or religion. Most arguments in their defense -- about the presence of souls, for example -- just feel like they haven't looked deep enough, the "facts" can't be tested and therefore aren't indisputable. I'm more of the opinion that there is a scientific answer for everything, if you can frame the right question to find it.
  
  
• If you could teach one class at Hogwarts, what would it be and why?
  
  I'm assuming that this teaching job would take the place of the career answer I gave above, and to be honest, almost all of the subjects taught at Hogwarts (minus Muggle Studies, History of Magic, and Divination) fascinate me. I won't choose Arithmancy and Ancient Runes to teach because I only have the very faintest idea of what those entail -- I'm much more interested in taking those classes, and from what I do know/can guess about them (Arithmancy has something to do with math and magic, I assume, and I can hazard a guess that Ancient Runes is about symbols that can be used for different purposes) they're not subjects that would fascinate me outside of a few years of schooling. Astronomy is interesting, but it involves too many things that I can't touch (if I were an astronomer, I wouldn't want to teach the class, I'd much rather go into space and see it for myself), so I can eliminate that as well. DADA, besides being cursed, seems more like common sense and information a person would need to know in difficult situations, not anything that would be particularly interesting to teach.
  
  Which, unless I'm forgetting some (possible, but I'd probably eliminate them anyway) leaves me with Potions, Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures. Potions appeals to me greatly, mostly because of the teeniest, tiniest details of it, but it seems to me that it's a profession which would involve a great deal of patience, staying indoors, and getting frustrated with teaching people who are very likely to blow up a cauldron or two (in that profession, who wouldn't be as snarky as Snape, even without all the emotional baggage?), so it's not for me. Herbology might interest me more in the magical world than botany does in the real one, since the plants are not quite so stationary and actually more like creatures themselves, but I think animals (non-human ones) will always be my greatest passion.
  
  I wouldn't teach Care of Magical Creatures the way Hagrid did, though. His approach was "ooh, lookit the fangs on this one, let's show it ter a buncha eleven year olds!" While I do think the animals he presented were fascinating, I'd much rather have a class oriented around some learning about the animal beforehand from books or lectures before having a practical demonstration. You can't really expect people to listen to you when they're staring at intimidating looking or even cute and sparkly animals, can you? I mean, I would, at least at this age, but that's only because I have a huge passion for the subject -- you can't expect all your students to feel the same.
  
  
• This year, The TriWizard Tournament is being held once again and you're of age. Do you put your name in the Goblet? Why or why not?
  
  I might be very briefly tempted, but no. While I am competitive, the structure of the tournament isn't the sort of challenge I'd be interested in. Why on earth would someone want to jump into possibly fatal challenges with so little preparation, go face to face with a dragon without much knowledge of or experience with fighting them? To me it seems like an easy way to get fried to death. Now, if researching the challenges intensively were allowed, I would probably take the challenge. I wouldn't want to be entering it unprepared, so that when I was attacked I'd use the first spell that came to mind (usually, as shown by Harry's case, the simplest and most basic one -- that's one thing about his character that has always annoyed me). I'd much rather enter into a battle of wits and physical stamina that would actually improve my reflexes, ability to think on my feet, &tc... not to mention my confidence in myself after finishing. I'd want to feel like I really earned that prize.
  
  
• If you could choose your animagus form, what would it be and why?
  
  I've been stamped a monkey animagus before, and though it was completely unexpected, I eventually decided that it fit me. Not because they're so closely related to humans (although opposable thumbs help, even though they're still not as cool as prehensile tails!) but I love the way their mind works. Most animals see a tree and think (when I say think, I don't mean necessarily in a conscious manner, mind you) "shade!" or "camouflage!" or "food!" The monkey sees all of that, and also sees a method of transportation. Now, I'm completely speculating here, but it seems to me that swinging from tree branches is one of the rarer forms of transportation in the animal kingdom -- at the very least, it's not efficient for most animals -- and so I like monkeys for that, for being unique. In literature, they can be imaginative and curious (Curious George) or cunning and intelligent (Mrs. Coulter's monkey daemon from His Dark Materials). I probably identify most with the curiosity, since Mrs. Coulter's daemon is somewhat unnecessarily sadistic at times, but I respect him, all the same.
  
  Most of all, I find similarities in monkeys in the way they react to really severe conflict (which is relevant, because one of the uses of an animagus form would be to have an advantage in conflict). When threatened, if there is nothing and no one around that is absolutely necessary to protect (their family, for example), most monkeys I've seen will simply run away, because it's pointless to risk death or injury by a possible predator when it could be avoided. I see no problem with running away, mostly because I have no delusions of honor about being a better person because I stayed to fight. When they have something to protect, though -- and I'm basing this completely on the howler monkeys I saw in Costa Rica -- they'll screech and attempt to scare their attacker away, and if all else fails, fling a handful of their poop. Not only is that creative and resourceful (most creatures just see waste, monkeys see even the littlest, grossest thing as a possible weapon), but it's symbolic (um, hello, covering something you loath in excrement?). My metaphorical fur is generally hard to ruffle, and I have no problem with backing down from an argument if it's unimportant, getting out of hand, or otherwise not worth my time, but if I or someone/something I cared about were severely threatened -- to the point where I actually thought my life, someone else's life, or our well-being in general might be in danger, and I'd reached the end of the list in terms of being able to keep it from happening any other way -- anything that I had to use as a weapon, I'd use.
  
  I should probably note that the reason my train of thought goes towards these dire situations is due to problems I've been having with my health and dealing with my family, among other things; they are extreme situations which I do not ever foresee becoming a problem in a sorting community, so you shouldn't worry about me flinging poop at you (er... metaphorically, of course).
  
  
• What HP character do you identify with most and why?
  
  No one HP character very accurately describes me, but I've been told that I'm an odd mixture of Draco, Luna, and Snape. I think I used to be more like Luna when I was young, or even just a few years ago, though I've lost a lot of her wild and dreamy imagination and I've never really believed in anything that I couldn't see, especially when there is some evidence to the contrary. However, I do have her oddly detached mind; even without the imagination, I often see things from different perspectives than others, and like her, I am often an oddity.
  
  As for Draco, I don't identify at all with his swaggering and boasting (although I do like telling stories when I have stories to tell), nor his tendency to bully -- which only gave the people he bullied more reason to dislike him, and more of a drive to see him fall. I do share his annoyance with people who get credit they don't deserve (see his many, many complaints about favoritism, despite exploiting it himself when possible - but I like to think that he, like me, believes people should be favorites because of talent), even if I'm not quite so driven to take them down off their high horse except when they attempt to rub it in my face. Also, the way he reacted to such a dire situation as his family being in danger and being forced to kill for them resonates with me. It seems like he learned so much that year: about himself, about his father, about his goals and dreams, and though it took a severe emotional toll, he knew where his priorities were. He is much more prejudiced and prideful in a fiery way than I am, but after HBP, he matured -- and it just so happened that I read that book right around the time that my life was changing significantly, as well.
  
  As for Snape... well. I suppose the main similarity people see between us is our incredibly perfectionistic attitude, to the point of being so wrapped up in the things that interest us that we shut out the rest of the world. He has an interest in the arcane, in the tiny details, and a talent for invention -- inventing spells! I have admired him deeply throughout the books, for that and for his ability to play his cards so close to his chest that even a powerful Legilimens trusted him. I don't think I'm that good, and I don't think I want to be because of the cost it exacted on his emotional health, but those are traits that I admire and would attempt to emulate in his situation. I didn't like what was done with him in DH -- mostly because I am scared of falling in love for almost the exact reasons, that it would have a hold over me for the rest of my life, and I hated to see it happen to him. I also didn't like the way it was handled, with a sudden break in the battle to tell his story, but that's more an issue with JKR than with Snape himself.
  
  
• What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
  
  I would be standing at a podium, giving a very organized and engaging presentation on a scientific discovery that I have been promoting -- or perhaps discovered -- which will change the way people look at science and quite possibly the world around them. I am put together, talking to a captive audience, and most importantly, I'm smiling and talking very passionately and eloquently so that my message gets across. A few cameras are flashing, and it is obvious from the way people are listening intently that I am a respected voice in the scientific community, even if I'm not adorned with medals.
  
  Part of why I'm smiling is also probably because a great many people I care about are in the audience, as well -- friends, family, a significant other -- smiling proudly as they listen to me, and there to support me. Part of my happiness will always be because there are people around me that love and respect me, people that I look to for comfort, and in the Mirror of Erised, I would never need them for anything other than emotional support, good times, and a network to fall back on (i.e., they would not be responsible for my success except perhaps in encouraging me when stressed). There would also be at least one small dog with me that would travel with me everywhere when family could not (I much prefer large dogs, but smaller ones are much more efficient for plane travel).
  
  
• If you won a million dollars, how would you spend it?
  
  Oh, not having enough money is the bane of my existence! First of all, I'd pay off my college loans and set a chunk aside for the rest of my undergrad and graduate career; my family is now severely in debt because I wanted to pursue a biology major at an expensive, private, liberal arts school half the country away from my hometown (but it is so worth it, I wouldn't have made a different decision, ever!). I'd also pay for all of my health treatments -- even the little copays for all the doctor's appointments I've had lately are adding up (and if I could pay to be healthy -- by getting the best specialists there are -- I totally would). I'd put an even larger chunk away in savings -- probably at least half of it -- for mine and my family's future plans: my traveling, setting myself up as a journalist (I hear it isn't easy to get started), my retirement; my brother's college fees, and other savings for him if he needed them; and lastly, my parent's retirement. They have been supporting me financially for ages and, while I am grateful to them for that, I'm looking forward to being financially independent. If I handle it right, there should hopefully be a good 10-50 thousand or so left that I could give towards research for clean energy solutions and a few other non-profit organizations that I've worked for over the years and come to trust, as well as a bit left over (just a couple hundred to a couple thousand, maybe) for a guilt-free shopping spree after having taken care of everything else.
  
  
• What was your ideal job as a kid? Has that changed? What is your ideal job now?
  
  As a kid, I was enamoured with the idea of being famous -- a famous actress, a famous singer, a famous soccer player, and so on and so forth. Of course, I also deluded myself into thinking I was actually Peter Pan, that I'd never grow up, and could stay in my perfect little Neverland world forever. I've gotten more antisocial and less driven by fame since then, mostly because I know what it can do to people (my father looooves to lecture about people who get in trouble when they're famous, how everything they do wrong is a tragedy in the world's eyes, &tc), and I think now that if I were to be famous for something, it'd need to be something I'd really earned. Being well known in the scientific community, for example, would be amazing; that's the kind of thing that wouldn't go to my head because to reach that level, I'd have had to open up my mind to all kinds of possibilities, work incredibly hard, and probably end up succeeding because of making a mistake. I cannot even count how many times I've heard in science classes about an experiment that went wrong but ended up being the discovery of a lifetime and earning the scientist an award and a place in the textbooks for years to come.
  
  And yet, I don't want science to consume me: I don't want to get so caught up in the process of it that I miss the big picture. I also have a need to multitask -- as much as I love science, I need to have other things going on in my life, not in a "work hard, play hard" kind of way, but simply to keep my mind occupied and functioning. In college, I've done that through writing (both fanfiction and original fiction) and that is, in the end, why my current career goal is to be a science journalist. It would force me to integrate many different schools of thought, question paradigms, and observe the scientific process, while allowing me to share that passion in a creative way with the world. Science journalism is the wave of the future -- bringing important information to the laymen and the masses -- and it's a field I could see myself thriving in, excelling in, and constantly improving in. (And hey, if there was fame and recognition to be found in that, I wouldn't object -- it would just make my standards for my work even higher.)
  
  
• If you were able to invent one spell, potion, or charm, what would it do, what would you use it for or how would you use it, and what would you call it?
  
  I have far too many ideas for this question. I considered a cooling, stasis potion for people near death -- dying terrifies me -- but I think I'd actually dislike that, because it would draw out the dying without letting a person finally rest if they're going to die. I'm the type of person who would sign a DNR for myself, simply because dying peacefully while unconscious seems like a much, much better option than being forced to wake up to more tests and prodding, especially without a guaranteed full recovery. I also considered a spell to reverse the polarity of someone's thought process -- for example, I always have trouble seeing things in black and white terms, and can never fully understand the way people's minds work when they think in terms of right and wrong, good and bad. All of that is far too ambiguous for me, so a spell that would help me see it the other way (and vice versa) could be incredibly helpful.
  
  But at this point in my life, the kind of potion I'd like to invent is one that ensured a normally working body -- not an immortal or invincible one, but a potion that would simply ensure that all organs are functioning exactly the way they should be. It would essentially be the ultimate immune system -- one that would never turn on its own body, nor let the body get out of control (like in cancer), but would only be subject to the natural degradation of the body or disasters like breaking a leg or being killed in battle. I would love to have the ultimate immune system, mostly because it's the main thing lacking in my life right now, and it's holding me back.
  
  My emphasis on health issues may seem odd, especially since I have absolutely NO desire to go into medicine, but that's my biggest concern at the moment, and I think will continue to be one of my biggest concerns/obstacles for the rest of my life, so it's very relevant to who I am.
  
  
• If you were to face a boggart, what would it turn into? And what does it turn into when you throw the counter-spell, Riddikulus?
  
  Depending on whose life I'm more concerned about at the time, the boggart would take the shape of myself or one of the people I care about dying, wasting away painfully and probably reaching out to me for help, which would make me feel helpless as well as afraid (and, well, feeling helpless only makes me MORE afraid). The particular disease or fatal injury that caused the death would also vary, depending on what frightened me most at the time, but it would likely involve a lot of bleeding, obvious pain, and the inability to breathe.
  
  As for the counter-spell... Riddikulus is supposed to make the boggart into something amusing, something that would make me laugh; I don't know how exactly I'd make death funny. Maybe I'd make it a Halloween costume, fake blood and all, and I could give a laugh mostly of relief?
  
  
• What do you look for in a friend?
  
  Like everyone, I think, I need to have something significant in common with my friends, whether it's a simple love of a certain book, band, tv show, or type of humour; a love of reading and writing, even if completely different genres, would suffice. In this case, I have in common a wealth of knowledge about the Harry Potter universe that is mostly useless in the real world but very fun to discuss when among other geeks enthusiasts.
  
  I don't have to trust someone much to consider them a friend, though I wouldn't consider them a close friend if I could barely trust them at all. I do need just enough trust to know that they aren't going to make my life miserable; I tend to start from there and then trust people more as I grow more comfortable with them, trusting them more and more until they show me where they draw the line of their trustworthiness or I simply reach a point where I don't want to talk about certain things with them. Most of all, I appreciate people with good heads on their shoulders: they don't have to be geniuses, but having a willingness to listen and learn is important. The ability to have a serious debate and ten seconds later go on a mad crazy adventure is incredibly appreciated though also not required (I'd take overly silly over far too serious about everything, though, I think).
  
  Probably most importantly, I look for people that will understand my need for a lot of time to myself and who don't get offended when I'm not going to everything they invite me to or always staying in touch. My loyalties seem obvious enough to me, and people that don't require much... well, maintenance, I guess, in terms of confirmation of how much I love them are the people I tend to get along best with. I do always try to be there when a friend is in trouble and reaching out to me, but I'm not willing to sacrifice so much time and energy that I get down and depressed and blue right along with you -- although of course it upsets me when the people I love are hurting -- because how would that help either of us?
  
  
• What trait most annoys you about other people?
  
  Without a doubt, stubborn inflexibility and closed-mindedness. Even the most knowledgeable person gets on my nerves if they are always sticking to their guns and refusing to hear any other side of the story. It's not that I don't respect people's need to have beliefs, but I do expect them to have good reasons for their opinions, and the inability to listen to anything else frustrates me beyond belief. If I have a firm opinion about something, it almost always comes from having considered all the evidence and thought about it quite a lot. (I have my moments though, of course, everyone does -- but let me assure you that my own inflexibility frustrates me EVEN MORE than other people's. I relish ambiguity and thrive in middle grounds.)
  
  Even then, if a person of that nature doesn't have opinions that directly affect me, or if at the very least they don't rub them directly in my face or try to preach to me, I'd just leave them alone. Most often, they're not worth the time I might try to take to convince them just to hear me out.
  
  
• What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
  
  + A Calculating Mind. I have a very logical, mathematical way of looking at the world. As much as I dislike math in the classroom, seeing the world around me in terms of equations is very helpful: every person I meet is the sum of the whole of their parts, and then some; a single action doesn't always result in consequences or benefits, but added to another action, it might... and so on. The most common equation I use is something to the tune of: total benefit of finishing something = (amount of work required on my part) x (my laziness/stress level) - (how close the deadline is or how much I would lose for not completing it). When benefit > the other side, I'll usually complete it; when benefit is < the other side, I usually spend my energy elsewhere. Things that are often thrown out (at least temporarily, until the urgency of the deadline starts to weigh down the amount of work required) for not being worth it are usually little everyday things like schoolwork and cleaning. Also, because of seeing things in equations, I understand justice and fairness -- I see them in terms of finding a balance, much like balancing out an equation -- but right and wrong are more complicated, because so often what someone sees as right = someone else's opinion of wrong.
  
  + Confidence. While I'm certainly not comfortable in every situation, I do know exactly where my strengths and weaknesses are and can often exude confidence simply by pretending to feel much more comfortable and at home than I actually am. I've been told that I give the impression of being very comfortable in my own skin, which is funny to me -- I don't think I'm even close to being as comfortable and confident as I could be, but it's a quality most people seem to see in me. It probably stems mostly from trusting in myself above everything else, taking on responsibilities that I can handle or push myself to improve in, and ability to admit when I've gotten myself in too deep and get people I trust to help me out.
  
  + Sense of Humor. I may well be one of the most easily amused people on the planet. I love to laugh at things that are purposefully lame and often on the dirtier end of the spectrum; however, the cleverer the humor, the better. It doesn't have to reference some great work of literature or be an inside joke that only a few well read people will get -- although I like those too, when I catch them -- but just finding humor in situations that people might not have thought of as funny before, and so on. I can laugh at myself, too, which saves me being embarrassed a LOT of the time.
  
  + Perfectionism. I don't have this trait to a fault, I don't think, or else I would list it under weaknesses, too. I am very selective about what I care enough about to perfect. If I tried to be a perfectionist at everything, I would never have fun with anything, but my need to be better and better at things can sometimes show up at really random times (like in Easter egg hunts, wanting to be the best at hiding an egg). I like being good at science, being able to think of things others might not, and explain my thoughts well; I'd like to be a very good writer and be able to tell a tightly controlled and imaginative story with no characterization errors or plot holes. Most of all, I want to be the best person that I can be -- not necessarily famous or powerful or righteous or heroic (in fact, those don't really factor into this at all -- not that I have any problem with being that kind of person), but more accurately, not being the things that I don't like about myself: weak, fearful, or stupid. I want to be a person that doesn't make promises she can't keep and will meet my own expectations, as well as everyone else's. Most of all, I want long-term happiness, and being able to improve upon my flaws is the best way that I can see of going about finding that.
  
  + Pride. I see this as a quality -- it could become a weakness, sure, but my pride is tempered by an understanding of what I don't know and where I fall short. On the other hand, if I miscalculate and think "oh, I can definitely handle this!" and then end up not being able to, it can be hard for me to back out, because of my pride. It keeps me pushing myself to try to do the things I've committed to, but in the end, it also keeps me from wearing myself too thin because I know I deserve not to be so stressed out.
  
  
• What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
  
  - Laziness. Um, yeah, this is a big one. If I have nothing immediately important to do, I'm much more likely to indulge myself than start working ahead: hang around at home and watch a movie by myself or with friends, cook something delicious and stuff my face, sleep, or go for long, strolling walks with my puppy, if I'm at home. Sometimes I'll get in a really productive mood and feel the need to control everything, finish something, and just get it done... but those moods are pretty rare. For situations in which important things need doing, see above under Calculating Mind, where I explain the equation I use to figure out whether/when to do them.
  
  - Hopefulness. I'm honestly not sure whether this is a good or bad quality, but I've listed it here because having false hope can be an incredibly destructive thing. It's not optimism or idealism, simply a well of hope inside me that things can improve -- that while I'm still alive and capable of coherent thought, speech, and movement, I can always make my circumstances better, no matter what has gone wrong. That's how I get through times when loved ones have died (none of that "he/she would have wanted me to be happy" - that just ends in me doing things out of guilt, though some people do it in a much... er... healthier way than I would, without fixating on it), and when I can't meet my own expectations. Even at my most depressed, I have this innate desire to live, to be, and to be happy. I draw on that as much as I can.
  
  - Need for Privacy, Which = Difficult to Read. I actually like this trait in myself, though it does trip me up sometimes. Often, especially around my family, taking time to myself will make them think that I'm either depressed or upset with them about something (you'd think they'd have figured it out by now, after twenty years!) and an unwillingness to talk about things that are close to my heart or too painfully fresh can make them think I'm not dealing with them well, but bottling them up inside. I need time to process the way I feel about things, without having to say them aloud, and pushing me about it often makes me break down and hurt more because I can't handle dealing with all of the emotion at once. I need to get out of my head for a bit, maybe put my thoughts into writing, or tell my LJ (which is completely different from saying it face to face, from my perspective). This can sometimes conflict with my ability to function when I'm too absorbed in my own issues, or it can drive me to think about other things and therefore fuel a drive to do something productive.
  
  - Quick to Burn Out. This is the downside of being easily entertained. I sometimes get too excited about new ideas and concepts that I won't actually be able to follow and stay inspired for; if there aren't many ways the concept can be pursued and manipulated, if it has too few facets, then I burn out on the idea quickly. On the other hand, it can be really really nice for when I just need a quick pick me up, because delicious food or a funny movie can boost my spirits fairly quickly.
  
  - Trustworthiness. In general, this is not exactly a bad quality, but for me I sometimes have such a need to be trustworthy to someone that's important to me that I can be a little bit obsessed with it. I require trustworthiness from the people I trust, too, and I am not above responding in kind if you spread one of my secrets around, though most of the time a person who would do that is simply not worth the effort. I'd much rather disprove the rumors about me and wait for karma to get them back than spend any energy on revenge. I'm not always honest -- although most of the time I only lie by not telling, rather than lying blatantly, and it's not meant to deceive so much as keep people out of my business (most of the time) -- but if you're honest with me, you'll often get more honesty in return. It never suits my purposes to tell your secrets, unless I don't know how to deal with the knowledge and have to turn to someone -- usually my mother, or one of my very close friends -- for advice (doesn't happen often, but occasionally); in those cases, unless I'm actually worried the secret will hurt you and looking for help for YOU, as well, all discussions are anonymous and only with people I trust not to dig deeper and try to get involved.
  
  
• Define in your own words the following key traits:
  
  • Courage: I'll give a dictionary answer on this one: being courageous is having the ability to do something even when it frightens you. How this pertains to me, I'm not really sure; I am really frightened by very little, to be honest -- the list of my real fears only includes dying (not the death/afterlife, but the passing away part) and losing control over myself in a way that makes me weak. I'm also afraid of needles, so I guess I'm being courageous every time I go in for a blood test.
    
  • Loyalty: A very important trait in which people rely somewhat on others and are willing to do just about anything to help them when necessary, but loyalty should not be given blindly and only to people who have earned it. I am very loyal to my family, despite (or perhaps because) I know all of their shortcomings as well as their strengths; the same is true for my small number of very close friends, and somewhat diluted but still true for less close friends. Being willing to leave your comfort zone for someone that is important to you out of loyalty is something I value -- but staying loyal to someone that has hurt you, stepped on you, or even simply dislikes you immensely? That's not loyalty, it's simple stupidity (or an unhealthy dose of masochism). Loyalty is not sacrifice; it's opening up and having a network of people who rely on you in varying degrees, and being able to rely on them in return.
    
  • Intelligence: Absolutely the most important trait one can have. Without intelligence, how could anyone make sense of the world around them, know who to trust, and make their way in life? People need the ability to learn, especially from mistakes, or else they'll repeat them over and over again. Intelligence is not innate smartness, it is the ability to learn and apply what you learn to the situations you're presented with, and that is far and away the most handy and useful skill anyone could ever have. Yes, I realize this is an incredibly cliche answer, but I hope that it doesn't seem like I'm saying it just to be saying it (this goes for the next answer, as well), and that I've shown you to the best of my ability with the other questions exactly why I would be so fervent about it.
    
  • Ambition: A dangerous trait, but a very alluring one. I think that having a good dose of ambition is healthy -- why be content with mediocre, when you can have the best? Of course, being incredibly power hungry and eliminating everything else from your life just for power doesn't seem like real ambition to me, it seems more like madness. Real ambition is to want everything you have, AND want more. It keeps you going when routine would start to drag.
    
  
  
• Name: Annalisa
  
• Age: 20 (almost 21)
  
• Where did you find out about us? slyferret, who is a vile, vile enabler. XP
  
• Do you plan on being active in the communities once you are sorted? but of course. Joining contests, sorting people, and having geeky discussions are some of my favorite ways to pass time!