Who are you?, A survey. Options

[innovation]

I've just returned to CB, and I feel so lost because I don't seem to know anybody anymore! However, I don't want to post a cliche survey because (a) it probably has already been posted and (b) I never care about the questions in those surveys. So here's a list of probing questions that would give me and the rest of the community a better idea of who each of you are, not what your favorite band is or if you've ever smoked pot or gone skinny-dipping. So here goes:

(1) What is your name?
(2) Choose three adjectives to describe yourself.
(3) What/Who has (or has had) the greatest influence on your life right now and why?
(4) What in your life do you value the most and why?
(5) Whom in your life do you value the most and why?
(6) What, do you believe, is your purpose on earth?
(7) What, so far, have your contributed to the world?
(8) Do you portray yourself to others in a way that is contrary to who you really are?
(9) Pick a quote or two by which you live your life.
(10) Is there anything you would like to change about yourself or your life?
(11) What is your favorite place to be and why?
(12) Describe your life in five words or less.
(13) What are you genuinely interested in?
(14) If money were not an issue, what would you do with your life?

Go crazy, kids.

[*mipadi*]

I took this survey before, but just for the hell of it, I'm going to take it again, and then compare my old answers and see what changed!

(1) What is your name?
Michael (hopefully this didn't change…)

(2) Choose three adjectives to describe yourself.
short, lazy, curious

(3) What/Who has (or has had) the greatest influence on your life right now and why?
Hm, tough to say. My parents have naturally been influential, as has a teacher I had in high school who helped me channel my creative energies into writing. I also met this cool girl in my first year of college who indirectly helped me find who I am. Before her, I was on a path I wouldn't've really liked. She helped straighten me out.

(4) What in your life do you value the most and why?
My health, maybe? As they say in The Princess Bride, "If you haven't gotten your health, you've got nothing" (or something like that). I guess my mind, too, although a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

(5) Whom in your life do you value the most and why?
Who…? Well, this is an interesting question. I don't know if I have a single "who". A lot of people are valuable to me. I know that's a cheap way to dodge the question, but it's the best I've got.

(6) What, do you believe, is your purpose on earth?
I think anyone's purpose is just to enjoy life to the fullest, and make sure everyone else around them enjoys life, too.

(7) What, so far, have your contributed to the world?
I like to think my charm and charisma.

(8) Do you portray yourself to others in a way that is contrary to who you really are?
Not really, no. Maybe sometimes. But sometimes, I don't really know who I am…

(9) Pick a quote or two by which you live your life.
"Always remember: Have a good time, all the time." – Todd Lewis of the Toadies
"Be a beauty. Be a beast. Just Be." – Be, Inc.'s corporate slogan

(10) Is there anything you would like to change about yourself or your life?
I think I'd like to be more motivated. I have so much I'd like to do and accomplish, but mostly I just waste my time. I'd like to actually be productive, meaning I'd like to do something other than just sitting on my ass with the computer and the television. Something to exercise my mind, something social, things of that nature.

(11) What is your favorite place to be and why?
Probably my uncle's house in NJ. It's really relaxing. I get away from home, away from the Internet, away from the computer, and get to really connect with myself and other people.

(12) Describe your life in five words or less.
Bowling ball suspended in air*

* Cookies to whoever figures out what I'm alluding to

(13) What are you genuinely interested in?
Honestly? Pretty nerdy things. Things like processor designs, OS kernels, programming language theory. I spent a while today reading up on the Cell processor. In general I'm really interested in learning new things on any subject, though. I also like to talk, especially about things that help me to explore the world, physically and metaphysically.

(14) If money were not an issue, what would you do with your life?
Probably travel a lot more, especially in the Far East and Europe. I'd like to go to Japan someday.



Here's how I answered before:

I don't normally respond to surveys, but this one seems fun, and it's for a good cause.

(1) What is your name?
Michael

(2) Choose three adjectives to describe yourself.
Apathetic, relaxed, unmotivated

(3) What/Who has (or has had) the greatest influence on your life right now and why?
This is a tough one, because a lot of people have influenced my life. My parents have instilled a lot of positive values in me. A few teachers and professors have truly encouraged me. Friedrich Nietzsche has helped shape my outlook on life. But I must say that Mike Judge has really taught me the importance of not taking life seriously.

(4) What in your life do you value the most and why?
I would have to say my sense of self, and my identity. Without it, who am I?

(5) Whom in your life do you value the most and why?
Just one person? It's tough to say. There really are a lot of people important to me. In terms of family, I think I'd have to say my brother. He's a good man. I hope he comes home safe and sound.

(6) What, do you believe, is your purpose on earth?
Nietzche thought that the meaning of life is to live it as though it were a work of art. I have to believe that. I am of the opinion that life is without meaning, save for the meaning you give it because its yours. I think my purpose is to make sure I lead a meaningful life, and to help make the lives of those close to me better as well.

(7) What, so far, have your contributed to the world?
An injection of positive attitude.

(8) Do you portray yourself to others in a way that is contrary to who you really are?
My self-identity is very important to me, so no, I don't feel that I do. I keep some things hidden (I can be a bit shy), but I try not to be dishonest about who I am.

(9) Pick a quote or two by which you live your life.
From Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson:

"Until a man is twenty-five, he still thinks, every so often, that under the right circumstances he could be the baddest motherf**ker in the world. If I moved to a martial-arts monastery in China and studied real hard for ten years. If my family was wiped out by Colombian drug dealers and I swore myself to revenge. If I got a fatal disease, had one year to live, devoted it to wiping out street crime. If I just dropped out and devoted my life to being bad.
"Hiro used to feel that way, too, but then he ran into Raven. In a way, this is liberating. He no longer has to worry about trying to be the baddest motherf**ker in the world. The position is taken."

(10) Is there anything you would like to change about yourself or your life?
Possibly be more outgoing. I also wish I were more motivated and not so lazy. I am unproductive most of the time. I really should pay more attention to my studies, too--if I am doing as well as I am without putting forth any effort whatsoever, where would I be if I cracked open a book every once and a while?

(11) What is your favorite place to be and why?
College, in the days before a new semester starts. There's nothing to do, no obligations, and I can just have guilt-free fun with all of my friends.

(12) Describe your life in five words or less.
One hell of a ride.

(13) What are you genuinely interested in?
Computer science--not just computers, or software, but how we can actually go about computing things. Logic. Philosophy, to an extent--at least in terms of the true root of the word, meaning a love of knowledge. Enjoying life. Meeting new people and seeing new things. Stuff that explodes or goes fast, or both.

(14) If money were not an issue, what would you do with your life?
No doubt about it--I'd start up a kick-ass motorcycle gang/streetracing team. I've always been inspired by the biker gang in Akira.