who, me?

[azurelunatic]

I look around me and see the people who define themselves by their political parties, their football teams, their college, their religious group (myself included), their fandom, their ...

very little on who they actually are.

Comments

[fee-b.livejournal.com]

I always feel weird when someone says, "tell me about yourself." Because I feel like telling them about who I am...my personality, my thoughts, hopes, dreams, fears... But I know what they're (usually) looking for is statistics. And that feels so impersonal. And I know if I DID tell them who I really am and what I'm all about, I would come off as arrogant or too eager or too intimate, or something.

It's a frustrating situtation. I would be intrigued if someone told me right away that they dreamt of becoming a comedian, or that they were afraid of big rooms with white walls or something. Man, that would be so great.

Interesting thought...=)

-Manda

[azurelunatic]

I try to find the most unusual of the statistics, the ones that lead the most easily to the discussion of the things likely to matter, if it's a person I feel like taking the time to get to know.

Otherwise, I pick the statistics most likely to drive them away.

Often, they're the same statistics, and the ones who stay and discuss are the ones I'd prefer to be friends with, because these personality tags often go with the more elusive inner variables that are worthwhile.

Re:

[fee-b.livejournal.com]

ahhh...very good point. Just tell them what you want to tell them, and let whatever happen. If it works, then it works.

Good idea. I'll have to do that more often.

[azurelunatic]

For example, "I'm in college for computer programming, I'm a bisexual witch, I used to have multiple personalities, and I'm writing a novel about the role of parenthood in the information age", is a timeless pickup line.

...Isn't it?

Re:

[fee-b.livejournal.com]

LOL....well I'm hooked!

[azurelunatic]

I can't imagine why some people would run screaming...

[lasayla.livejournal.com]

Because defining ones true self is well nigh impossible to put into words. It's so much easier to say "Well, I'm a female, white, 20 year old, CFBC, feminist, vegetarian, atheist from the UK who enjoys rock music and stories about vampire hobbits." Give it a go without resorting to tags...

Define yourself

[azurelunatic]

I write, I love. I write about love and the funny stuff that happens when love tries to happen. I search for truth, in ways definable and indefinable. I try to avoid passionate attachment to physical things, though I don't mind being rooted to places. I love tinkering with physical things, especially where they overlap into the theoretical or the linguistic.

There are always the two components: the surface shell of all the buttons we've collected: Wiccan and witch, female, bisexual, nonpartisan, Alaska-born, Arizona-resident, college student, computer programmer and guru in training, fan of Mercedes Lackey, Star Trek, Robert Heinlein, Star Wars, Lois McMaster Bujold, Terry Pratchett; fond of the concept of Linux, likes R.E.M., an avid Livejournaler, formerly a fencer, formerly a Duct Tape Sword Guy -- and then the more elusive inner things.

Then there are two other categories: there are the changeless things; there are the things that we find are mutable given time and company. Given a switch in environment, I would find rap and country music to my taste, even though I'm fond of neither. And I know it could change. I could get to know Windows inside and out and ... well, that would probably lead to me rewriting it some... hm.

...But perhaps these days I associate more with people who define themselves more by the inner truths than the outer labels.

[lizw.livejournal.com]

I write, I love. I write about love and the funny stuff that happens when love tries to happen. I search for truth, in ways definable and indefinable. I try to avoid passionate attachment to physical things, though I don't mind being rooted to places. I love tinkering with physical things, especially where they overlap into the theoretical or the linguistic.

Interesting. You've avoided the noun tags, but now you're using verbs instead. Aren't those just a different kind of tag?

(I agree with your other two distinctions, though.)

[azurelunatic]

A different kind of tag, yes, but which has more baggage with it, "I am a writer" or "I write"? "I am a lover" vs. "I love"?

Those two things have been constants with me since I learned how to do each.