Member Questionnaire 1 (Thesongofabird)
What is beauty? What is love? Beauty is sublime harmony, love is experiencing someone as though an extension of yourself, with exquisite care and attention paid to their needs and well-being.
What are your most important values? Knowledge, understanding, self-awareness, self-development, realizing potential.
Do you have any sort of spiritual/religious beliefs, and why do you hold (or don't) those beliefs in the first place? Transcendentalism, a casual dabbling in Buddhism. I am drawn to the concept of intrinsic realization of meaning.
Opinion on war and militaries? What is power to you? I fail to comprehend how destruction can be a worthwhile endeavor when diplomacy and understanding the opposition's perspective furthers both sides interests in the long-term.
What have you had long conversations about? What are your interests? Why? Are not legitimate conversations supposed to be long? I don't bother unless the prospect is there. Life, experience, pain, goals, hopes, the universe, god, psychology.
Interested in health/medicine as a conversation topic? Are you focused on your body? I love psychology but otherwise no. I don't exercise and I eat whatever is available (except sushi, I will actively pursue sushi).
What do you think of daily chores? Tedium.
Books or films you liked? Recently read/watched or otherwise. Examples welcome. Anything that reflects on life and the spectrum of human experienes. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is my favorite. Books: mostly non-fiction, personal development, psychology
What has made you cry? What has made you smile? Why? Weddings, funerals, births, therapy sessions, I'm also provoked pretty arbitrarily by movies and meaningful gestures people make like gifts and surprises.
Where do you feel: at one with the environment/a sense of belonging? Mostly alone in my apartment immersed in a book or movie, also in emotional conversations with intimates.
What have people seen as your weaknesses? What do you dislike about yourself? I'm terrible with directions/navigation, money, and housework. I wish I were less inhibited in new situations.
What have people seen as your strengths? What do you like about yourself? I have been called sophisticated, intelligent, and a compassionate listener.
In what areas of your life would you like help? Initiative, direction, will-power
Ever feel stuck in a rut? If yes, describe the causes and your reaction to it. Long story, but I recently left my husband, changed jobs and moved to a new city all at once. I couldn't stand my situation any longer so I (very uncharacteristically) up and changed it.
What qualities do you most like and dislike in other people? What types do you get along with? I like people who understand the nuances of life and pursue meaning. I like people who value eccentricity and unconventiality.
How do you feel about romance/sex? What qualities do you want in a partner? I like to feel pursued and conquered. I'm unrepentantly submissive and attracted to shameless assholes.
If you were to raise a child, what would be your main concerns, what measures would you take, and why? I am a parent, and I ensure that every day has a lesson in self-development and self-realization. I engage my kids in talks about values, ethics and social positioning.
A friend makes a claim that clashes with your current beliefs. What is your inward and outward reaction? I would listen to their point of view and try to understand their reasoning. If appropriate, offer my own but not to contradict or persuade.
Describe your relationship to society. How do you see people as a whole? What do you consider a prevalent social problem? Name one. I see people as data points of existence, each with a wealth of knowledge and experiences. Units of a systemic whole. I see the primary social problem as materialism.
How do you choose your friends and how do you behave around them? My friends have been curated for their relational value to me, our commonalities or opportunities to see a different walk of life and learn.
How do you behave around strangers? I'm shy and inhibited, don't typically speak unless spoken to.