Been thinking about how we all have good and bad in us, profound qualities along with the mundane. Not interested in a philosophical discussion so much as seeking examples. Especially curious about traits that seem at odds with each other. As is customary here, I’ll start:
I’ve accomplished a fair bit in life. Had three interesting careers which necessitated some degree of reinventing each time. I’ve always had a strong work ethic and am careful to maintain a network of people who are helpful, and that I can help.
But… I also waste a great deal of time in my personal life. I still play my favorite video game from when I was 13, can get lost on internet minutiae for hours, and as I get older I cultivate fewer and fewer friendships.
I have a very good memory which served me well in my academic and professional and career but I am horrible at recalling important dates. I know everyone’s birthday, anniversary, etc. but I can only recall it on the day it occurs. This forces me to madly dash from store to store to get a gift. :eek:
DrumBum–Like you, I’ve had the experience of finding out that a special date had snuck up on me, and that I was completely unprepared.
I’ve found that Google Calendar helps a lot. You can tell it to give you reminders for certain appointments–birthdays, anniversaries, etc–a month or so in advance, so that you have time to get a gift or plan a get-together.
I love meeting and getting to know individual people, but I can’t deal with too many of them in a day. Each person feels like a very intense experience, as I take in his or her stories and perspectives. I get tired out from it pretty easily. My social network is therefore pretty limited, even though I actually like building and maintaining relationships with others.
I’m the opposite of a hoarder, and I’m always throwing stuff out, keeping only the essentials. I love organizing and sorting. Both in the home and in the workplace, my things are always lined up just so.
But I hate cleaning. There’s always a layer of grime on everything in my apartment. I’ll put off mopping the floor for months, if possible. And if terrible personal hygiene was socially acceptable, and I was left to my own devices, I probably wouldn’t shower very often.
