Both Musings and Cam nominated me for an award and tagged me to do a meme asking me to describe seven personality traits. I’m not sure what the award is for, but that’s okay! I’m happy to accept awards for whatever reason. And I’m also happy to write about myself. That’s what blogging’s all about, right? (Okay, maybe not, but it can be.) So here goes:
- I find it very hard to describe myself. Maybe to others I seem like a coherent, consistent person, but I don’t feel that way. I can’t decide if I’m industrious or lazy, organized or a mess, sociable or isolated, calm or anxious, judgmental or tolerant (probably judgmental). Maybe it would be better to have other people do this meme about me, and then I might recognize myself in what they say. I suppose the best way to put it is that I’m very aware of how changeable I can be.
- What I can say about myself with a great degree of certainty is that I’m a worrier. I worry about everything. This means I’m (generally) organized and well-prepared (except when I’m not) because it’s too stressful to be otherwise, but it also means I waste a lot of mental energy on worrying. One of the many benefits of yoga, which I’m trying to practice regularly this summer, is that it helps me calm down a bit. Except in a lot of ways, I already am a calm person (back to #1).
- I’m athletic, but I’m also very surprised I’m athletic. I never thought of myself as athletic growing up, even when I was on the track team in high school, because I was always absolutely, completely horrible in gym class. But, all sports requiring coordination aside, I love being active. I’m having a great time riding a lot this summer, as well as doing yoga and pilates, and if I could run without injuring myself, I would do that too, and if I could run, I would swim and do triathlons. But then I’d be in danger of having no reading time whatsoever.
- I can be stubborn. But, back to #1, only stubborn about some things. I’m not stubborn about having to win bike races, but I am about riding lots and lots of miles. I was stubborn about finishing my dissertation, but I’m not about having a fabulous academic career and publishing a lot. I’m stubborn about finishing books, even if they aren’t going well. I’m not stubborn about winning arguments.
- I try very hard to understand why people think the way they do and do the things they do. I try so hard sometimes, that I find myself persuaded by their arguments and begin to lose a sense of what I think. I find it disturbing when I can’t figure out what someone’s thought process is. Who knows how often I get this right, but I have a strong need to try at least.
- As a follow-up to #5, there’s nothing I like better than a good conversation analyzing people. Sometimes this means a long gossip session, which I will admit is a whole lot of fun, and sometimes it means a kinder conversation trying to understand why people are the way they are. But either way, much more fun than a party is a post-party analysis of everything that happened.
- As a follow-up to the last two items, this is one reason I like character-driven fiction so much. I don’t care a whole lot about what happens; give me some interesting people and some interesting ideas, and I’m happy.
Wow, that was hard. It took me longer than I thought it would. That said, I’d love to hear answers from these people, if they are interested (no pressure of course! I ignore tags from other people sometimes and don’t mind if you ignore mine). I nominate:
Here’s the picture associated with this meme:
Of Books and Bicycles 
I’m with you, it’s more fun talking about a party than the actual party itself. Is Hobgoblin stubborn too? Both me and my husband are stubborn which sometimes leads to grumbling about how stubborn the other person is 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks Dorothy, for the invite. This sounds fun and it’ll take me some time to think through. It’s one thing to know yourself well, it’s certainly quite different telling others. But, I’m up for the challenge…
LikeLike
Wow. Thanks. Now I will have to write something interesting and truthful and not risk alienating too many people. I sometimes feel I am not well-behaved enough for the all the nice people in the blogosphere. I also don’t make lists. Hey wait – maybe the last two sentences could be 1 and 2. Loved your answers btw. Especially that you admitted to gossip love.
LikeLike
I’ve been tagged for this one, too, and I’m afraid that when I finally get around to doing it, I’m going to look like I just copied everyone else (seems I have a lot in common with my fellow bloggers). I, too, would find it very hard to describe you, which is one of the reasons I like you so much — much better to be inconsistent, unpredictable, and un-boring than consistent, predictable, and boring (but then, Hobgoblin could have told you that!).
LikeLike
I’m such a worrier too! I hate that. If there’s one thing I could change that would be it. Thank you for passing along the tag. I feel like everyone knows me already but I’ll try to come up with some tidbits 🙂
LikeLike
Oh it is so difficult to describe one’s self honestly. And who ever knows what other people think?
I hope yoga continues to help with the worrying.
LikeLike
I think yoga is fabulous for everything! So glad it is helping you deal with things.
As for the post-party analysis, I agree. Almost always more fun than the party itself.
LikeLike
Stefanie — actually, I think I’m more stubborn than Hobgoblin, which generally works in my favor, of course, as it should! 🙂
Arti — I’m very glad you’ll do this meme! I’m looking forward to your answers.
Frances — well, at least in my case, I’m much nicer online than I am in real life. It’s easier to be nice when you don’t see people face to face — at least it is for me. I’m looking forward to your answers!
Emily — well, thank you! I’m glad I don’t seem predictable and boring. Perhaps you might change your mind if you saw me more, but that would be okay. I look forward to your list.
Iliana — I had a hard time coming up with things people might not know — and I’m sure I didn’t succeed completely. Oh, well — I’ll be very interested in your answers!
Musings — thank you. I should be better about remembering that I really do have absolutely no idea what other people are thinking. Now off to do some yoga …
Charlotte — I agree about yoga — I’m so glad I found it!
LikeLike
I’m not sure I could do this meme–or maybe it’s a matter of not wanting to admit to things! 🙂 I am also a worrier (excessively so sometimes, which I hate but can’t seem to stop). I always say I don’t gossip, but maybe I just call it something else….(who doesn’t gossip anyway).
LikeLike
I’m sorry I missed this earlier. It is very hard to describe oneself, but I think that it gives your readers clues to your personality that they might miss, not knowing you in real life. Sometimes I know in my head I’m thinking the meanest thoughts, and someone will inevitably say how nice I am…it’s just strange, isn’t it? Not that I want to tell my blog friends, “oh I’m so much meaner than you think,” but maybe it would be nice if they knew I’m not a doormat either?
I found your #5 & #6 fascinating. I thought you were too polite for a good gossip session; I mean, personality analyses. Oh, if I could only get time back that I’ve spent trying to figure out why people do the things they do…
LikeLike
Danielle — you’re right that everyone gossips at least occasionally, even if they pretend not to. Well, almost everyone. It’s nearly impossible to resist at certain times, with certain people. I sometimes call it “catching up” 🙂
Debby — people tend to think I’m nice too (at least I think they do), but if they knew what went on in my head … or if they had an honest talk with Hobgoblin or my mother, they would learn otherwise. But I don’t want to say “I’m meaner than you think” either! I do like gossip/analysis sessions, but I try to make sure I don’t offend anyone or surprise anyone, so I suppose I often do appear too polite for it. But I’m certainly not above gossip!
LikeLike
Pingback: Personality Meme « Ripple Effects