I like a little desperation in a guy. It builds character

23. Do you believe in karma? If so, how do you think it works?  my concept of "karma" is the spiritual principle of cause and effect - what goes around comes around. I think it works like this: in a deliberate way, you get what you deserve. Not that "good people" deserve good things - but people who act well  will get that back, somehow.

24. Is health more important than fun?  to the extent that they are separate (meaning, health not at the cost of fun, or vice versa), they are equally important. Even a healthy life is not worth living without fun. And a fun life, at the cost of health, is self-destruction by another name.

25. What do you think about freedom of speech?  it was intended as a protection, not a weapon

26. Do you remember any character-defining moments from your childhood?  plenty. It makes me wonder whether I'm more chock-full now than I'd realized.

27. Is it more important to believe or to know?  I consider myself an intuitive person, listening to my gut more than my brain when it comes to important, personal issues. Is that "belief"? Or is it knowledge of my own interpretations, feelings, opinions, and the relevant facts?

    How will I ever know?

28. Do you think the experiences people have on psychedelic drugs are “real”?  they are as real as any experiences we have when we are sober. There is no way to verify that what I experience is the same as what you experience, even in the same circumstance. 

    What does "real" even mean?

30. Why do you think older people have a harder time grasping new ideas?  I don't think that. It's more accurate to say that I think older people have an easier time sorting out what does not matter, and not bothering with it.

32. What do you think about veganism as a moral movement?  there's a difference between Moral and Ethical...

33. What does love mean to you?  if I say, "it means never having to say 'I'm sorry'" - will that date me?

34. Do you find it easy to make changes in life? 

some yes, some no. I bought a new mattress without even thinking about it, and I spend at least 1/3 of my life there. Adapting to eating fewer carbs seems to be a much more complex and fraught process.

35. Do you think it’s possible to have a great time alone?  definitely! I love solo people-watching, bookstore-strolling, dinner eating, movie watching, driving, photography...

36. Have you ever felt like you have no regrets in life? that's a goal, not a reality

37. What’s one thing you hope to never forget?  how to protect my own finances from creditors and predators

38. What kind of classes do you wish existed when you were going to school?  "history Trivial Pursuit questions" and "thinking like a lawyer"

39. What do you think about the current younger generation?  I think that they are being encouraged to remain child-like far beyond what's healthy. Some ability to survive in the wild used to be taught and modeled by adults, so that the child would be capable of getting along on its own if necessary. 

    I'm not trying to pretend that I haven't been helped by my parents - and I still am. But I'm also exceedingly, sometimes excessively, independent.  And it's felt pretty good sometimes to think I need help, but not ask for it, and then get through the problem on my own.

40. Do you have a hard time giving honest critique to someone you love?  not if they've requested it

41. Is it more appealing to have a career or to do odd jobs?  somewhere in the middle, please. I'd like a regular job that I don't have to grow my own ulcers for.

42. If your family turned away from you for any reason, would you try to get them back?  depends

43. If dishes could be synthesized perfectly, do you think there’d still be any place for chefs?  "perfect" is in the eye of the beholder. My idea of a perfectly-made dish is not the same as yours. That's why there are menus and restaurants and chefs. And more than one aisle in the grocery store. Thank goodness!

 

[from here; the title quotation is by Stacey Kade, from Queen of the Dead]