he who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have

Would you say you are more proud of your accomplishments or of your character? 

     character, for sure. I would rather be celebrated for whom I am, at a basic level, than what I've done that's considered an accomplishment. After all, what someone else considers a success might, to me, be just a task done, or worse, something with accompanying negative connotations. For instance, I started grad school in August 1996, did my two years of coursework, researched my thesis subject...and then left. I went to law school, studied for and passed the bar exam, and started a professional job. Only after all that was settled did I get back into the thesis, finishing the research, writing, and working through the seemingly endless rounds of editing. I earned the M.A. in June 2004. It was not exactly my finest hour, getting that degree. Am I proud of it? Not really. But I am proud of being tenacious, internally-motivated, and dedicated.

Would you say that a good relationship depends more on common interests or on passion? 

     passion, for sure. I don't mean physical passion (though it doesn't hurt), but personal passion. Deep interest in something. Playing chess, rebuilding classic cars, becoming fluent in another language. Practicing an instrument. Reading mystery novels. Participating in a soccer league. Growing house plants, breeding racing snails, cooking a different cuisine. The kind of thing you can get excited about, and talk excitedly about with another person - whether they share your excitement in that topic or not, sharing the talk and the time...that's a good relationship, to me. 

Would you tend to buy something for its quality or for its label?

      a familiar label often correlates with quality. I'm not a label snob, but I'm also not going to spurn a national brand to be thought less commercial, more granola. For instance, I have a childlike fondness for boxed macaroni and cheese (rarely!), and though I've tried other brands - both the high class upgrades and the even cheaper bargain versions - I prefer the familiar dark blue box.

Would you say that sloth or greed is the worse vice?

      sloth, for sure. I'm no Gordon Gekko, but I can see the inherent value of greed as a motivator. If something is good, then more of it is often better. Sloth, on the other hand, is hard to get behind. Relaxation is good, of course, but laziness for the sake of itself is nobody's friend.

Would you choose to know everything about your mate?

      good God, no. I don't want to know everything about anyone. Close relationships are awesome, and so is a little mystery and unspoken thought. Overlap is boring.

chutzpah

Would you rather have more brains, more beauty, or more chutzpah?

     I probably have "enough brains," or at least I've accepted that it's unlikely that I'm gonna sprout some new, bigger brains. As for beauty, it would be swell to suddenly transform into the kind of woman that others consider beautiful, but it ain't gonna happen. Therefore, I gratefully accept the offer of more chutzpah, and promise to put it to good use. 

Would you be a better teacher or student? 

     student, by far. I have no patience (or facility) for trying to explain anything to anyone. And anyway, I love being a student. Learning things from people who have knowledge to share - that is one of the best feelings in the world.

 

[from Would You?: Questions to Challenge Your Beliefs; the title quotation is from Socrates]