posted by ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
laramie at 12:56pm on 08/04/2006
laramie at 12:56pm on 08/04/2006I've been playing with QuestionSwap. (Courtesy of ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kijjohnson)
Among other interesting questions (see cut) I've gotten this one three times:
Who is the best Heavy Metal Band?
The first two times I just disavowed all knowledge of Heavy Metal and suggested they try again. This is my final answer:
Me again. (Filk lover) Even if I knew anything about heavy metal I couldn't give you a definitive answer.
All anybody can give you is their own opinion, which isn't going to be worth any more than your opinion. Whoever you think is the best heavy metal band IS the best as far as you need be concerned.
What is the world coming to?
Different parts of the world are coming to different fates in the short term, but in the long term all things come to an end.
I think you need to consider more specifically what aspects of the world concern you. You can't do anything about the whole world and the long term. You can have a positive effect on some things if you give your time and attention to them.
If you are concerned specifically about the economy, find some one issue that you can work on, like care for the elderly or helping inner-city youth get after-school work opportunities. If you are concerned about the general morality of the culture, volunteer some time at a crisis center or become a Big Brother or Sister to some child who can use a little guidance. These are just a couple ideas; you can look around for other opportunities to make a difference. No one person can solve all the world's problems. Improvement depends on individuals who each do what little they can.
____________________________
Why does many of them prefer reading novels?
I don't know who you are asking about, but I prefer reading novels to a lot of other activities because a good novel engages my interest in so many ways.
A good novel is like a good movie going on in my head, but it's also like talking to somebody who recognizes how I feel, what I care about: what makes me laugh or cry, or try with all my strength to get what I want.
A good writer knows that I'm intelligent, and interested in the world on many levels: how it looks, and sounds and smells and feels, and how people are, and how the world works, and its history and its future.
A book might look like a small thing from the outside, but it opens the door to whole worlds.
People who like books might think you don't respect their minds if you don't understand how much they get from the books.
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What is your ideal boyfriend/girlfriend?
My ideal guy is someone who doesn't really fit anybody's idea of what someone should be: he's human, and he respects himself as he is. Because he respects himself he knows how to treat others with respect and generally does. This mean he gives me room to be human, too, to be myself, and he accepts me as I am.
What makes it a good boyfriend/girlfriend relationship is that we share that spark, we like each other's company, and enjoy being together: we share some common interests and are different enough to keep things interesting. We've each got a life on our own, so if we can't be together all the time, that's okay too.
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Why do people with big bellies wear shirts that show it off?
I imagine they have trouble finding clothes that fit properly.
Inexpensive clothes are mass produced to fit certain average sizes, and not everyone who doesn't fit those sizes can afford to have their clothing tailor made to their own dimensions.
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How can I learn to actually do the things I know to be the smart things to do?
Respect your intelligence. It's worth listening to. You know you want to. If you respect your intelligence then other people will respect it, too. (At least the ones who are smart enough to know that doing the smart thing is generally the best thing.)
I'm not saying to ignore your heart or your instincts; your intelligence cares about those things, too, and considers them along with other things that are important to you. You've got to trust yourself - you know that you care about what happens to you, and you know that it's important to keep that in mind when you are deciding what needs to be done - so you know you can trust your own decisions about what you need to do.
---------------------------------------------------------
kijjohnson)Among other interesting questions (see cut) I've gotten this one three times:
Who is the best Heavy Metal Band?
The first two times I just disavowed all knowledge of Heavy Metal and suggested they try again. This is my final answer:
Me again. (Filk lover) Even if I knew anything about heavy metal I couldn't give you a definitive answer.
All anybody can give you is their own opinion, which isn't going to be worth any more than your opinion. Whoever you think is the best heavy metal band IS the best as far as you need be concerned.
What is the world coming to?
Different parts of the world are coming to different fates in the short term, but in the long term all things come to an end.
I think you need to consider more specifically what aspects of the world concern you. You can't do anything about the whole world and the long term. You can have a positive effect on some things if you give your time and attention to them.
If you are concerned specifically about the economy, find some one issue that you can work on, like care for the elderly or helping inner-city youth get after-school work opportunities. If you are concerned about the general morality of the culture, volunteer some time at a crisis center or become a Big Brother or Sister to some child who can use a little guidance. These are just a couple ideas; you can look around for other opportunities to make a difference. No one person can solve all the world's problems. Improvement depends on individuals who each do what little they can.
____________________________
Why does many of them prefer reading novels?
I don't know who you are asking about, but I prefer reading novels to a lot of other activities because a good novel engages my interest in so many ways.
A good novel is like a good movie going on in my head, but it's also like talking to somebody who recognizes how I feel, what I care about: what makes me laugh or cry, or try with all my strength to get what I want.
A good writer knows that I'm intelligent, and interested in the world on many levels: how it looks, and sounds and smells and feels, and how people are, and how the world works, and its history and its future.
A book might look like a small thing from the outside, but it opens the door to whole worlds.
People who like books might think you don't respect their minds if you don't understand how much they get from the books.
-----------------------------------------------------
What is your ideal boyfriend/girlfriend?
My ideal guy is someone who doesn't really fit anybody's idea of what someone should be: he's human, and he respects himself as he is. Because he respects himself he knows how to treat others with respect and generally does. This mean he gives me room to be human, too, to be myself, and he accepts me as I am.
What makes it a good boyfriend/girlfriend relationship is that we share that spark, we like each other's company, and enjoy being together: we share some common interests and are different enough to keep things interesting. We've each got a life on our own, so if we can't be together all the time, that's okay too.
-----------------------------------------------
Why do people with big bellies wear shirts that show it off?
I imagine they have trouble finding clothes that fit properly.
Inexpensive clothes are mass produced to fit certain average sizes, and not everyone who doesn't fit those sizes can afford to have their clothing tailor made to their own dimensions.
---------------------------------------------------------
How can I learn to actually do the things I know to be the smart things to do?
Respect your intelligence. It's worth listening to. You know you want to. If you respect your intelligence then other people will respect it, too. (At least the ones who are smart enough to know that doing the smart thing is generally the best thing.)
I'm not saying to ignore your heart or your instincts; your intelligence cares about those things, too, and considers them along with other things that are important to you. You've got to trust yourself - you know that you care about what happens to you, and you know that it's important to keep that in mind when you are deciding what needs to be done - so you know you can trust your own decisions about what you need to do.
---------------------------------------------------------
Another one
At the point where you establish a certain degree of mutual trust, enjoyment and involvement.
With some people it happens quickly, with other people it builds over time. For some people it's harder to trust others enough to let down their guard and be themselves. Maybe they've been hurt by trusting the wrong people and they need to test how well you respect their boundaries and their wishes.
Is someone your friend if he or she doesn't care how you are affected by what they do, or if they only care about what you can do for them? I don't think so.
It can take time to establish your good intentions and theirs, and it can take time to become involved in a caring way with each other's lives.
It's no use pretending to care more than you do. Friendship is one of those mysterious processes that require the right chemistry between people. You're not going to care that much about everybody equally, or get the same responses from everybody equally. Appreciate the people you have in your life for who they are, and especially the ones who appreciate you.
If you have one or two good friends you are better off than someone who has dozens of casual acquaintances who will look the other way when they need a shoulder to cry on.
(no subject)
(no subject)
And more
Yes and No. My heart does, but the rest of me has doubts. My heart feels love so it has reason to believe. The rest of me is more concerned with other things and I think it's harder to experience love when you're too occupied with everything else to be loving.
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What time is it at the North Pole?
It depends which way you are facing.
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(no subject)
Possibly. If you starve to death you won't be able to swim at all.
But eating fish won't be enough, you'll also need to practice swimming, notice your mistakes and figure out how to improve your performance.