98 replies to this topic

[ttcchen]

9.

Contributed: A few dozen half-way original ideas, written up and published for posterity, including some original/interesting results of those ideas. Many thousands of off-hand, sometimes insightful comments, some of which helped my colleagues get through an impasse. Participated in the system for vetting scientific ideas and results. I've also been told that I inspired some of my students and co-religionists to make changes in their lives and attempt things they otherwise would not have. Contributed/contributing to the raising of children and the care of (partially) dependent adults, with somewhat mixed results. Paid my fair share of taxes, and then some. Have attempted, in small ways, to help protect and restore the biodiversity of eastern North America, through the land management practices of lands where I have an influence (and where I do most of the 'management' myself).

 

Taken in: A continuous stream of matter, energy and information, necessary for life and growth, and (often) more than necessary for mere survival. Accepted love and nurturing from family, friends and caregivers. Availed myself of many opportunities for learning and some critical opportunities for mentoring. Accepted tax revenue and private funds to support my education and research. Accepted the bounty of the Sun and Earth and attempted to accomplish "work" commensurate with my entropy production.

you answered so seriously

 

Taken: resources and certain percentage of Earth's remaining life time

Given: Nothing yet

[Yan Q]

Question 9:
What have you contributed to/taken from the world?
Submitted by Gon.

 

 

Contributed: I inspired some... changes in their lives and attempt things they otherwise would not have

Pretty much makes you a super star in my book already, NB. 

Would love to see you answer some of the other questions, any you'd like. 

 

Spoiler

9. What have you contributed to the world? What have you taken from the world?

Let me add that to the top post.

[MuffinGurl]

taken: it's harsh lessons. which is fine, no said that life is easy.

 

given: my support for the ones that are precious to me, and my respect for nature and it's animals.

[anzu2snow]

8. Who do I envy or admire?

 

This one's a bit harder for me to answer...I'm not sure I envy anyone. I never know what's really going on with someone. They could be going through hell. I never assume things like: "Oh, they look like they have an amazing life, I wish I was like that person." They could look successful, but what did they have to do to get there? Also, what if they're still fighting an inner battle with themselves? Nothing's as it seems. I admire the people that succeed at things, though. They were able to push through those tough times, and become the victor. Even if they may have had it 'easy', I still wouldn't envy them. I think going through a variety of things in life can make it interesting. If everything were easy, it'd be boring. Besides someone that succeeds at what they do, I'm not sure who I really admire. I hate to say that, because I know a lot of amazing and inspiring people around me. But, I'm not sure if they technically inspire me. I just try to do as much as I can with my own life. People tell me I'm an inspiration, but I don't know. Getting results like losing a lot of weight, publishing a book, playing a song perfectly, meeting a variety of people, finding things I'm super passionate about, my cats showing me affection, etc. keeps me going. I don't really look up to anyone, which I think makes me, in a way, more free with thinking about things. I'm not trying to measure up to someone.

 

9. What have you contributed to/taken from the world?

Contributed: Maybe educating people about various things. I think if everyone were better educated, things would be a lot better. I think I've contributed to helping others. Sometimes willingly, and sometimes without knowing until later. My first novel, I guess, for a materialistic thing...I've planted trees in the past, that's contributing to the world. I guess I've contributed to people's entertainment with being in band, marching band, shows at football games, etc. I've also helped fellow musicians while I was in band when they felt stuck with something. My respect for others. Maybe the crafts/art I've done during my lifetime. I contributed to the well being of my pets. I've contributed by cooking, too. I can't think of anything else at the moment...

 

Taken: I've probably taken quite a bit. We all have, I'm sure. Just in order to survive. So, food, clothes, oxygen in order to breathe, etc. The world gives us a lot. I'm a little blank on specifics, though. Knowledge is probably a huge thing. I treasure it, and am always trying to learn more about my personal and the greater world. 

[Supreme_Lurker_Primo]

Question 9:
What have you contributed to/taken from the world?
Submitted by Gon.

 

I have taken a lot of things some I am not to happy about, but that is life it moves on whether ones like it or not. I have taken ideas from this world, their art, languages, knowledge,sometime it the way people think or out look on life.  If I like it, I will take it and corporate it into my very being so that none of the things I hold true will fade to be forgotten in the eons.  Then again, I think it nearly impossible for one to wipe away ideas, arts, cultures, knowledge, and perspective on life.  Because it will continue to pass in one way or another every changing or remaining the same either such "elements" good or bad it matter not both are the matter perspective.  I personally have taken those element listed above, because I like them, I like the act or learning and living, I think it what make life a bit fulling granted there are some restrictions, whether it be age, gender, race, or just monetary restrictions.  How often does one say to themselves, "if only I have the money?" or " I wish it the trip would be more cost effective?" I know I have, but still one do not need to travel far (Unless your trap on a tiny island, then well I am sorry, at least one is surrounded by water and maybe have some rich aquatic life if one go scuba diving or mini hikes)  I taken scenes of beautiful background from the sweet succulent warm chill from Russia to the searing hellbent heat of Australia.  such scenes the wind the sights I will forever burn them into my memory till dementia hits me, but even then I think if I were to revisit the memories are still a fresh as the day I visit the first time. 

 

What I have contribute? I don't know really, haha, that a lie, I do know. I contribute beside being a citizen, paying my taxes supporting stores I enjoy.  I pass on things I values, however there are things I cannot contribute those memories their are my  and my own.  The sentiments are not the save if I where to describe it, actually feeling the experience make it that more vivid the body is a fantastic recorder in sense being about to recall feelings it have felt once long long ago.  I teach kids, beside the basically foundation for their major, I show them things the different applications,  I will share/show/tell things, ultimately at the end of the day it their choice to either pass on what they learn from me or relearn and pass it on the next generation so such elements are never truely lost, how many languages dies because either no one is interested or it just isolated beyond reach ?  Maybe one of these day, a student will mind a better way to treat cancer or a way to mold technology to help humanity.  Not really sure if I answer the question.     

[Mushiren]

I enjoy the idea of this thread. It's a bit of a self-exploration mixed with a sharing of facts between the community. A great way for us to get to know one another on a more personal level.

 

1. WHO ARE YOU
I'm just another spirit that's trying to find its calling in life. The more I grow, the more I realize how little I actually know. It's not so bad, though. I've gained some unique insight by constantly attempting to go out of my comfort zone.

2. WHO/WHAT DO YOU LIVE FOR
I live for knowledge. I seek to read, learn, experience all that the world has to offer. To that end, I dream of traveling around the world.

3. WHERE DO YOU COME FROM/WHAT ARE YOU MADE OF
I come from very a humble beginning. A poor family of 6. A small house, in a small neighborhood. Circumstances have forced me to reallocate constantly, preventing me from making many friends. Solitude has given me a lot of time for self-reflection, however, and I've gained an appreciation for that peace and quiet. As I grew and settled down, I've discovered a small group of like-minded friends, ones that I now cannot imagine living without.

4. YOUR HIGH PRIORITY BUCKET-LIST ENTRIES
I've never really thought about these kind of things.

 

Aside from the aforementioned world travel, I've always wanted to write. Whether it's a book, a journal, or even an article in a newspaper or a magazine. I would like my thoughts shared for all to see.

5. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH? HAVE YOU DEMONSTRATED THIS RECENTLY?
Hmm...I suppose I'm "tenacious". Perhaps even stubborn. Once I've set my mind on a goal that I care about, it's difficult for me to give up on it.

6. WHAT/WHO DO YOU ASPIRE TO BE?
I aspire to be someone that has left a positive, permanent mark on people's life. Someone not to be easily forgotten once they've passed on.

 

7. WHAT ARE THE 5 MOST PRECIOUS THINGS TO YOU?

In no particular order: My family, my friends, my independence, my thoughts, and my laptop (lol).

 

8. WHO DO YOU ENVY OR ADMIRE?

I admire people who are charismatic, and are able to easily lead and persuade people.

[Yan Q]

Question 10:
When was the last time something helped shape who you are today?
Can be an event, a decision, a relationship/person, or a brief moment you felt over a coffee
Submitted by Yan.
 


Welcome to the thread Mushi.

The more I grow, the more I realize how little I actually know.

I actually just read something very similar to that a few hours ago. It's a fairly common saying, but I hadn't heard it in a few years and suddenly it's popping up left and right!

Edited by Yan Q, 25 May 2015 - 10:39 AM.

[2hot4you]

I enjoy the idea of this thread. It's a bit of a self-exploration mixed with a sharing of facts between the community. A great way for us to get to know one another on a more personal level.
 
1. WHO ARE YOUI'm just another spirit that's trying to find its calling in life. The more I grow, the more I realize how little I actually know. It's not so bad, though. I've gained some unique insight by constantly attempting to go out of my comfort zone.2. WHO/WHAT DO YOU LIVE FORI live for knowledge. I seek to read, learn, experience all that the world has to offer. To that end, I dream of traveling around the world.3. WHERE DO YOU COME FROM/WHAT ARE YOU MADE OFI come from very a humble beginning. A poor family of 6. A small house, in a small neighborhood. Circumstances have forced me to reallocate constantly, preventing me from making many friends. Solitude has given me a lot of time for self-reflection, however, and I've gained an appreciation for that peace and quiet. As I grew and settled down, I've discovered a small group of like-minded friends, ones that I now cannot imagine living without.4. YOUR HIGH PRIORITY BUCKET-LIST ENTRIESI've never really thought about these kind of things.
 
Aside from the aforementioned world travel, I've always wanted to write. Whether it's a book, a journal, or even an article in a newspaper or a magazine. I would like my thoughts shared for all to see.5. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH? HAVE YOU DEMONSTRATED THIS RECENTLY? Hmm...I suppose I'm "tenacious". Perhaps even stubborn. Once I've set my mind on a goal that I care about, it's difficult for me to give up on it.6. WHAT/WHO DO YOU ASPIRE TO BE?I aspire to be someone that has left a positive, permanent mark on people's life. Someone not to be easily forgotten once they've passed on.
 
7. WHAT ARE THE 5 MOST PRECIOUS THINGS TO YOU?
In no particular order: My family, my friends, my independence, my thoughts, and my laptop (lol).
 
8. WHO DO YOU ENVY OR ADMIRE?
I admire people who are charismatic, and are able to easily lead and persuade people.

holy shit, are u lurkey?

[Mushiren]

holy shit, are u lurkey?

 

I'm sorry, what do you mean?

[2hot4you]

I'm sorry, what do you mean?

a user here who i feel answers the questions compareable to you

[Mushiren]

a user here who i feel answers the questions compareable to you

 

I see. We might be kindred spirits.

[Socrates]

Spoiler

 

5. Greatest Strength

 

My greatest strength is my determination. I was raised to work hard and to be the best that I could be. My parents put a lot of responsibility on me, as I am the oldest, and throughout my childhood and teenage years I had to do well in class. I needed to be number one and even if others beat me I strove to get past them. I needed to be first. Needed to be the best. And I had an addiction to do what others would not or could not. Their limits were what I set to beat, so that I could be remembered in some fashion. It is why they called me the "iron-man" for not breaking under the mental pressure. Competition to see how long your body could do planks without having to break? See who could do integration and mental-math the quickest? Who could hold their breath the longest? Who could swim a mile butterfly? These things I lusted for

 

However, I forgot myself. I got tired after seeing no reward for a while. And so I burned-out. My senior year of high school through my sophomore year of college I was lazy. I couldn't focus in class at all and was constantly bored. I stopped swimming for a while after I wrecked my knee and shoulder. And trying to find a swimming partner that I could practice against took too long. So I became a bum for 3 years. I regret those 3 years a little, as it took me a while to find who I was again. I needed a challenge and none of the classes gave it to me.

 

But I have somewhat found my old work-ethic. I originally went into college planning to do bio-medical engineering and bio-chem, but I just couldn't take the boredom I felt in the classes. I need to work in a fast-paced environment so that I can feel some sort of pressure. I said that I would finish college in 4 years and so when I switched over to computer science 3 semesters ago, I had some rather daunting odds. It may have been a little natural talent for it, but it was my determination to finish my degree by the end of my 4th year in college that pushed me along. And so I hope I am getting it back.

 

 

6. What do I aspire to be?

 

When I was 5 I wanted to be a fireman. When I was 6 I wanted to be a detective like Sherlock Holmes. But by the time I was 9, I did not know what I wanted to be. Since then I still have not known what I want to be. I know that I do not want to be in the same place for to long; I have too much of a love for adventure. I want to explore the world. I want to do and learn as many things as I can. I do not want to join the corporate world all that much. The formality there looks to be as bad the red-tape with the government. But until I have enough money to do what I want, then I guess it will have to do. So really, I think what I have always wanted to aspire to be is an adventurer then.

 

 

 

7. 5 most precious things

 

My knowledge: I love learning. I find it fascinating to learn about new ideas in science or technology, new stories, or even new things about people. And even if I can occasionally get depressed thinking about the heavier stuff about my purpose in life or the realistic and horrifying nature of people, I don't think I would want it any other way. Because through my knowledge, I have found friends and I have found happiness

 

My loyalty: I will never betray a friend. I find it disgusting that people do such a thing. It may have come from me being a lonely child in middle school, but I have taken on a "never leave a man behind" philosophy. If one of my friends is trying to be a part of a group, I will always reach out a hand. I pride myself in being friends with awesome people

 

My competitive spirit: I hate losing. A lot. It pisses me off to lose. Which is why I try not to play as many competitive games anymore and really only play co-operative or relaxing ones like CAH. However, it has helped me countless times and probably the reason for my determination.

 

My beliefs: Everything that I do comes from a belief. A belief created through my reasoning, talking to people, or through introspection. My beliefs are what guide me

 

My character: I am not the best person. I act like a dick too often. I am rather obnoxious and always wanting to talk to people. I may think of myself too highly. But I as a person am more than those few things. I am humble when I am wrong and need to learn. I am prideful when I know that I am right. I am a listener and a follower when I know there are better people who can lead in certain situations. I am a leader when I know I have to. I can adapt like water or be as strong and stubborn like an ox. And it may be due to my knowledge and wisdom on each of these things that has made me into the best person I could ever hope to be.

 

I'll do 8, 9, 10 later

[Yan Q]

Question 11:
Suppose we all had a purpose on this earth. What is yours?
Submitted by Ruka.
 
A10: Moving countries to be with the rest of my family was something I did fairly recently that helped shape who I am now. A few months ago, I would have said it was a negative impact, but now I'm starting to see all the little things that came out of it.
I'm not exactly a different person altogether, but I've learnt to take others' cultures and... be more lenient towards them. I'm still in the process of doing this, and I still think people here are fucking idiots closed-minded, but, hey, it's a learning experience.

Edited by Yan Q, 25 May 2015 - 10:27 AM.

[Mushiren]

Heh. A purpose, huh. Now isn't that the question.

I'd love to give you a clear and profound answer, but the truth of the matter is...it's complicated.

If you had asked me this about 10 years ago, I would've naively answered, eyes open wide, "To maximize the happiness of the people I care about".

A lot has changed since then. I'm still searching for the path, but I have a general idea of where I want to end up: Somewhere where I'm loved and respected, genuinely, long after I'm gone from this world.

[pizhhh]

I've already stated this once here: I have none.  My purpose is to live. I am here on this planet to experience what my life has in store for me. To feel the sensations and emotions of living in this world as Chief. To get hurt, to heal. To love and be loved, to hate and to be hated. To be ignored and insignificant, as well as to be important and valued. To help, to be helped. To bring others joy, bring them pain. To consume and to give back. To create, to destroy. To be alive, to die. That in itself is my purpose. What I make of the life given to me is another story.

[Yan Q]

A11. Suppose we all had a purpose, I guess mine is to challenge others' outlook. Push their boundaries a little. Just a little.

And above all, to make others happy, even if only for a moment.

I like to think there are great things in store for me. Who knows, I could be an internet celebrity, or a great pattern maker. My pastries could appear at the World Chocolate Masters. Or, I might just live a humble life surrounded by my books and close friends. Either way, my purpose, I suppose would be to challenge the world by just being me.

[Supreme_Lurker_Primo]

Spoiler

holy shit, are u lurkey?

I see what you mean.

 

I see. We might be kindred spirits.

We have similar circumstances yet so vastly different and similarity it almost uncanny

 

Now for the Question

 

Spoiler

Suppose We all have a purpose on this earth. What is your?

I don't know honestly.  This question could be very similar to "What is the purpose of (your life) life." I would like to think we have no purpose on earth, because the term "purpose" can have 2 meaning. 1 meaning is having a purpose means one has a destination and it been planned before hand.  The 2nd one mean is a bit more constraining one have a purpose and now he/she/it must fulfill that purpose.  That is why I think I have no purpose, I am free to be wishy-washy there is nothing more with that, just mean one is flexible as long as one does not lose sight of themselves all is well.  On earth is also a been constraining, what if I want to explore the great cosmo become one of the first settler from earth to another planet? 

 

I still do not know, my purpose, I do what like and will continue to seek new things.  

[pizhhh]

12. What is your religion? What do you believe in and why do you believe in it? What are your views on religion in general. If you're an atheist, then what is your life philosophy and what are your views on those who follow religion?

[kuroto]

I did mean to answer these in order, but it's been sitting around for long enough so I guess I'll just throw it here before I actually forget about it.

 

2. WHO/WHAT DO YOU LIVE FOR

 

Spoiler

Ideally, for myself. Quite frankly? My parents.

 

I consider myself a “bad investment” of sorts – stock with negative returns, if you will – which does lead to the question I ask myself often: Why are you still alive, then, if you yourself already know that? The only vaguely convincing answer I’ve come up with is because I have the obligation to not die before my parents. The least I could do is not put them through that, even though I know by being alive all I’m doing is using up resources and just generally not being a very productive existence. So yeah, I live for them. And probably also for all those lovely folks who’ve taken the time to dissuade me from uh dying.

 

4. YOUR HIGH PRIORITY BUCKET-LIST ENTRIES

 

Spoiler

I don’t suppose something as vague as “become a better person” or “make sure the people I hold dear know that I love them” will qualify, but then again I’m pretty bad thinking about the future. I made a point of not doing that for a number of years because reasons, so I guess I’ll need to relearn that? I dunno.

 

In the conceivable future:

• A degree in engineering
• A degree in music
• AMusA
• ATMusA

Perhaps more wishful thinking:

• Play a piano concerto with an orchestra
• Kendo summer camp in Japan

 

6. WHAT/WHO DO YOU ASPIRE TO BE?

 

Spoiler

Better. Ultimately, though, I guess I just want to be useful.

 

EDIT: Yes, I know these answers are short and boring. I will try to do a better job, but for now that's probably the best I've got.

Edited by kuroto, 07 July 2015 - 07:38 AM.