I don't really know you all that well. From my initial impression, you seem to be a thoughtful and intelligent guy. From what I've seen, you're courteous, empathetic, outgoing and generous.
A guy who tries a little too hard to be clever most times, but the earnestness makes him hard to genuinely dislike.
It does grate when you verges on know-it-all instead of engaged-conversationalist. My experiences with you waffle between these two generalities, so the jury is out here...
i dont really know you. i was suspicious at first but for no good reason. the one experience i had with you was positive and i'm appreciative of your presence. i know other people like you, and this exercise makes me like you.
When I knew you, you were a good friend. However, this seems like a lifetime ago. It's curious how time has changed us into strangers. Never the likeliest of duos, but for a minute, it worked. I applaud your apparent success; I always knew you would do well.
James, i had a limited experience interacting with you through some mutual friends. You were a tad on the shy part but also we were very hyper active. So it might be a difference between two extremes here. You're very smart and it definitely shows.
I haven't seen you since we were teenagers. From what I remember you were intelligent and determined to make something of yourself. You liked to have the best things and do the best at things. It seemed to me when I was better at something it annoyed you slightly. You were a wonderful artist and even did a sketch of me from a picture once. You were a good person, open minded and kind, I assuming you still are.
It has been awhile since I've seen you but you were always smiling, fun, and quiet. You always had the best of everything and you always knew what you would be in life. You were always playing your video games late at night or drawing something. Even though you were alot smarter than everyone you always made us feel like we were just as smart as you. Things might have changed but you were caring, thoughtful, and odd!
Its amazing to me that 15 or so years ago you were this annoying little insect that was always buzzing in my ear. Now you are a grown adult who turned out to be a pretty awesome person. To read about the amazing things you are doing in your life and the person that you have become makes me very happy. I look forward to every visit even though it doesn't happen very often. You inspire me to be more knowledgeable and to READ more books! You are a very graceful person and you speak only with kindness and truth. oh and you are SUPER SMART!!
I haven't really got a chance to hang out with you more than a few time but you seem like you have your act together, not like a normally adult your age. I'm proud of you, I brag about you and the things you have accomplished so far in your life to all my friends and family. That is says a lot about you.
When you enter a room, all the air molecules in the room become neon particles because the whole room starts flashing green and pink - in a nonthreatening and amusing way. And that is a good thing for the world.
you were someone who wasn't afraid to go against the grain, someone who was very ambitious, who I knew was going to go far, someone who was stubborn, perhaps selfish, who smelled bad sometimes, who I'm glad I met.
You seem to be a very magnetic person. You have strong, well justified beliefs, and are not afraid to let everyone know what they are. Frequently you come off as a know-it-all and make others feel uncomfortable with telling you their own thoughts and beliefs for fear of being criticized and put down. Sometimes I think you need to accept that you don't actually know everything and that other beliefs aren't necessarily inferior to your own. However, after having said that, you are a genuinely nice guy and seem to have good intentions. You're ambitious, amusing, and fun to be around.
you are a bit of a mystery, and you know it. you try to not fit any mold, and maybe couldn't if you wanted to. you're brilliant, you work hard and take the time to understand things, you are very methodical, very thoughtful. you always finish things and almost always do your best. you are determined. you don't settle. you hold yourself back with people, you put up a barrier and don't express your feelings much, if at all. you are careful in your relationships. you draw well, though mechanically. you are slightly ocd. you are appreciative of things most people don't notice. you are wacky, spontaneous, and generally good company. you have a nervous laugh. you like to explore your own and other people's boundaries. your first impression doesn't reveal much of you at all. it takes time to chip away at all the layers, but only if you want them to be chipped away. when you walk into a room, it doesn't acknowledge you as much as it should.
I admired you for many things: your passion for social issues, your eagerness to grow intellectually, your wit, your logic, your humor, your style. That image of you is somewhat different now. I believe I see things now that I wouldn’t allow myself to see before, and because it hit me recently that I have been rationalizing what I felt, I swing from a state of normalcy to hurt, to anger, and back again. You are very convincing, which can be a good and bad thing. Your line of logic is not always the right one, and “a to b to c” is not always the right approach to a conclusion. Comparing how you handle things to how another might leaves room for less compassion and understanding. You are not very open. Of everyone I know, I know two people I cannot read, and you are one. Your language can be blunt, and passivity is not the only way to describe a different way of communicating. There are ways you communicate or handle yourself that seem pretentious; I denied that for a while but now I am not entirely sure. You seem to have constructed an image for yourself, a quirky, creative image; you can see the effort. You can be stubborn in your ways, and you allow that to outweigh other things which should be of more importance. You can be quite confrontational, which is sometimes ok, sometimes not. Even when you do care, it sometimes feels like you don’t. I feel sick when you laugh at something harmful or mean someone has done to another because it is “funny” or “interesting.” My self-esteem can sink a lot when we speak, which is not necessarily always because you said something out of line. My way never seems to feel like the right way. You do or say things which seem careless or hurtful without knowing it at inopportune times– I feel like common sense in interactions with people plays a role here, and at other times it’s just that you don’t have the same negative responses to certain actions which would make you more wary of what you say and do. Sometimes you do say directly hurtful things that make me unnecessarily feel immature or irrational, but that is usually when you are upset or getting irritated. Patterns do not necessarily reflect an obvious conclusion. When someone is really upset, sometimes for a moment you need to let go of what you are angry about. I don’t believe you are always honest with yourself. You do teach. You can be a bit quick to forget something that might mean something to someone else.
Your ambition is inspiring. You will do great and meaningful things with your life, I know it; if you didn’t, you would be a different person. I love exchanging information with you – you are the first person I think of when I want to tell someone something that has happened or when I learn something interesting. You are intellectually stimulating and well-rounded. You are creative, interesting, thoughtful, and appreciate fine details. Your logic can sometimes put things into perspective. You aren’t a big a fan of the norm and can look beyond it. You think big picture. You are pragmatic. You are strong emotionally. You eat healthy. More often than not you do try to do the right thing. You do try to be helpful when someone asks. You can let most offenses against you go. You can move on. Oftentimes, you go above and beyond what is expected of you. You are independent and confident. You allow your passions and interests to drive you and your life goals. You are driven and hardworking. You are outgoing and introspective. You fit in well in a group setting. You have helped me grow in ways that would have taken me much longer had I not known you; for all I know, maybe I wouldn’t have learned what I had at all had I not met you. I am proud of you for what you have achieved, and what you will achieve. You are unique.
You're quick to find the best in people. Approachable, outgoing, and friendly. You are talented in broad categories, but don't outwardly exude passion for any particular interest. You ask many questions, which is good, and are an engaged listener.
Your words are sincere, thought out and personal. I appreciate that you listen and respond with conviction and honesty. I feel free from judgment in your presence. You don't hide from others though I do think you hide from yourself. Sometimes I feel like everyone knows so much about you...you wear your heart and soul on your sleeve for others to see, but you never realize them yourself. You are a beautiful person with a great many intricate ideas that make you fun to be with and a spark of inspiration. I always walk away with a smile.
Honestly, I find you quite annoying... like nails on a chalk board.
People are forced to believe that you are intelligent and creative by your argumentative and stubborn behavior, but I see right through your mask. In all, you've tried to conceal the lonely person you really are at heart by exuding an air of superiority.
Everything good must be about you, and all attention must be squarely focused on you. Just look at this 'experiment' you've set up. It just desperately screams out to others to 'tell me how good I am'.
The advantage of this guise is that you come off fairly well to people you've just met. You appear to be innovative, sociable, and above all knowledgeable about a wide range of intellectual curiosities. In fact, this has probably in part helped carry you through your innumerable successes. But there is a point where your stubborn beliefs hinder any real communication and exchange of ideas, and you seem to reach this point quite frequently in our dealings.
So take this criticism for what it's worth. In one way, your mask serves the perfect role of massaging your own ego, and as a result, more forgiving people come to appreciate you and your beliefs. In another way, it hinders the expression of your true, benevolent, thoughtful self because of your innate fear of having others prove you wrong.
While this may appear to be a scathing criticism of your character, do not take it as such (and if you're presently wearing your mask I know you won't). Rather, most comments above beautifully highlight your positives (just what you want to hear); all I'm doing is evening the playing field.
I'm being honest, I'm being earnest. And thanks to the power of anonymity you will never know who this came from. But just think for a minute who I might be. I may be closer than you think.
When I first met you, I thought you were only friends with me because you thought I was smart, for networking purposes. Whatever it was, I'm glad you approached me, I probably wouldn't have approached you. It was a bad time in my life, and you unknowingly helped me through that and have become a good friend (or so I like to think). Thank you.
first of all, i think this is weird and voyeuristic (but i'm doing it anyway). why is it that we (the royal we) have to hide behind computer screens to really tell each other how we feel. why does is seem like with more "connectivity" there is a greater distance between us?
there is something about you that i like, but there is something about you that keeps me looking over my shoulder. it's just short of using the word "mis-trust," but definitely like i should watch my back. but usually, your wry smile wins me over my slight paranoia i have about you.
you're kind of corny, border-line OCD (read "anal"), and you have a schtick factor.
I don't really know you all that well. From my initial impression, you seem to be a thoughtful and intelligent guy. From what I've seen, you're courteous, empathetic, outgoing and generous.
You are eccentric, brilliant, hilarious, and witty. You get involved in interesting situations and as a result have good stories to tell.
A guy who tries a little too hard to be clever most times, but the earnestness makes him hard to genuinely dislike.
It does grate when you verges on know-it-all instead of engaged-conversationalist. My experiences with you waffle between these two generalities, so the jury is out here...
i dont really know you. i was suspicious at first but for no good reason. the one experience i had with you was positive and i'm appreciative of your presence. i know other people like you, and this exercise makes me like you.
When I knew you, you were a good friend. However, this seems like a lifetime ago. It's curious how time has changed us into strangers. Never the likeliest of duos, but for a minute, it worked. I applaud your apparent success; I always knew you would do well.
James, i had a limited experience interacting with you through some mutual friends. You were a tad on the shy part but also we were very hyper active. So it might be a difference between two extremes here. You're very smart and it definitely shows.
I haven't seen you since we were teenagers. From what I remember you were intelligent and determined to make something of yourself. You liked to have the best things and do the best at things. It seemed to me when I was better at something it annoyed you slightly. You were a wonderful artist and even did a sketch of me from a picture once. You were a good person, open minded and kind, I assuming you still are.
It has been awhile since I've seen you but you were always smiling, fun, and quiet. You always had the best of everything and you always knew what you would be in life. You were always playing your video games late at night or drawing something. Even though you were alot smarter than everyone you always made us feel like we were just as smart as you. Things might have changed but you were caring, thoughtful, and odd!
Its amazing to me that 15 or so years ago you were this annoying little insect that was always buzzing in my ear. Now you are a grown adult who turned out to be a pretty awesome person. To read about the amazing things you are doing in your life and the person that you have become makes me very happy. I look forward to every visit even though it doesn't happen very often. You inspire me to be more knowledgeable and to READ more books! You are a very graceful person and you speak only with kindness and truth. oh and you are SUPER SMART!!
I haven't really got a chance to hang out with you more than a few time but you seem like you have your act together, not like a normally adult your age. I'm proud of you, I brag about you and the things you have accomplished so far in your life to all my friends and family. That is says a lot about you.
Get me some astronaut ice cream!
See you in May!!!
I think you are Amazing just because this blog was created on July 4th 2009. You can write in the future. Amazing!
When you enter a room, all the air molecules in the room become neon particles because the whole room starts flashing green and pink - in a nonthreatening and amusing way. And that is a good thing for the world.
you were someone who wasn't afraid to go against the grain, someone who was very ambitious, who I knew was going to go far, someone who was stubborn, perhaps selfish, who smelled bad sometimes, who I'm glad I met.
You seem to be a very magnetic person. You have strong, well justified beliefs, and are not afraid to let everyone know what they are. Frequently you come off as a know-it-all and make others feel uncomfortable with telling you their own thoughts and beliefs for fear of being criticized and put down. Sometimes I think you need to accept that you don't actually know everything and that other beliefs aren't necessarily inferior to your own. However, after having said that, you are a genuinely nice guy and seem to have good intentions. You're ambitious, amusing, and fun to be around.
you are a bit of a mystery, and you know it. you try to not fit any mold, and maybe couldn't if you wanted to. you're brilliant, you work hard and take the time to understand things, you are very methodical, very thoughtful. you always finish things and almost always do your best. you are determined. you don't settle. you hold yourself back with people, you put up a barrier and don't express your feelings much, if at all. you are careful in your relationships. you draw well, though mechanically. you are slightly ocd. you are appreciative of things most people don't notice. you are wacky, spontaneous, and generally good company. you have a nervous laugh. you like to explore your own and other people's boundaries. your first impression doesn't reveal much of you at all. it takes time to chip away at all the layers, but only if you want them to be chipped away. when you walk into a room, it doesn't acknowledge you as much as it should.
I admired you for many things: your passion for social issues, your eagerness to grow intellectually, your wit, your logic, your humor, your style. That image of you is somewhat different now. I believe I see things now that I wouldn’t allow myself to see before, and because it hit me recently that I have been rationalizing what I felt, I swing from a state of normalcy to hurt, to anger, and back again. You are very convincing, which can be a good and bad thing. Your line of logic is not always the right one, and “a to b to c” is not always the right approach to a conclusion. Comparing how you handle things to how another might leaves room for less compassion and understanding. You are not very open. Of everyone I know, I know two people I cannot read, and you are one. Your language can be blunt, and passivity is not the only way to describe a different way of communicating. There are ways you communicate or handle yourself that seem pretentious; I denied that for a while but now I am not entirely sure. You seem to have constructed an image for yourself, a quirky, creative image; you can see the effort. You can be stubborn in your ways, and you allow that to outweigh other things which should be of more importance. You can be quite confrontational, which is sometimes ok, sometimes not. Even when you do care, it sometimes feels like you don’t. I feel sick when you laugh at something harmful or mean someone has done to another because it is “funny” or “interesting.” My self-esteem can sink a lot when we speak, which is not necessarily always because you said something out of line. My way never seems to feel like the right way. You do or say things which seem careless or hurtful without knowing it at inopportune times– I feel like common sense in interactions with people plays a role here, and at other times it’s just that you don’t have the same negative responses to certain actions which would make you more wary of what you say and do. Sometimes you do say directly hurtful things that make me unnecessarily feel immature or irrational, but that is usually when you are upset or getting irritated. Patterns do not necessarily reflect an obvious conclusion. When someone is really upset, sometimes for a moment you need to let go of what you are angry about. I don’t believe you are always honest with yourself. You do teach. You can be a bit quick to forget something that might mean something to someone else.
Your ambition is inspiring. You will do great and meaningful things with your life, I know it; if you didn’t, you would be a different person. I love exchanging information with you – you are the first person I think of when I want to tell someone something that has happened or when I learn something interesting. You are intellectually stimulating and well-rounded. You are creative, interesting, thoughtful, and appreciate fine details. Your logic can sometimes put things into perspective. You aren’t a big a fan of the norm and can look beyond it. You think big picture. You are pragmatic. You are strong emotionally. You eat healthy. More often than not you do try to do the right thing. You do try to be helpful when someone asks. You can let most offenses against you go. You can move on. Oftentimes, you go above and beyond what is expected of you. You are independent and confident. You allow your passions and interests to drive you and your life goals. You are driven and hardworking. You are outgoing and introspective. You fit in well in a group setting. You have helped me grow in ways that would have taken me much longer had I not known you; for all I know, maybe I wouldn’t have learned what I had at all had I not met you. I am proud of you for what you have achieved, and what you will achieve. You are unique.
You're quick to find the best in people. Approachable, outgoing, and friendly. You are talented in broad categories, but don't outwardly exude passion for any particular interest. You ask many questions, which is good, and are an engaged listener.
Your words are sincere, thought out and personal. I appreciate that you listen and respond with conviction and honesty. I feel free from judgment in your presence.
You don't hide from others though I do think you hide from yourself. Sometimes I feel like everyone knows so much about you...you wear your heart and soul on your sleeve for others to see, but you never realize them yourself.
You are a beautiful person with a great many intricate ideas that make you fun to be with and a spark of inspiration. I always walk away with a smile.
You are adorable and intelligent, a blessing to your family.
Honestly, I find you quite annoying... like nails on a chalk board.
People are forced to believe that you are intelligent and creative by your argumentative and stubborn behavior, but I see right through your mask. In all, you've tried to conceal the lonely person you really are at heart by exuding an air of superiority.
Everything good must be about you, and all attention must be squarely focused on you. Just look at this 'experiment' you've set up. It just desperately screams out to others to 'tell me how good I am'.
The advantage of this guise is that you come off fairly well to people you've just met. You appear to be innovative, sociable, and above all knowledgeable about a wide range of intellectual curiosities. In fact, this has probably in part helped carry you through your innumerable successes. But there is a point where your stubborn beliefs hinder any real communication and exchange of ideas, and you seem to reach this point quite frequently in our dealings.
So take this criticism for what it's worth. In one way, your mask serves the perfect role of massaging your own ego, and as a result, more forgiving people come to appreciate you and your beliefs. In another way, it hinders the expression of your true, benevolent, thoughtful self because of your innate fear of having others prove you wrong.
While this may appear to be a scathing criticism of your character, do not take it as such (and if you're presently wearing your mask I know you won't). Rather, most comments above beautifully highlight your positives (just what you want to hear); all I'm doing is evening the playing field.
I'm being honest, I'm being earnest. And thanks to the power of anonymity you will never know who this came from. But just think for a minute who I might be. I may be closer than you think.
When I first met you, I thought you were only friends with me because you thought I was smart, for networking purposes. Whatever it was, I'm glad you approached me, I probably wouldn't have approached you. It was a bad time in my life, and you unknowingly helped me through that and have become a good friend (or so I like to think). Thank you.
you seem to always have a little secret that makes you smile.
first of all, i think this is weird and voyeuristic (but i'm doing it anyway). why is it that we (the royal we) have to hide behind computer screens to really tell each other how we feel. why does is seem like with more "connectivity" there is a greater distance between us?
there is something about you that i like, but there is something about you that keeps me looking over my shoulder. it's just short of using the word "mis-trust," but definitely like i should watch my back. but usually, your wry smile wins me over my slight paranoia i have about you.
you're kind of corny, border-line OCD (read "anal"), and you have a schtick factor.