Defining yourself can be a really difficult task, and one that comes up constantly. Job interviews ask the daunting “Tell me about yourself”, social networks pressure you to come up with something witty for the wide open “About Me” and first dates are pretty much the lightning round of the dating game.
So, I asked a few experts. Taking a cue from a fellow blogger, I emailed some of my oldest friends and newer ones asking for five words to describe me and I got some interesting responses that I grouped below:
Carefree, Free-Spirited, Exciting, Brave, Adventurous
Smart, Intelligent, Pensive, Grounded
Social, Fun, Ditsy, Light-hearted, Fun-Loving, Unpretentious, Approachable
Sincere, Warm, Supportive, Sweet, Sunny, Pollyanna-ish
Open-minded, Independent, Opinionated, Determined
Desirable, Passionate, Inspiring
These are from the people who know me best, but how do I convince someone I’m getting to know that I’m both opinionated and open minded? Light-hearted and pensive? Grounded and ditsy (which, by the way, I loved from a friend comfortable enough to say it but qualify it with “but in the best possible way…”)?
I always worry if something doesn’t work out that I leaned a little too heavily on one characteristic and that I didn’t show my best self. I also think that I have a somewhat skewed view of my public persona- similar to hearing your own recorded voice and being shocked at how you sound.
Try it out and see what your friends have to say about you, and then let me know below. Plus, I’m curious what comes across in my writing- the viewpoint of a virtual stranger. Are there one or more words you would use to describe me?
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6 Comments
I haven’t been reading you for very long so I will abstain from any opinion.
I like this idea though! I shall draft an email to my friends.
Posted Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:22 pm | Permalink
I’m too afraid to ask my friends to define me in 5 words…
I mean, how many of those words would be clean enough to publish??
Posted Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 2:04 pm | Permalink
Fun, Engaging, Charming, Intelligent, Inspired
That’s what I think about you (having never met outside of the blogosphere!)!
Posted Sunday, March 30, 2008 at 3:25 pm | Permalink
Those are some great characteristics. I know what you mean about wondering why sometimes people don’t get to see the full picture of who we are. But as I look back over some relationships/friendships where that was the case, it usually was because they wanted to only see a certain side of me. But the folks who stick around like to big picture, which is, I guess, why they’re still my friends.
Posted Monday, March 31, 2008 at 9:25 pm | Permalink
I would describe you as eloquent.
I would describe myself as fruit & nuts, without the chocolate. lol
x
Cara
http://carahurley.blogspot.com/2008/03/catch-spay_31.html
Posted Monday, March 31, 2008 at 11:48 pm | Permalink
I do not want to know what people REALLY think about me. Its fine by me to keep living in denial!
But, from as long as I have been reading your blog I think your friends are right in their definition of you.
Posted Tuesday, April 1, 2008 at 12:16 pm | Permalink
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