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Positive you!

nemo

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jesus. you guys are all so fucking negative.

did you ever stop and think that maybe it's just that all the nice, normal, happy people don't get as much publicity?

This particular post from shoeless resurfaced in my mind today and got me thinking about the general self-negativity most people, including myself, have on here. Result: logicality is good. Negativity is not. I was reminded of yet another quote, from The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter:

"My dear Watson," said he, "I cannot agree with those who rank modesty among the virtues. To the logician all things should be seen exactly as they are, and to underestimate one's self is as much a departure from truth as to exaggerate one's own powers."

I don't think the people on here are afflicted with false modesty; I think a lot of us just have really bad opinions of ourselves. So here is a thread for you to step backwards, take a deep breath, and say something positive about yourself! Anything at all; a trait, a talent, a feature, a hobby, a mindset, etc. Look at the good side of yourselves and share what you see with everyone else.

I guess I should start us off...and oh man this is hard. Ooh. Positive nemo trait: compassion. :)

Anyone care to join? It feels strangely like stripping naked, which is probably what is happening on the emotional level. WHOO EMOTIONAL SKINNY DIPPING YIPPEE! Now where's that pool?

*waits wondering what will happen* :kilroy:
 

shoeless

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i like skinny dipping.

good thread, by the way. it's about damn time. and i'm not just saying that 'cause i was quoted in the OP either. even though that's pretty rad too.

positive shoeless trait: i genuinely like people. even all you depressing motherfuckers out there. i know it's all just a part of life.
 

Anthile

Steel marks flesh
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My blood type is positive.
 

The Gopher

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this is harder than you think...

Positive trait:.....:confused:


Positive trait:.... well it's been 10 min I might think of something tomorrow.
 

EyeSeeCold

lust for life
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My Pness is functional :).

We are negativists by nature so I don't know what good this'll do but...:
I got nothin'
 

JoeJoe

Knifed
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I was once in a group of 8 people, where we were supposed to describe the other in one word.

One guy said about me: amiable (German word is liebenswert)

Also: Respect for life and nature.
 

Words

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My dear Watson," said he, "I cannot agree with those who rank modesty among the virtues. To the logician all things should be seen exactly as they are, and to underestimate one's self is as much a departure from truth as to exaggerate one's own powers."

I am truthful. Or at least, I seek truth. Now, is this "positive"?
 

Melllvar

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I take good care of my dog. :)

That's really the only universally positive thing I could think of. Every other positive thing I came up with was only true circumstantially.
 

JoeJoe

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That's really the only universally positive thing I could think of. Every other positive thing I came up with was only true circumstantially.

Such as intelligence? Creativity? Would you mind to elaborate?
 

Melllvar

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Such as intelligence? Creativity? Would you mind to elaborate?

Actually I shot both of those down pretty quickly. I'm probably doing better than the average, but the average isn't very good. Am I smart enough to be fairly certain I won't make stupid decisions that could bring harm to myself and others (as I would argue most people do habitually throughout their lives)? Or to be able to predictably make meaningful contributions to things? Or creative enough to have genuinely original ideas instead of just slight variations or recombinations of other people's better ideas? Probably not.

Two that did occur to me:

- I tend to see things more objectively and not get caught up in trends and fads. But this isn't really true, I just manage it in different ways. I've completely deluded myself into believing what I wanted to before, despite all evidence to the contrary (particularly with women, this xkcd explains the story fairly well). Also I have been sucked into trends, just not the typical fashion/sports/politics stuff most people get into. I wasted years of my life thinking I was going to be some kind of great scientist/engineer, when in retrospect it seems more like I'd just read all this poetic stuff about such people and wanted to mimic them as some kind of vain hero-worship. That goes back to the objectivity thing too: I couldn't just admit that to myself, I had to come up with complicated theories to explain why it would all actually work out in the end.

- The compassion thing mentioned above, or at least a lack of malevolence and general desire to make things better. But that's not really true either, since when the going gets tough I'm just as bitter and hateful as the next guy. If I get stepped or on feel I've been treated unfairly I tend to just say fuck it to everyone and everything and lash out indiscriminately. So it's really only true circumstantially: as long as everything's going ok for me then it's probably true, but as soon as things aren't I'm not much better than anyone else.

It could just go on and on like this. There really aren't many positive things I could say about myself that would really be honestly true. I do take good care of my dog though, even when he's being annoying, aggressive, causing trouble, or severely inconveniences my life. Also I suppose I am fairly good at introspection, since I've actually bothered to think all this through.

That's probably more explanation than you wanted.
 

Inappropriate Behavior

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I don't think the people on here are afflicted with false modesty

All my modesty is false. I just don't want you guys to feel bad in comparison.
 

nemo

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Come on Gopher and EyeSeeCold! There's sure to be something. A situation where you did the right thing? Also, other people are more likely to see the good in ourselves than we are - so maybe you've been told something positive about yourself once, that you didn't really accept at the time or something.

And how very sweet of you, IB ;)

It IS pretty damn hard to find the positive things in oneself... It's kind of ingrained in us to not think too highly of ourselves, as a result of society's teachings, perhaps. Perhaps one day you will go DING and the light bulb will go on as your eyes widen and you will realise that OOH THAT'S A POSITIVE THING ABOUT MYSELF and race on here to tell everyone. Perhaps not exactly like that, but still :D

Sigh. If one made a thread for negative traits/aspects of self, I bet everyone could go on for pages.
 

nemo

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I am truthful. Or at least, I seek truth. Now, is this "positive"?

I would say it is. :)

Do you think there's a difference between truthfulness and honesty?
 

Ermine

is watching and taking notes
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Hmmm....

- I can get along with almost anyone.
- I have great powers of concentration, even if it usually comes out in my ability to crochet a sweater while watching Fullmetal Alchemist all night.
- I have pretty good fashion sense
- I can swing dance
 

nemo

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Hmmm....

- I can get along with almost anyone.
- I have great powers of concentration, even if it usually comes out in my ability to crochet a sweater while watching Fullmetal Alchemist all night.
- I have pretty good fashion sense
- I can swing dance

*drools* You can crochet...while watching anime... :worship: Hail Ermine! I can only knit, very slowly, and not without looking, but I hope to improve myself over time! :smiley_emoticons_mr
 

EyeSeeCold

lust for life
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JoeJoe

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Another trait that crossed my mind today: Generosity
 

gruesomebrat

Biking in pursuit of self...
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Hmm, positive trait... positive trait... positive... aha! I am not only able, but willing to dispense common-sense advice to my friends when they ask for it. For that matter, I am willing to sit and listen to a friends woes for hours on end, if need be, and let them unload their thoughts and feelings on me. Kind of like yelling into an empty room or hitting a pillow, but with a slightly more human quality to it.
 

Kwiftee

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I think I'm good (or at least decent) at thinking critically and analytically. And if I'm not, I want to be good at it which in my experience puts me above most people who don't even care.

Also compassion. Plus, on an unrelated note I like the way I write! Not creatively (which is something I've considered trying my hand at) but just the way I 'talk' online.

Also uh hi.
 

echoplex

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I dunno, I can type pretty fast. :confused:

Okay okay, I'd say I organize ideas pretty well (when I actually try to). I'm usually pretty good about letting people speak their mind without outwardly judging them (inwardly is another story) and so people usually say I'm a good listener. I make an effort to understand people, though I can't say I actually succeed.
 

The Gopher

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I think I'm good (or at least decent) at thinking critically and analytically. And if I'm not, I want to be good at it which in my experience puts me above most people who don't even care.

Also compassion. Plus, on an unrelated note I like the way I write! Not creatively (which is something I've considered trying my hand at) but just the way I 'talk' online.

Also uh hi.

Hi!!!!! make an intro thread so I can eat your car
 

shoeless

I AM A WIZARD
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I think I'm good (or at least decent) at thinking critically and analytically. And if I'm not, I want to be good at it which in my experience puts me above most people who don't even care.

Also compassion. Plus, on an unrelated note I like the way I write! Not creatively (which is something I've considered trying my hand at) but just the way I 'talk' online.

Also uh hi.

the way you type reminds me of the way my boyfriend talks. which is obviously a good thing in my opinion.

welcome to ze forum.
 

Words

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I would say it is. :)

Do you think there's a difference between truthfulness and honesty?

Whose opinion matters? Am I the judge of what is positive, or you?

Honesty is different in that it has a more "positively charged" ethical context. By that I mean the literal meaning is almost taken over by society's "pressure". But are we dealing with this word without a perceiver?

Conforming to truth, to me, does not mean being honest to subjects. I like the truth but I don't have to be true to others. I don't like pain but this doesn't mean I don't like to deliver pain. I don't understand how you can lie to yourself, so being truthful to myself is given. Is there error here?
 

MatthewSawyer

dusty feet....
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I respect and take good care of my wife.

Similar to Mellvar:
That's really the only universally positive thing I could think of. Every other positive thing I came up with was only true circumstantially.

I sincerely hope my reply does not result in any inappropriate comments or comparisons between my wife and a dog. Thank you.

Hah.

To Nemo: I like this thread.
 

AlisaD

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My brother gave me this mug saying: "I used to be conceded, but got over that, and now I'm perfect"

He knows me well so: Yeah, I'm perfect.
 

Anchorite

I trusted you Steve Guttenberg!
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-I'm artistic
-I seek the truth consistently and therefore have a better understanding of it than those I'm surrounded by. (I think)
-I'm open to things and people that are different from me and I'm willing to embrace them most often.
-I think I'm a fundamentally decent person who values others and offers compassion to the fullest extant I'm capable.
 

Nocturne

Vesper.
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Hmmm... ... ... (this is difficult) I am... musical :)
 
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