I don't totally believe my own fabricated self-image. I think self-images on their own are probably inherently flawed, because they're based on the assumption that other people think the same way you do and have the same information and emotions about yourself that you have, which is never. I can only judge how I come off to others by their reactions to me, and since we're dealing with how other people may see you, I think that's relevant. So, using that as a basis, I can say that I'm easy to like and get along with. I've never had an enemy (that I know about) in my life. People enjoy my sense of humor when it happens to come through, but I'm not a comedian, otherwise I would get that sort of reaction often.
I'm outgoing when I'm interested in a topic. Reticent when I'm not. That goes to say that I'm pretty selective about what I'm interested in, and my level of social engagement is highly dependent on the subject being discussed.
While this is more of an introspective analysis, I can verify it by judging the reaction people have when communicating with them during these moments.

I'd say people see me as highly interested in particular things, and only really engaging and dynamic when I'm discussing those interests. Other times, I may seem reticent or even withdrawn, but personally, it's just because I can't feign excitement if I'm not excited. I mean, I can, but I just don't find it very productive unless I'm trying to manipulate someone, which is not something I do all the time or for any nefarious means. I'm talking about social manipulation in terms of making someone feel better about a situation I may feel completely different about.
Otherwise, I prefer coming off as boring rather than to pretend I want to talk solely for the sake of the person across from me. That's usually my default position, but is highly dependent on my mood at the time.
I think this has a tendency to make me come off as either socially inept or an ass hole in some cases, although I'm speculating on that point, which is irrelevant to how other people actually feel, so that is neither here nor there.
But I do know that alcohol makes that go away. I'll talk your ear off about whatever you want to discuss, and I'll be happy to do it.

Finally, I don't think the internet is an appropriate representation of personality AT ALL. The impressions of me I get on the internet are pretty weird. I know people say I'm intelligent and all that, but I'm of average intelligence. I may be more logically inclined and less emotionally bound, and I may utilize proper spelling and grammar, but I'm a standard, every-day guy. I speak FAR less fluently than I write. I'm horrible at math. Never did well in school. Etc... I think impressions on the internet are more in line with an individual expectation rather than the reality of the matter.
I do pride myself a bit on being able to analyze and put concepts together and use them in a coherent way to a logical end, but I think that is (or should be) the norm.
And I guess that's where your perception of that comes in.

I did above average at school but excelled at University. It doesn't mean you're more intelligent than anybody else but it certainly doesn't make you average. I am very inspired by your contributions to the computer issues thread. You know what I mean. I think you're incredibly intelligent but just don't accept that it is possibly you. I'm not necessarily likeable to everyone because I have a loud, excessive laugh and can be too much of a personality for people. I can't stand following trends and tend to believe in whatever I feel to be true, not what my family or friends believe. I just had an arguement with my mom about gay people. She is completely against it and thinks it's unnatural but it has been proved through research that people are naturally born that way. Sorry I'm rambling!

I`ve been enjoying this thread since its stormy opening; like a lot of the best discussion threads, the idea of this one is quite simple.
What I particularly like is that not only are people describing themselves, they are also choosing the way that they describe themselves. This gives me a great excuse to ramble on about types of description :-



Several people felt comfortable enough to explain a lot about their situations or their psyche; I think it`s great that they trust the MB audience enough to do that.

Rjinn is the only person who used colour to describe herself, which I think indicates a rather off-beat way of looking at things.

I liked Vanilla`s approach, mentioning her room and some of her possessions. For me she really came to life when she said that her favourite magazine was Marie Claire because a friend I respect a lot reads that too.

Freebase also made an excellent observation :-
So, baring in mind some of the above, this is how I would describe myself:-

I grew up in a kind of stiff-upper-lip culture and have inherited an aversion to self-analysis; fine for others but I don`t want to do that to myself. So I`m going for a mixture of colours and possessions instead.
I think irl I`m best described as non-descript. I always try not to draw attention to myself. If I were a colour, I`d be grey, although the people who know me best might say, "Wow, his greyness is actually shot through with splashes of beige." I`d rather be in the hills than at the beach, and the possessions I`d like to mention are second-hand books, which I`ve been accumulating, and sometimes discarding, since the age of about 12. Since that age I`ve been a chain-reader; finish one book, start the next. So from that, feel free to infer:-
- I like reading
- I`m not particularly affluent
- something obscure from the past appeals to me more than today`s mainstream.

I think we're all just ****in beauties

I engage in impression management--HARD. Thus, if I were to describe myself, it would be incongruent with what any of you know of me.

Wow thanks hun, I'm glad somebody actually doesn't see it as a negative thing to mention some of your possessions to describe your interests as a person. I find Marie Claire has excellent articles that are targeted at women becoming empowered but also how we are discriminated against as a gender in the 21st century. Do you know that a woman is raped every 20 minutes in India? It's abhorrent.

People think I'm a dick on the internet.

They are 100 percent right. I can just close my browser and their annoying asses are gone immediately. Can't really do that AFK.

:laughing: Wow ! This one made me stop and think, Pedestrian ! I`ve always thought that you were a gifted, complex person who is outwardly friendly but who preserves a very private inner core. I wonder how wrong I am .

You`re welcome, Vanilla ! :) Talking about possessions is a great way to indicate your interests and the things you like to do in your own time. That`s so much more interesting than people who define themselves by how they make money. If I meet someone at a party and they volunteer their profession straight off, I usually think, "It`s a bit sad that the way you earn money is so significant to you. I`d rather hear about what you like to do, not what you`re paid to do."

That statistic about India is really shocking, btw.

Some people are lucky enough to work within what they are passionate about, for instance I am a swimming teacher and I'm extremely passionate about swimming (I'm the ultimate water baby) and I love Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time. The guy is just unbelievable.


I just find it extremely rewarding to have a kid who won't even put their face in the water progress to club level. Makes me warm inside, plus it is a skill that stays with you for life.

^ Good point, FETCHER - I should`ve thought of people like that before I made my comment.

I still remember my son`s swimming teacher, who patiently got him past the stage of crying in the water and taught him something which, as you say, is of lasting value. That`s a nice thing to do for children.

As you are from Scotland, though, I have to ask; heated pools or what ? :)

Haha yeah, it is difficult teaching kids how to swim because most fear the water quite a bit but once they're past that, it's great.

Haha yup definitely, they're heated to around 28 degrees, 30 in kids pools cos they get cold easy. A local pool has an outdoor pool but it is cold, you would probably catch pneumonia and that's with it closed off in winter haha.

The heating broke in my work and it was unbearable to even go on poolside in lifeguard uniform (shorts and tshirt) never mind go in the water.

Yes, children can have so much fun in water once they have the confidence. Sounds like where you work was seriously cold today; it also sounds like you have a real commitment to swimming.

In Mexico there aren`t many public pools at all, and the ones they do have are mainly for controlled sports classes - of the kind you give, I imagine. If an adult just wants to turn up somewhere and splash around, they usually drive to the beach or join a club that has gym/pool/tennis facilities. Another popular option in the hotter parts of the country is to have a pool in your own garden, though most pool owners soon get bored with those and only use them for parties.

I'm 18, 5'11", 135 pounds. I've been nearly underweight my entire life, mostly due to a fast metabolism and light, unstructured eating habits.

In real life I'm quiet and serious around my family, silly and profane around my friends, and cautious and suspicious around people I don't know. I'm very polite, friendly and respectful in general, but have at least a slight level of contempt for almost everyone I know. In school, my best subjects are English and Art, and my worst is Math.

You enjoy long walks on the beach and comedies about pirates.

Thats about as close to what I was like when I was your age as one can get. You've got a lot of life ahead of you, and I'll give you the same advise I give my daughter (she's 19)... Be fantastic, but even more importantly, be intelligent.

Yep. Probably because people are too bloody shallow to actual see my personality outside of a few silly adjectives, so I end up purposely playing a severely exaggerated caricature of myself, mostly because I find it to be deeply amusing for some reason.

I've had a clean up in this thread.

If you're just here to post Gifs, one liners or if you're just here to tell us how you're above answering the question properly then don't bother because it'll just be deleted.

A lot of people are being open and honest in a way that is rare on this forum, so save your bullshit for somewhere else.

Amen to that.

I'm gonna do my best to describe myself, but i'm not always the best:

- I've probably got the writing ability of an 8th grader. Never have been good at being able to express my thoughts through words. I see a lot of people on here writing out sentences that are college level, and I try hard to do that, but it's hard for me for some reason.
- I didn't learn to read until I started school. A lot of people have their parents teach them at a young age, but I had to learn while being in school at the same time. I was put in special reading classes through my entire school career because of it, including my last year of high school.
- I have an addiction to checking my phone every couple minutes if i'm expecting a call from somebody. Needless to say, I have a lot of night where i'm disappointed that I didn't hear from someone. I've also got a phobia of calling people and answering a phone call, so two and two make for some very awkward missed calls and call backs. I'll literally make an excuse as to why I missed a call, when in actuality, I was sitting right there waiting for the voicemail to come in.
- I act stupid in public to shield the fact that I actually don't like to talk to people. I've never been in a comfort zone where I feel like my opinion matters. My girlfriend is the only person I talk to and even then, I can't talk in a serious manner, because like my dad, I've never had an easy time being honest with people, so I try to hide that by joking with them or making them feel like they're being silly, even when they're not...
- I'm very observant. I look at every body that walks near me or around me. My girlfriend thinks it's creepy, but I honestly have no control over it. I have to look at something that is moving in my line of sight, you never know when it's something you need to run away from.
- When I see somebody I know in public, I do my best to make it seem like i'm busy, just so I don't have to engage in conversation.
- I feel like I get personally attacked on the internet all the time, when I really just make it an issue by myself by thinking that they're directing something at me, when they actually aren't. I've tried to work on it, but I have a constant need to defend myself, for some reason.

I feel like a lot of that stuff was negative, but it feel like i'm always quiet about the stuff deep in my system.

Don't beat yourself up. I've seen writing that's a hell of a lot worse than yours; I think you do all right. After all, you can't really maintain a journal without some sort of writing skills (unless you're the Bunny From Hell of course)...

Your phone phobias make me grin. Not saying it's not anything serious but the idea is quite funny, no offence meant. I always got the impression you'd be a cool guy to talk to in real life...

I'll clarify that I do warm up to people the longer I know them, naturally. But i'm not the greatest at "the first approach" if that makes any sense. I rarely open up to people because a lot of negative judgement comes from it. No offense taken either, I know it's rather silly, and i've been working on it by forcing myself to call people. The weird thing is, i'm perfectly fine talking to people over Skype and email, but talking on the phone just bugs me. Part of it comes from the fact that I don't like the possibility that they can hang up at any time and never call me back again. I know it's rather silly, but i've done it for most of my life.

I'm bored

- I'm actually really nice and super protective of people I care about, but I won't back down on my opinions ever. I only am truly mean to people I find to be morally abhorrent, although I make petty snipes at people who I judge harshly for stupid **** all the time ( I do this on here a lot, most recently with Conor/PoorOldPo) . I will always give the people I snipe at for petty **** a second chance though, because that is just me being a snobby dick.

- I think it's hilarious when people say I don't have a sense of humour, I generally laugh at everything. I just don't find sexist/racist/homophobic/transphobic/ fatshaming commentary to be humourous, so I don't laugh at it. I laugh at my own jokes the most, and I really could care less if other people do because I think I'm the funniest person I know. 90% of the **** I do is for my own amusement and I love to laugh at myself because I think I'm the most hilarious cliche ever, even though I know I'm more than that. I think it's just the funniest **** ever and I play it up like nobodies business.

- I have no neutrality whatsoever, on anything. I either love it or absolutely hate it, am bored by it or have to know every little minute detail, want nothing to do with it or want all of it.

- I get bored with describing the shallow surface things about me because quirks are boring but here are a few of mine: I haven't worn pants in 8 yrs, I never answer my phone (unless its for my ignore line), I refuse to touch paper money, I became a vegetarian mostly because of my freakish food quirks, I don't Americanise spellings for aesthetics spellings (for those of you who don't know, I'm American), and I get irrationally angry when people touch me between my shoulder blades

You still feel bad about that?:p:

That was at least a year ago!

Nah I think I've made up for it :) But I notice I do it a lot

I can be pretty sarcastic, and very dry when I do it. Sometimes it doesn't come off that well when people haven't go to know me yet. In fact, I think I may have forgotten how to genuinely compliment someone...

Lying doesn't come naturally to me at all. I'll usually be 100% honest without suiting the situation, but if I do then I'll almost do it like I'm in court...nothing I say is TECHNICALLY false.

Small talk bores me and I'm not good at it, and I avoid it whenever I can. Sometimes I'll start thinking about a funny tangent and laugh out loud about it....and I only recently noticed that I have a relatively loud full laugh. I can sometimes get loud and animated when having a back and forth about something, and can be a bit of a smart arse, puts some people off.

I'm a pessimist/realist. I fear rejection, and I fear regret. Which can be a tough combo at times and I guess I hide them.

I'm pretty direct. My phone conversations are short and sweet. I don't call people for a chat, and I try to wrap them up as fast as possible. I can't browse while shopping, I go in for something particular and either get it or not.

I nearly always put things off until as late as possible, but I'm nearly always on time for things. I over analyse things.

I'm quite happy being alone reading/watching tv/playing games most of the time, I'm not a sociable person a lot of the time, so i'm quite happy not having a wide circle of people but around 5 really good friends. But if I'm socialising I do it properly. If I'm doing something (exercising, eating out, sightseeing) then it's only fun doing it with people. I'm uncomfortable/avoid being the center of attention, and I don't like attention seekers.

It's very difficult to offend me. I like most lewd jokes and don't tend to hold things like nationality/sports etc as things to get offended over. Sometimes I assume the same goes for everyone...which can cause friction.

I don't like posing for photos, I hate it. it stops everything and you fake smile and ugh. I don't mind it if it's a quick shot but stopping and arranging in order...Plus I can't fake smile, I look scary.

I'm either loud and social, or quiet and thoughtful depending on company. I'm 6'4" and I've been told I can be a little intimidating for people who don't know me. I'd never even considered it before. I'm a bit of a pussycat.

And that's a bit more than I was expecting to write.

I was gonna say! I thought it was recent and had missed it :O



What did you say boaby you wideo :D

The best way I find to improve my writing is by reading a lot of literature.. start with something interesting to you and note the writers stylistic elements.

Also, everyone is personally attacked on the internet... not just you. When a comment is made about anything that doesn't agree with the original posters philosophy human nature is to lash back... Just accept it lol.

That really doesn't come across at all. At first I thought you meant story writing ability, because there's nothing wrong with how you write...

You make more sense than most people.

I suppose i'm more critical toward myself since I always feel like my writing isn't up to par. But thanks :)

Handsome, darksome, awesome: me in a nutshell. An optimistic pragmatist with delusions (some with merit, others not) of grandeur. A bit of a health nut, but not the point of irritation. Last to speak, first to listen, and full of bizarre trivia and engaging conversations topics for anyone with an ear to hear.

Oh, and if any of you people had the luck to meet me in reality, I'd be able to quote you on their insurance. :beer:

Emotional but not to the point of annoyance.
Usually the last person on a works night out to sit with whoever is crying and upset about their life and put an arm around their shoulder and comfort them even if I am hurting inside about my ****.
Say the most stupid crap online when drunk because I am not face to face with them and have a mental blockage regarding what's general chat and what is overstepping the mark.
I don't go round hugging trees or open my house up to stray animals but I love the natural world and despise cruelty to animals on any level.
I hate small talk and if nothing interests me when talking to someone then I can be seen to be a miserable bastard.
I am proud of the fact that I am still standing after losing my wife 14 months ago and a very good friend from work last month.
I have very low self esteem, not to the point of disliking myself at all but moreso the fact that I have very little ambitious drive and that maybe has held me back socially and in my career.
I hate mess and untidiness. A few people at work have said that I have OCD which doesn't gel with me. I just like order and cleanliness as the outside is messy enough as it is.

I smoke and drink too much but I have an addictive personality and that's why I don't do hard drugs or gamble because I would just delve into that and stay there.

I am proud of the fact that most people who meet me cannot believe I am nearly 41 or a father of 2 teenagers. Both of my sons friends think I am the coolest dad ever due to the music I listen to or how I conduct myself and that is pleasing.

I am a glass half empty man though and that cannot be changed.

I crave attention especially online and get annoyed when I post albums or films and few reply but again; that is a self esteem flaw.

I like blue eyes, nice asses and women who are confident about themselves in whatever situation. If a woman says 'does my bum look big in this?' then you just know u will have to appease them forever. YES your bum does look big but I like it!

- I have hair that's long enough to sit on. It gets more attention in public than any other characteristic of mine.
- Being alive in the 21st century is a problem to me.
- I prefer the company of cats over humans.
- The only social networking site, or anything close to social networking, that I ever check into more than once a week is tumblr.
- I love all things vintage/retro/kitschy.
- I dislike children.
- I prefer vinyl over any other format.
- I'm terrible at talking to people outside of work.

yeah, I'm just ... very ordinary.

You neglected to say if you are an actual female.
Also, cats are the coolest!
http://www.trollheart.com/ritchie.png

I am, in fact. (Ki could tell you all about that, but that'd just be inappropriate.)

I love cats. They're beautiful and sweet. Children are just.. ugh. They're awful.

Fair enough. I have three (cats, that is, not children) --- that's Ritchie you're looking at. He's totally mad. Check the "Members pets pictures gallery" thread for pictures of my other two babies, and more of Ritchie!

Pretty happy!