Member Questionnaire 1 (Pa3s)
What is beauty? What is love?
Beauty is essentially order. It's an impression which occurs when the world around you conforms to your inherent notion of how things are supposed to be. Even if you rejected (hierarchical) order itself, the "chaos" you'd prefer is simply another form of order which is devoid of human control. The type of order I'm referring to works on a meta-level and exists beyond human evaluation.

I don't have a high regard of love, as it's simply another natural mechanism in my opinion. I wouldn't go so far and say that love is a biological "trick", because I don't think there is a sentient being who tries to manipulate people and animals. However, love definitely is a very functional and effective (albeit not perfect) biological program. It keeps families together and makes parents take care of their children. It caught on because it proved to be useful for survival. Our society mirrors this importance as different concepts of love occupy large portions of many people's minds.
What are your most important values?
I'm rather egalitarian and advocate social justice (within reasonable limits). Also, independence/freedom is very important to me. However, freedom is always a compromise. Total freedom can only exist for individual at the expense of other people's freedom.
Do you have any sort of spiritual/religious beliefs, and why do you hold (or don't) those beliefs in the first place?
I'm an agnostic atheist and I belive in philosophical materialism (i.e. the belief that only matter exists and everything that occurs can be traced back to it). This is my take on finding answers to questions which can't be sufficiently answered. This makes sense, judging from what I (assume to) know.
Opinion on war and militaries? What is power to you?
Power can be concentrated or spread, but it never goes away. If we build a society completely on the basis of equality with everyone having the same amount of power, it will not last long. It will either be destroyed by an emerging threat from the inside, or by a foreign power which can concentrate the collective power of its people more effectively.

Albert Einstein said it best: “Organized power can be opposed only by organized power. Much as I regret this, there is no other way.”

War is a part of life, just like death. The military is simply a tool for societies to negotiate with different means.
What have you had long conversations about? What are your interests? Why?
I can have long conversations about different topics, but mostly about subjects which are unusual and force people to think about the fundamentals of life or society. How will the universe end? What if all electronic devices suddenly stopped working? Will humanity destroy itself? How will strong A.I. affect our lives? How much of our personality is genetic? Do we have free will? Are ethical decision even possible? Sure, I can talk about cars or the weather as well, but those conversations aren't usually very long.

To be honest though, the "conversations" I have with people tend to be more like monologues as I prefer to figure things out myself and form my own opinions without the input of others. But people tend to be interested in what I have to say (or that's what I think, at least).
Interested in health/medicine as a conversation topic? Are you focused on your body?
I think some aspects of health/medicine are definitely interesting to talk about. However, I don't think I'm much focused on my body. Apart from my personal hygiene and picking the right clothes, it's usually not my first priority.
What do you think of daily chores?
I don't really have daily chores except for taking showers, cooking and brushing my teeth. I do the things which need to be done when I'm ready to do them. Often late, but only if the delay does not cause negative consequences. Even if they are just petty tasks and I actually feel good after doing them, they are annoying and I put them off whenever possible.
Books or films you liked? Recently read/watched or otherwise. Examples welcome.
One movie I recently watched and really liked was Ghost in the Shell.
What has made you cry? What has made you smile? Why?
I remember crying due to stress. It was a situation full of new impressions and procedures. I had several minor problems at that time which made it much more difficult for me to deal with the situation in my own way. That made me lose my peace of mind and I felt exhausted and nervous all the time.

I certainly smile more often than I cry, but most people would probably say that I still smile very rarely. Nice people make me smile, also dumb jokes or clever remarks.
Where do you feel: at one with the environment/a sense of belonging?
Being alone usually does that for me. I'm not a very gregarious person, although I certainly enjoy the company of friends and family. But still, I feel most connected with the environment/"universe" when I'm alone with my thoughts and nobody interferes. That's why I like the late evening/night so much: nobody wants you to do something all of a sudden.

If I think about this place and try to imagine it, I see myself alone, walking though a vast, dead, empty area. Like a desert or a surreal landscape.
What have people seen as your weaknesses? What do you dislike about yourself?
Most of my weaknesses lie in the interpersonal area. I'm bad at maintaning friendships or initiating contact. I'm oblivious when it comes to interpreting relationships between me and other people. I'm a horrible networker. I just don't care enough.

I also have minimal aspirations as I don't know much in life which is really worth the effort. Or rather: I lack the motivation for long-term projects. It sounds depressing, but I don't feel bad about it at all (at least right now).

I don't really dislike any of these traits, as I believe that nobody is perfect and we all have our shortcomings in some aspect or another. To me, my weaknesses are as much a part of myself as my strengths are. They help to define me. Being upset about them would be the same as being upset about the moon because it has craters rather than a smooth surface. It's of no use.
What have people seen as your strengths? What do you like about yourself?
I think people like that I'm dependable and ready to help. Even if I'm often sarcastic I don't intentionally hurt people. When I have a task at hand, I usually do put a lot of effort in it and try to do my best. I like that I can find my own answers when I search long enough and that I'm usually able to make decent/rational decisions. I don't have many desires which makes life a lot easier for me.
In what areas of your life would you like help?
It's always good to have someone knowledgeable/sensible to ask if I need a advice on anything. Nothing specific comes to mind, though.
Ever feel stuck in a rut? If yes, describe the causes and your reaction to it.
I sometimes feel like that when the solution to a problem is beyond my influence. Like finding a job. This tends to get annoying, because you can only do so much to work on the issue. If it will work out the way you want ultimately depends on the decision of other people.

I my personal life, I'm almost never bored. I can always find something interesting to do.
What qualities do you most like and dislike in other people? What types do you get along with?
The traits I value most in people are sincerity, dependability and integrity. I tend to get along with most people since I'm very undemanding when it comes to simple coexistence. I simply avoid the people I don't like. Regarding friends, however, I do have pretty high standards.
How do you feel about romance/sex? What qualities do you want in a partner?
Rather indifferent. I believe that my partner needs to be very similar to me (and understand me intuitively) or else I'd constantly have to make compromises while still not being the person my partner would want to be with. She should be a honest, independent and intelligent person but also genuinely friendly. I can't stand conceited bitches.
If you were to raise a child, what would be your main concerns, what measures would you take, and why?
If I had a child, I'd teach them to see things as they are and not how they are interpreted by some people. This is easier said than done and I struggle with it myself, but this is a valuable advice for life. I'd say something like "Know yourself, accept the things you can't change and do what you think is right". Everything else is secondary.
A friend makes a claim that clashes with your current beliefs. What is your inward and outward reaction?
That's usually no problem. Actually, it makes the issue more interesting and I probably would like to discuss it, even if it involved a very controversial topic. It would be pretty boring if everyone always agreed with me. However, it would be good if people I like agreed with my values and such, as conflicting values can sometimes pose a (permanent) problem in relationships.
Describe your relationship to society. How do you see people as a whole? What do you consider a prevalent social problem? Name one.
I could say that I exist outside of society, but I actually don't think that this is true. Everyone is in some way part of society, even if they rarely interact with its other members. Society can be seen as a large organism, like a colony of bacteria. We're all humans and focus mainly on our individual life, while involuntarily shaping and modifying the superoganism of the human race at the same time. I wouldn't say that society has certain problems, it just exists within the present conditions.
How do you choose your friends and how do you behave around them?
This is something intuitive, it's just a matter of vibe. If I feel like I can easily communicate with them and we think alike, we have good chances to become friends. When I'm with friends I can behave naturally. Friends are the people who are the least annoying.
How do you behave around strangers?
Quiet and reserved. I don't like meeting new people.