Member Questionnaire (Food)

[Attis]

Member Questionnaire 1 (Food)

What is beauty? What is love?

Beauty is a combination of qualities that please the aesthetic senses. For example, a sunset is usually beautiful. Love is the combination of two biologically compatible brains releasing certain chemicals, such as oxytocin and serotonin, plus a high level of respect between the two owners of said brains.

What are your most important values?

Honesty, Truth, Courage

Do you have any sort of spiritual/religious beliefs, and why do you hold (or don't) those beliefs in the first place?

Nope. Religion is a powerful tool for influencing massive amounts of humans, but it has no basis in truth, so I don't subscribe to it. There is no such thing as a soul, as in an incorporeal essence. People do have "souls", but they aren't incorporeal, they're the unique persons that are created in the brain via nature and nurture.

Opinion on war and militaries? What is power to you?

War is what happens when the the use of force will benefit one or more powerful people in positions of authority in societies. Militaries are the organized armed forces of countries. Militaries are only ethical if they're used purely defensively, and there is no draft. Power is the ability to influence, which is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something.

What have you had long conversations about? What are your interests? Why?

I've had long conversation about culture, ethics, politics, psychology, chess, and various video games that I happened to be interested in at the time. My interests are those things. I'm interested in culture because it greatly influences human behavior, which greatly influences the quality of my life. I'm interested in ethics because I'm a human with empathy, and as Aristotle said, happiness depends on the cultivation of virtue. I'm interested in politics because governance will affect me and the people I care about. I'm interested in psychology because the human mind is the most complex structure in the known universe, and understanding it is both fascinating and will help me in my interactions with others. I'm interested in chess and video games because they're fun.

Interested in health/medicine as a conversation topic? Are you focused on your body?

I'm interested in health/medicine because a healthy body leads to a happy mind, and I don't want to die. I wouldn't say I'm focused on my body, but I try to stay healthy.

What do you think of daily chores?

Unpleasant, but they have to be done. I'd rather suffer a bit of unpleasantness now than a lot of unpleasantness later.

Books or films you liked? Recently read/watched or otherwise. Examples welcome.

I don't really watch films or read books.

What has made you cry? What has made you smile? Why?

A close loved one passing has made me cry. Music and memories of my childhood have made me smile. A loved one passing made me cry because I cared deeply for them, and it saddened me that I'll never see them again. Music can make me smile because it triggers emotions in me. Memories of my childhood have made me smile because they are happy memories.

Where do you feel: at one with the environment/a sense of belonging?

I don't feel this anywhere.

What have people seen as your weaknesses? What do you dislike about yourself?

People often tell me that I'm too introverted, I'm too isolated, that I don't style my clothes or my hair properly, and that I don't have friends. I dislike that I'm a human who has failed to provide significant value to others.

What have people seen as your strengths? What do you like about yourself?

People often tell me that I'm intelligent, that I'm calm, that I'm honest. I like these things about myself, although I'm unsure about my intelligence. I've never had it tested.

In what areas of your life would you like help?

I'd like help dealing with a lot of my feelings towards people in my life, I'd like help making friends and interacting with others, and I'd like help enjoying myself.

Ever feel stuck in a rut? If yes, describe the causes and your reaction to it.

Yes. The causes were toxic people in my life, and a toxic mindset towards my life. My reaction to it was to change those things.

What qualities do you most like and dislike in other people? What types do you get along with?

I most like honesty, straightforwardness, and moral courage. I get along with those types of people. I dislike the opposite of those types of people. I despise people who try to impose social norms on me, and who act condescendingly towards me without directly addressing me. Reel Big Fish put it well when they said "Some people have a gift of reaching right into your soul, and finding the hole, and making it bigger."

How do you feel about romance/sex? What qualities do you want in a partner?

I feel that romance/sex is a wonderful part of being human. None of us would be here without it. I would want the same qualities in partner that I listed above as liking in other people. Honesty, straightforwardness, and shared core values. I also think that similar levels of intelligence are important for an intimate relationship. I wouldn't want a partner who was significantly more or less intelligent than I.

If you were to raise a child, what would be your main concerns, what measures would you take, and why?

If I were going to have kids, the first thing I would do was make sure that their mother was a good person. Secondly, I would make sure that I was in a secure financial position to provide a good life for them. Thirdly, I would spend most of my free time studying parenting and taking parenting classes. I would never send my child to public school (it's a hell hole where I live). I would never use force against my child. I would allow my child to sate their natural curiosity and develop into their own person, while doing my best to provide guidance when they want or need it.

A friend makes a claim that clashes with your current beliefs. What is your inward and outward reaction?

You're my friend, so I have a high amount of respect for you, and I trust that you believe what you believe for good reason, so I'm interested in hashing out our disagreement and figuring out the truth of things. What's your argument? What evidence is supporting your claim? If your argument makes more sense than mine, I will adjust my beliefs accordingly.

Describe your relationship to society. How do you see people as a whole? What do you consider a prevalent social problem? Name one.

I mostly keep to myself. I didn't choose to be a member of this society, so I take no pride in being a part of it. The society I live in is run poorly and violates much of my ethics. A prevalent social problem is the criminalization of nonviolent deeds that violate no one's consent, such as prostitution.

How do you choose your friends and how do you behave around them?

I don't have any friends.

How do you behave around strangers?

Avoid talking as much as possible, and keep to myself.