I also filled out the 80 question thingy!
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1. General to specific, specific to general – what does it mean?
Big picture—individual example. Individual example—big picture.
2. What does “logical” mean? What is your understanding? Do you think that it correlates with the common view?
The term 'logical' refers to anything that can reasonably argued for given a set of rules or principals. I googled it, looks pretty close to the internet definition.
- How do you explain fractions on the dial of the clock?
I don't totally understand this question—aren't all measurements on a clock supposed to be fractions of the day? I guess that is a reasonable answer.
4. What is a rule? What rules you must to follow?
Rules are the fundamental blocks of games. When rules are simple and understood, say in a game like Risk or Settlers of Catan, we can see and understand all of the rules, and make predictive estimations how the game will be resolved and we can break the rules with impunity. When a game is larger than our minds can conceive of and impossibly complicated, like simulation we all live in which we call the universe, we can barely hope to comprehend the easy rules, like gravity, and breaking the complicated rules, like the speed of light is out of the question. (Your life is a game. Enjoy it!)
5. What is hierarchy? Do you need to follow it? Why or why not?
Hierarchy is a system by which fewer and fewer individuals differentiate themselves from the many. Often a sort of pyramidal totem pole, hierachies are apparent in all aspects of modern political and economic life—the 1% vs the 99%, corporate ladders, military rank—not to mention in families. Hierarchies make sense when they are based on merit, yet, I see no evidence that the major hierarchies that adults participate in are based on merit. Usually they are merely power structures designed to reinforce party loyalty. These are systems which wash away individual identity, help the powerful express greater power.
I avoid hierarchies at all costs. Even in business I try to be first among equals in positions of authority, though I tend to shy away from democratic decision making, but I do not delineate authority to vassals and middle managers.
6. What do you think of instructions? Do you use them? Could you write an instruction manual? If so, what type of instruction manual would you most likely write?
I love instructions—I make games, that means lots of instruction manual writing! I actually almost got a job writing instruction manuals for a commercial truck company right out of college. I love technical writing, and even more when it is explaining how games work!
7. Please explain: “Freedom is in complying with the laws, but not in ignoring the laws”? Do you agree with the statement? Why?
War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.
Fuck the guy who is quoted here. I can't even find them online. Hopefully that means he is widely forgotten.
Freedom is being able to do what one wills. Laws are set for all sorts of reasons, sometimes benevolently, like preventing murder; sometimes maliciously, like rules preventing the issuing of licences to guarantee monopoly power to favored corporations; sometimes horrifically, like to subjugate a group of citizens to slavery because they have they have black skin.
8. Tell us how consistent are you?
I try to seem like a consistent person, mostly so I will be taken seriously, but it is very difficult for me to keep up the ruse. I am very impressionable, to the point of gullibility. The grass often seems greener somewhere else, regardless of how little I know about the other lawn.
9. What is a “standard”? Why do people need it?
A standard is a unit which people have agreed to. These are important for all sorts of things, not the least of which would be all of the sciences, languages and mathematics that anyone ever wanted to share with another person.
10. You need to put in order your home library. How do you feel about this activity? How will you approach this task?
I have a lot of books in boxes. I usually keep 15-20 books that I plan to read next to my bed or on my desk. I don't usually organize them, though they tend to order themselves into a hierarchy of how much I like them (with a little variance for wandering interest.)
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1.What is work in your opinion? Why do people go to work? Are there any parameters where you can distinguish whether you can do this work or not?
Work is what we call the activities that are paid wages in our society, this also answers the second question, people go to work to get paid wages. I tend to find anything routine impossible. Even manual labor appeals to me, but never for more than a few days. I am a game designer and my work can vary from writing lore, balancing gameplay, and creating new mechanics all in one day.
2.Is there any correlation between quality and quantity? Tell us if or how the price depends on quality?
I guess that this question is asking if products tend to increase in price as they become qualitatively better? And maybe you can get more of something similar if you accept that it is of a lower quality? I do believe in quality differences in products, but I don't think that price tends to be a good indicator of relative quality. And yeah... there tend to be a lot of products that compete on cost and relative quality for nearly every product imagine. Great question. (This is a great test though, love the rest of them, A+ to whoever made this. I really don't mean to be too critical. Maybe too snarky though.)
3.How do people determine the quality of work? How do you determine such quality? How well you can determine the quality of any purchase, do you pay any attention to it?
Really, really randomly. The people whose work I have the least respect for determine the quality of work by gauging how long it took to complete. The people who I have most respect for put their work on display for criticism by experts in their field; for creative work, they display their work for experts and the public and try to please both groups.
I like to believe that I am willing to accept critical perspectives on my work, though I know this is an area in which I could improve. I am very good at bringing my work to people I have vetted as experts who I can communicate well with. I am learning to accept the critical perspectives of people who I don't see eye to eye with, but who I recognize as knowledgeable in my field.
4.How do you feel if you didn’t finish some work? Does it ever happen? What are the reasons?
My work tends to be sprawling. I have many tasks that need to be finished over many months. I often will stop feeling interested in one area of my work, and will go do something else. In this way I regularly don't finish work, but I always return to it. My deadlines are often so long that it would take a real act of will to not complete something.
5.What is “interesting work” for you? Please explain in detail.
Making games!
6. You go to the store and see something you’re interested in buying, there is a price tag on it. What parameters are you going to use to understand if it’s overpriced, underpriced, or priced correctly?
I usually get the same things every time I go to the store. I also only go grocery shopping, and mostly at Trader Joes. If I go to Costco I usually think, 'this is 10-30% cheaper than Trader Joes, but I have to buy 3 times as much.' If I go to Kroger I usually think 'this has a lot of ingredients I won't eat, don't worry about the price.' I guess I honestly don't think about it too much.
I shop online and will usually do a couple google searches for similar items. There it is.
7. When you work and someone tells you: “You don’t do it right.” What is your reaction?
I usually try to quickly figure out if they could possibly know something I don't. Then if I think they might, I try to listen, regardless of any hurt feelings. Otherwise I just smile and nod.
I try to deal with criticism gently, but I think if someone phrased their criticism as “you don't do it right” I would probably say something snarky trying to go over their head.
8. Right next to you there is a real professional. You always see that you can’t perform the way he does. Your feelings, thoughts and actions?
I really don't think there is anyone who is leaps and bounds beyond my skill in my profession. If I was rudely awakened I think I would be really excited to see them in action.
I have played a lot of games competitively at the highest level, and the skill difference between me and the best in the world was sometimes fairly noticeable. I definitely felt jealousy, but certainly no hard feelings towards them, only a desire to get better.
9. When you have to ask someone else to help you with the task, how do you feel?
I like asking for help, especially when it means sharing my work with close friends and experts in my field. I have never felt bad asking for directions either! Am I even a man!?
10. You need to build a pyramid, exactly like in Egypt. Your thoughts, feelings and actions?
I wouldn't do it. Slavery is wrong.
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1.Tell us what is beauty? Do you change your opinion about beauty? Does your understanding correlate with the generally accepted notion? What goes beyond the generally accepted notion?
I am quite colorblind and tend to ignore the outside world. I do appreciate art and music, but most of all literature. These seem to be pretty popular places to seek beauty. I am really into fantasy and sci-fi world building, and tend to think this is quite beautiful. Maybe that goes beyond generally accepted notions of beauty.
2. Describe, please, your understanding of a beautifully dressed man or a woman. What is the core of beauty? How do you explain what is beautiful to a person who has never heard about beauty before?
For both men and women, dress standards seem to be polarized around formal wear and hipster garb, suits and dresses or the opposite end of the spectrum worn or dated clothing that is combined well.
I have never really thought about how I would explain what a beautiful person is. I would probably make some remark about social constructions of beauty within my culture like the one before, and talk a bit about the value we place on masculinity and musculature in men, and femininity and youth in women.
3. Is there a template of understanding what beautiful means for everyone to use? Is there such a term as “classical beauty”? If so, what is it?
Yikes, no. Beauty is a construction in individuals minds that is shaped by the society they live in. The term 'classical beauty' mostly seems to mean the constructions of beauty that have held up over the last few generations. Gross.
4. What is comfort? What is coziness? How do you create your comfort and coziness? How do others evaluate your skill in doing so? Do you agree with them?
Comfort and coziness are relaxation, freedom from work, responsibility, and worries. Warmth, good food, quiet, calm.
I don't think anyone thinks I am great at creating these atmospheres. I don't blame them, but I think I am alright. I take it easy at work, relaxing a lot during the day, playing games and reading often. Though, I am a notably bad cook, have hand writing and drawing skills of a small child, and tend to be a bit too talkative and loud from time to time.
5. How do you pick your own clothes? Do you follow fashion? Why? Do you know how to select clothes for different types of figures?
I wear the same clothes I bought during high school for the most part. My best looking clothes are all purchased for me, usually as presents. The pants go on the bottom; the shirts go on the top, (No. I definitely do not know how to select clothes for different types of figures.) It would be nice if someone would dress me.
6. How do you cook? Do you follow recipes? What others think about your skill?
I make eggs. That is basically it. I can't stand the monotony of cooking. Following a recipe is downright painful. 5 Minutes at the pan making eggs or using the microwave is about all that I can handle. No one even considers asking me to cook. (I make my wife drip coffee every morning!)
Oh! I like stirring!
7. Are you good at color patterns and mixing them and matching?
No. I am very Red-Green colorblind. I also have trouble with the part of the spectrum that includes blue-purple-teal and sometimes aqua. I tend to mix up colors that are close to other colors pretty often.
8.If someone is telling you what is beautiful and what is not, what goes with what color and what is not, do you agree with this person?
I don't usually have an opinion to share. I guess I usually just agree and go with the flow.
9. Tell us how you’d design any room, house or an office. Do you do it yourself or trust someone else to do it? Why?
My office is very simple. A desk, a chair, a computer. Sometimes a clutter of papers or dishes for ambiance. I did it myself!
I would definitely have someone else design any other room that I was ever expected to use. This is clearly not my area of special talent.
10. How do you know if a person has bad taste? Could you give us an example? Do you always trust your own taste or do you seek opinions from others?
If someone doesnt' like cheese, I KNOW they have bad taste. I generally differ to others on these matters.
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1. Can you line up human resources and make them do things? What methods do you use? Can you press people? If so, how does it happen?
I can get people to act through force, but it pains me to do it. I hate being demanding or commanding, but at times I know that I have to. I can easily raise my voice, and command a group, but it never feels good to do.
2. What is incursion? How do you deal with this? Can you repulse? How easy can you do it?
Incursion? Like a military attack into an opponent's territory? Does repulse then mean in this context, to repulse an attack? I tend to avoid physical confrontation.
3. What does “my people” and “strangers” mean? When do “my people” become “strangers” and why?
Is this some racist shit?
4. Are there strategies of attack? Can you use them? When is it justified?
I love strategizing and planning. I am not an expert at executing complicated schemes, but I draw them up really well. Justified: on the football field.
5. Do you think it’s ok to occupy someone else’s territory? In what situations?
Militarily? God no. Military occupations are some of the most embarrassing aspects of modern society.
6. What are the methods of volitional force? When is it most effective and in what situations?
The methods of volitional force: violence and willpower. Effective in a fight, but not very nice!
7. How do you protect yourself and your interests?
Planning. Also living in a society with strong rule of law helps.
8. Describe to us your behavior in the situations of opposition and if you have to use some force?
I tend to extricate myself from any serious conflicts. The only time I face real opposition is gaming, where I can be pretty competitive, but it is expressed in a totally non-violent way.
9. Do others think of you as a strong person? Do you think you are a strong person?
I am fairly big and tall, and usually in good shape. I can squat a lot (lol).
10. How do you understand if a person is strong? Are there any signs of a strong person? What is the core of any force? Why do people listen to one person, but not the other?
I really think that people can estimate others' testosterone levels pretty accurately. Maybe it is a glare in the eyes or the heaviness of the brow. This seems like the most important factor in who listens to whom. The core of force is the threat of force—when force is implicit it is most menacing.
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1. What is boorishness? Does your understanding of it correlate with the generally accepted notion? How would you explain to a 10 year old child what boorishness means?How would you explain the same to an adult who does not behave ethically?
Rudeness, a lack of social grace or manners. Sounds like the commonly accepted notion to me. I don't think I would ever actually try to describe boorishness to a child, but if I had to, I would probably tell them to follow the golden rule. For an adult I would probably just laugh and tell them to do their thing, who tells off an adult, anyways.
2. How would you improve the moral of the society?
Get people to think about the results of their actions. Make corporations pay for the damage they do to the environment, or pass those costs onto consumers. Educate people about the economic system they live in, how wealth is distributed in the rich world, and how many people globally live on less than 2 dollars a day.
3. Can you justify somebody’s bad behavior by thinking that he/she wasn’t taught how to do so?
Yes, this is obviously a legitame reason for not knowing something. Tautologically, if you have never learned something how could you know it.
4. Give us your understanding of love. Can you love and punish at the same time?
Love is caring for another person as much or more than yourself without the expectation of getting anything from them in return. You can not punish someone you love, no. If a child needs discipline, you teach. Punishment is a construction of early human society, and has become merely a method of reinforcing existing power structures. Punishment was the most effective method of deterrence only before it could be replaced with psychological and surveillance technologies.
5. Have you heard about the Southern hospitality? Everything is for the guest. There is also a German hospitality – the master of the house is always right. What method is the right one? Try to evaluate without the weight of any cultural aspects, traditions, nations etc.
I don't do well with absolutes. Neither of these hospitalities makes any sense to me, people should find what works for them. No one is always right, taken to an even moderate extreme these philosophies lead to idiotic behavior.
6. What is sympathy? When do you need to express it? When is it advised not to?
Sympathy is expressing emotion and understanding for someone else's situation. It is most needed when people are in a state of suffering. I guess it would be advisable not to show sympathy when someone is acting monstrously.
7. Are there any norms of behavior in the society? Do you follow them? Do people always have to follow them? Why?
Thou shalt not eat thine neighbor. Yes I have managed to follow this rule my entire life. Not everyone has followed this rule, I guess they just really liked eating people.
8. How do you know what attitude among people is right or wrong?
Is this question asking, when in certain company, do I know how to adjust my behavior or attitude to compliment the dynamics of the group? The answer is no. Gross, be yourself.
9 . What does moral mean? What is immoral? Does your understanding correlate with the others? How can you evaluate the correctness of your own understanding?
Something is moral if it acts for good of society, it is immoral if it doesn't. I see morality with less importance then others and I don't ponder much about my understanding of it.
10. Somebody is giving you a negative attitude – what is your reaction? Could you show your own negative attitude toward someone else? If so, how? Could you give a person the silent treatment? How easily do you forgive people?
I often don't even pick up on peoples negative attitudes, I generally just go on doing my own thing. I would probably avoid someone before treating them poorly. I have never given someone the silent treatment before. I forgive only when someone makes a heartfelt and honest apology, though it takes a serious problem for me to be unhappy with someone.
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1."Whole world does not cost one tear of child" – how do you understand this phrase? Do you agree with this opinion?
I think this means that the world revolves around the other individual. We, as individuals, must do everything in our power to be kind and loving towards our partner. I really don't agree with this ideal, but I understand those that follow it. I think we should consider the whole of humanity above the individual.
2.Is it acceptable to express emotions? Give examples of inappropriate expression of emotions.
I will often conceal my emotions, but I think that being able to express them is a virtue. That said, I find most expressions of jealousy and anger to be disgusting.
3.Can you use negative emotions? In what situations?
I hide my negative emotions and experience them mostly in private.
4.How do you express negative emotions? What does it look like? What do others think about it?
I generally experience negative emotions as depression, loss of excitement about my work, and general loss of interest in my life. I hide it from most everyone except my wife who knows that I just need gentleness and time.
5.Shallow emotions – what does it mean? Are there any other emotions?
Shallow emotions are emotions that are not tethered to anything in the real world. There are certainly important and deep emotions, feeling strongly about the the unfairness of the world, violence towards children, or a million other issues is not shallow. Nor is being moved by a truly beautiful work of art.
6.What are right or wrong emotions?
All emotions have a place. Emotions can be wrongly expressed when they do not make sense given the circumstances—anger at the poor for not working hard enough is common where I live—I find this an absurdly wrong place to express ones self.
7.Can you change the emotional state of yourself? Of others? To what side – positive or negative?
I think I am pretty good at cheering people up. I love to help people I care about by giving my time or money to improve their lives.
8.What does it mean to “pour out your emotions”? How does it happen?
I think this refers to a period of intense emotional expression which is likely pouring with tears, and the synergistic experience of feeling many emotions simultaneously. This can be brought about by feelings of intense elation or stress.
9.Does your internal emotional state correlate with what you show externally?
Not at all. I go to work every day with a big smile on my face no matter what I am feeling internally.
10.Do you track what mood you are in throughout the day? Do you notice the mood of others?
I really don't, sometimes I feel my bad feelings trying to creep out, but then I generally just get quiet and focus on my work. I don't tend to notice the moods of others unless they are pretty extreme, like someone is crying out for help.
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1. Do you like surprises?
I tend to like to feel like I am in control of my destiny. Sometimes a nice suprise, can be alright, but it is certainly not something I would like every day.
2. Tell us how people change? How do you feel about those changes? Can others see the changes?
People change very erratically. I am not great at gauging how people think or feel about anything, and am actually often surprised to find out someone really likes me or dislikes me. I think most everyone is oblivious to changes in the major changes in others' personalities.
3. Is it true that whatever happens is only for the best?
Not at all. The best is relative. Things happen for all sorts of reasons.
4. What do you think of horoscopes, fortune telling etc.? Do you believe in luck, lucky fortuity?
They are playthings—horoscopes are basically just made up, fortune telling has no predictive power—luck does not exist.
5. Can you forecast events? Is it even real?
I like to think that I am decent at forecasting events, especially in the political and economic spheres. I read a lot of different news papers every day.
6. What is time? How do you feel time? Can you “kill” time? How?
Time is what we experience as passing while the action of the universe unfolds. I feel time only when I focus on and think about it. I can kill time best by playing games that are all encompassing in my life—World of Warcraft is the best example—there are many tasks to focus on one after another. Some of them are intense and require critical thought and quick reflexes like pvp, others are slow and meticulous like buying and selling for profit on the auction house. There is always something to do.
7. Is it easy for you to wait for some important event? What if you don’t know when it is supposed to happen?
When important events are approaching I often lose focus of everything else in my life, my work will slow down, I ignore hunger. I often leave so early for important meetings that I arrive an hour or more early.
When I don't know when important events are going to happen I tend to get anxious. I overthink things when I have only a kernel of information, even if that little kernel isn't close to enough information to formulate a guess with.
8. Do you need help creating forecasts and determining how something will end? Do you trust those forecasts?
I like to think that I am decent forecaster. I trust myself overmuch in these situations though, and often treat conjecture as fact.
9. Are you normally late? How do you react if someone is late?
I am absolutely never late, but I don't get too annoyed with people who are.
10. Imagine the situation where you agreed to meet with someone. Your feelings and actions: a) 20 minutes before the meeting starts, b) 5 minutes before the meeting starts, c) it is time for the meeting to start, but the person is not here, d) 20 minutes after the meeting start time and the person is not here, e) more time and the person is still not here…
A. I always arrive by this time. I generally go through my ideas for the meeting again during this time. B. Same deal, sometimes I worry if I am in the right place! C. No change from B. D. I worry that I am in the wrong place, try to call whomever I am waiting for. E. If they aren't answering... I still stick around! I am such a chump.
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1. Is there a meaning of life? In what? Is it the same for everybody?
We create the meaning in our lives. Everyone has different motivations.
2. What should be done so people can be happy?
People should be left to their own devices unless their actions are going to negatively affect others. Society is so perverse today that we look at those who do the most harm as the heroes of the world and shower them with power and special tax treatment. I am speaking of course, of the super rich.
To make people truly happy we need to find a way to encourage people to do what they love, not only what will earn them money.
3. In the situations with a lot of potential and volatility will you trust your own guts, logically calculating everything or will you ask people you trust what should be done?
I trust my gut, calculate and roll the dice. I am not good at trusting others during times of stress.
4. When you meet a stranger, what can you say about him right away? How do you know what this person is all about? Does it take long to understand someone’s talents?
I quickly try to assess everything about someones personality from their outward appearance. I am decently trained in sales skills, and often probe with a lot of questions. I think I am exceptional at uncovering peoples talents, and finding out their core motivations. On the other hand, I am horrible at gauging their feelings towards me, and will often be rudely awakened to the fact that they think I am rude and annoying, or worse, only interested in them for their talents and not their soul!
5. Remember an interesting person and call out 5-6 qualities you think are interesting in him. What would make a person not interesting? Are you an interesting person? Why? What if someone calls you “boring” and “not interesting”?
I think Rick Sanchez from Rick and Morty is really interesting. He is inventive and scientific, while maintaining a cool and rational perspective. He is also always speaking his mind, not considering social niceties.
Most people aren't interesting, in my opinion. This is not some huge character flaw, but most people are grounded in their own cultures or are worried about saying something hurtful and don't share the richness of their internal world.
No one has ever accused me of being boring or not interesting. Talking too much, annoying (af) and talking out my ass, those are the things that I have become accustomed to hearing.
6. What opinions, from people who know you, seem: 1) fair; 2) not fair; 3) hurtful; 4) strange.
I kind of feel like if I answer this question fully it will take up too much space so I am just going to give 1 example with 4 different perspectives here. 1) People think that I change my mind a lot. 2) It is hard to keep track of where I stand on certain issues, 3) I am intellectually dishonest in debate and care more about winning than holding a principaled position, 4) I make everything I say up and it is not grounded in any real facts.
7. Do you fantasize? What kind of fantasies do you have?
I constantly fantasize. I build fantasy worlds for a living, and I daydream about my favorite books every day.
8. What qualities should a person have to be successful and why?
I think success can be measured in a lot of different ways, but lets just focus on business. I think the most important skill in this arena is the development of technical skills for analyzing big data. We live in a time when decision making can be scientific. I know that this is not my area of expertise, but I really believe it is the ultimate skill. I see myself as a successful person, but I know that if I were have been better trained in programming and economics I would be a better manager.
9. What qualities can stop a person from being successful and why?
I think the best answer to this question is lack of education. Without highly developed skills it is impossible to differentiate oneself from the enormous mass of workers in the world, and the same is true for businesses. There is intense competition for every job and sales niche imaginable.
10. What is more important in life – to be a good person or be a successful one? Why? Is a good person always successful? If not, then why?
I think the answer for me is successful, but that is because my vision of personal success require that I live my life in a way that serves others (my idea of a 'good person').
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