Expanding my interests...

[autographedcat]

Well, not so much acquiring new ones (heaven forfend) as doing a better job of cataloging them.

Way back when I started this journal, I filled out the "Personal info" section and had my usual reaction to the "interests" question. My brain just locked up and refused to cooperate. Part of this is the problem being eccentric, eclectic, and having catholic tastes. Part of this is just that I generally HATE talking about myself. When someone says to me "So, tell me about yourself.", my most articulate responses usually begin with the phrase, "Well, er..."

Still, there's an awful lot of people on my friends list, and surely I have things in common with them, since they're my friends, right? So why not let them help out?

I spent the morning taking a look at the interests of every one who is currently listed on my friends list. As I scanned those lists, I noted all the things they listed that were also an interest of mine. So now I have a much longer, much more accurate (though still hardly complete) list of interests in my profile. Yay me.

Those of you who have read this far wondering if I had a point -- well, no, sorry. This post doesn't even really have any good navel gazing. But I have said I want to post more often, so here's a post. I'll try and put something of substance in the next one, which I may write after lunch.

Comments

I could have wrote this post...

[snowy.livejournal.com]

I suffer from the same disease... anti-me disease?

It's followed me into interviews.. I don't promote myself very well. When I talk to someone, I ask them questions about themselves.. I'd much rather hear that than for me to try to talk about myself. That's a great idea you had though, I think I just may swipe it from you.

Re: I could have wrote this post...

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have found myself searching for things to say in job interviews as well...to the point that I've scripted and rehearsed how to answer the question BEFORE the interview.

Feel free to steal it. I found it a very useful exercise (and ended up with an interests list that is much closer to reflecting me than I did before).

Love,
-R

[apel.livejournal.com]

I thought the point was to talk about how you relate to LJ and a bit of self-exploration. That's what I took away from the post.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Heh. I wish I'd thought of that when I wrote it, then I could have sounded ever so much more profound than I really was. <G>

[apel.livejournal.com]

Somebody on my friends list is a member of blog_sociology...

[pola-bear.livejournal.com]

I'll probably do this when i have time (hah! time!)

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

That's more or less what I did, though you're a lot more sytematic about it. That's how I went from a half dozen or so to begin with to... however many I have now. :)

Dust Thou Art

[(Anonymous)]

Ya know, if you were just a lump of soil, it would have been a lot easier to put the list
together. :)

Ann Onynous.

[rectangularcat]

Hi,

I was perusing my friends of friends list and I saw your userid and had to add you! (well maybe also for the interesting reads).

Nice interest list. I did exactly the same thing when I started my LJ and now it makes mostly my friends come up first on a search by interest!

Anyhow, hi again.
Mona

[highstone.livejournal.com]

Interests? Ah yes, didn't even try to list everything I muck about with, so I just stick stuff on there as I recall it...A lot more composers could go up on the list, but Berlioz has that particularly unhinged attitude that I can empathise with.