Stereotypes: Debunk That Junk

[MissCris]

Right now in this forum, stereotypes are flying around like the Wicked Witch's (creepy) flying monkeys on a mission. They're causing debate and annoyance and strife.

Unfortunately, we all fit into one stereotype or another, or a whole bunch at once. That's just how the world works; it likes to categorize humans and label them and put them in neat little boxes.

But I say DOWN WITH STEREOTYPES! DON'T BE BOXED IN! STAND AND FIGHT YOU SCURVY DOGS....er...maybe not that. Anywaaay...

Things this thread is for:

-Tell us a stereotype category you fall into. Examples:
-Gender
-Race
-Physical traits (i.e, weight, height, hair color...)
-Personality traits (i.e, hobbies, interests, extroversion or introversion)

-Tell us in what way you DO fit the stereotype

-Tell us in what ways you do NOT fit the stereotype

I'll go first since I'm already here...

I get "mom" stereotyped a lot. As in, because I have kids, I've had people assume certain things about me:

~that I never think about or talk about anything other than my kids and kid-related topics
~that I'm one of those mothers who constantly posts kid photos on facebook
~that I won't mind babysitting because hey, I already have kids so why not add a few more
~that I should spend all my energy on my kids
~ that I love babies

I know why people assume these things; there are plenty of women who do become kind of Mommy Robots once they give birth. And that's fine, but it's not true of me.

I think about and talk about my kids, yes. But I also think about and talk about a multitude of other things as well. I have interests entirely separate from motherhood (inconceivable!) and Yes, I sometimes share pictures of my kids on Facebook. I hope not to the point where it's annoying, but it does happen.

I hate babysitting other people's children. I'm not a kid person. I like my own kids, but keep yours to yourself.
And babies...*shudder*...I've never been a fan.

So...how about you guys?

 

[persNickety]

Introversion stereotype-
I can actually be quite social, and I want to be the center of attention in sometimes
I can be quite assertive at work, with people and in public when I feel it's necessary
I'm not shy, but selective.
May not speak up but my mind is racing- analyzing and processing.

Christian-
I am not Ned Flanders

Young-looking-
I am not 21
Don't treat me like I am

Epilepsy-
I am actually tired from my meds, not lazy when I need to nap
When I forget things, it's not because I don't care or don't pay attention
My condition is not a result of being possessed by a demon (people still believe this due to the boy in the book of Matthew)
We don't all smell burnt toast. I don't smell anything with my aura.

 

[Ugly]

Well, i for one, am a fan of labels on people. To an extent at least. Truth is people are often able to be labeled for a reason. Now, do to the fact that humans, by nature, are quirky and unique in ways that stand apart from certain labels, when labeling someone you have to keep that in mind. There are always exceptions to the rules.
So to me these labels need to be used as a broad idea of how a person is more likely to be, rather than a rigid description of what that person must obviously be. Such as introverts/extroverts. These come in differing levels and as a result a person with one of these labels may not function in all ways as you might expect. Some introverts actually do well in social settings but the introversion may just mean that they need to be alone to recharge after a night of heavy, enjoyable socialization, as opposed to meaning they are shy and timid. But, still, knowing that this person is an introvert, this label, allows you some knowledge in how to deal with them. Such as knowing that they may need to go home and recharge after a night out, rather than trying to drag them to more places or pushing them to repeat the next night. In this case, a loose application of the introvert label is a good thing.
As a person that enjoys reading people, body language... an observer, you realize that the best way to do this is to categorize (label, stereotype, whatever) people. Creating these labels helps in identifying and predicting behavior. So as much as this world balks at the notion of being put into a box, the reality is these boxes already exist. These labels only become a bad thing when you assume that a person will always fit neatly into an idea of who or what they are because of the label. A wise person can apply the label, but also watch for the variations in the individual that causes them to not fit so neatly. You can still recognize individuality and uniqueness while at the same time realizing that that same person will fit into a category in many ways at the same time.

That ramble done some things that i feel i've been stereotyped as, whether in more recent times or even in the past..

~i'm a satanic drug user because i like metal.
In reality i've never as much as tried drugs and i've never been drunk even. I was saved at 14, so most of my life i've been a Christian and was raised as a Christian.

~that i only like one type of music because it is my most outward expression.
Just because one part of me shows more than others doesn't mean i'm limited to that.

~that i am 'scary' or 'intimidating' (both words i've heard used in reference to me more than once).
~that i'm 'harsh' or 'cold' (again words i've heard about myself).
Anyone who has ever taken time to actually get to know me quickly realizes none of these are true. I may come across as cold or harsh, but this has more to do with a lack of social skills to communicate what i'm really thinking and feeling. In reality i am much more emotional and feeling things much more deeply than even most of my closest friends realize. I have a stronger sympathy and empathy towards many people than i am often comfortable expressing. And despite my claim otherwise in another thread i can, at times, be brought to tears way more than i'd like haha.
Scary and intimidating? Again, until you get to know me. I've been called 'a big teddy bear' or similar more than i'd care to be. haha. Usually from people who first thought i was intimidating but got to know me better.

~Like Aresnickety said above, just because i'm an introvert doesn't mean i don't like socialization. I just prefer it in a more one on one setting. Often times i love to chat with people, just not in a group. But, more to what Aresnickety said, i can have moments where i come out of that. Anyone who has spent time in Singles knows that 95% of the time i barely speak in the room, but i do have bursts where i become very outgoing and involved in the public chats. But as an introvert it is very draining on me and i often feel mentally and sometimes even physically drained afterwards.

~I get some of the gender labels, such as because i'm a guy i must like sports. In reality i hate most sports. Mostly the only sport i watch on a somewhat regular basis is MMA, and even that i just enjoy when it's on. I don't often seek it out or scream at the TV when watching it.

Wow... this is probably one of my longer posts, and most revealing. My inner introvert now feels awkward and that i've said too much and should cut about half of this out so not to be so easily noticed in the thread, or feel like i'm seeking attention. Bleh.
But my blunt side says 'who cares, if they don't like it they don't have to read it' haha.

 

[Shouryu]

My thoughts are...stereotypes exist for a reason. I, therefore, don't believe stereotypes are necessarily wrong. I think there are good and bad stereotypes, and there are true and false stereotypes. Bad and false stereotypes are simply misguided generalizations, and they exist because society has taken a few random examples and applied it with a broad stroke. Good/true stereotypes are generalizations that actually have roots in truth, and they exist for a legitimate reason.

Let's start really broad, for example. If what the media tells us is to be believed, approximately 10% of the population is homosexual. (Personally, I believe the media inflates this number, because 1 out 10 people who I know are not gay. Maybe 1 out of 20, 25 or so.) So let's start with a broad stereotype, and we'll use this statistic.

Men like women.
Women like men.

Those are blanket generalizations, stereotypes, if you will...that are ACCURATE. It is not a lie to say that, in general, men prefer to be with women and vice versa. According to the statistic, that stereotype will be accurate 90% of the time. There's ALWAYS going to be the exception, which is why a stereotype, even a true one, is never completely true...and that's where you run into trouble. There are general stereotypes about the sexes that are more true than false (but there are plenty of exceptions):

Women like to shop.
Men like sports.
Women are more emotional.
Men are more instinctive.

The issue is that people see stereotypes as AUTOMATICALLY offensive. I don't. As I said, stereotypes exist for a reason. I'll throw out two "positive" stereotypes, both of which do not offend me, but rather amuse me.

Asians like rice.
Asians are good at math.

Both stereotypes have roots in truth. Asians DO eat a lot of rice! It's a part of our culture - a staple food. It's the same thing as saying "Westerners eat a lot of bread." It's truth. Are there Asians who DON'T like/eat rice? I'm sure there are, and they're the exception. But as a broad generalization, it's pretty much true. The stereotype about math is ALSO mostly true, but here, I'm an exception. I was the Asian kid in school who WASN'T good at math. Hated math. Despised it. Still do. All the other Asian kids in my school were math whizzes; they weren't all in math club, per se, but none of them struggled the way I did. So here, the stereotype doesn't apply to me...but it doesn't make the stereotype untrue. It just makes me one of the exceptions to which the stereotype does not apply. I don't get offended when people infer that I'm good at math, I either get mock-offended (because that's funny to me) or I just say, "Nope, not me. Hate math."

[video=youtube;1AJ4ASHDoZU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AJ4ASHDoZU[/video]

I think the real issue with stereotypes comes into play with stereotypes that make us assume the worst about groups of people. It's when you're assuming the worst about something that our fleshly nature begins to discriminate subconsciously, and it's where a stereotype begins to become racism or sexism or other -isms. These stereotypes exist for a reason, too, but for bad reasons. Usually it's rooted in an -ism that already exists BEFORE THE STEREOTYPE...and someone sees someone of the race or gender they've already got an opinion about exerting a negative behavior, and now you've got an excuse to paint everyone with that same behavior, even when basic logic says it's a stupid stereotype to hold.

Black people like fried chicken. You know what? Everyone likes fried chicken, except vegans/vegetarians...and even THEY like fried chicken, they just don't know it.

Vegans/vegetarians are big hippies/bullies. There ARE some very preachy vegan/vegetarians out there, but I've met way more people who are very much you-eat-yours-and-I'll-eat-mine.

Asians are bad drivers. The auto insurance statistics disprove this completely, but it has become such a staple race joke in our society that it's an assumed stereotype. Watch some Formula D videos, and see all those Asian kids who have more car control skills in their left pinky than you do in your whole body.

[Insert race here] are lazy. (Lots of different ethnicities get painted with this one, and it changes depending on where you are in the world...I heard Thais speak of Laotians this way in Thailand, for instance.) LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE LAZY. In fact, if EVERYONE had their druthers, we'd all wake up, eat a coffee cake, take a bath, then take a nap, and that would be our day. Our age/race/sex has nothing to do with it.

So, TL;DR?

Stereotypes exist for a reason. Sometimes those reasons are good. Sometimes those reasons are bad. In the end, does the stereotype assume the best about a person, or the worst? That's the real question. (Even Paul used a stereotype, and said, "There's some truth to this," about the citizens of Crete...either in 2 Timothy or Titus, I can't remember.)

 

[MissCris]

I absolutely agree that stereotypes exist for a reason and often have basis in truth. And I believe that categorizing people, in a very broad sense, can be helpful in knowing how best to interact with a person.

Stereotypes, for the most part, are just annoying (due to the assumptions and generalizations), but sometimes they can be really offensive and used as a petty tactic to hurt people. Some people scoff at stereotypes, others are sincerely hurt by them.

I just think it's interesting to hear about the "boxes" other people have found themselves being stuffed in, and also give them a chance to bust out of said box if they want

 

[seoulsearch]

Just to keep this short and simple...

Stereotypes about women:
* I don't love to shop all day, every day, nor am I out to use men for money. My parents raised me to be responsible and pay down debt as soon as possible. In my relationships, I've always been the one to support the man (even on minimum wage jobs), henceforth, this is one major reason why I currently am by myself. It's a whole lot cheaper. Men are expensive!! Hee hee hee.
* I don't really care about designer fashion or having the latest things. If the car runs and the clothes are enough to keep me from getting kicked out of wherever we're going, I'm good. I actually have two pairs of shorts I wear all the time and they are in danger of becoming threadbare... but I actually dread the thought of having to go shopping for another pair. And unfortunately, if I try to order/buy something without trying it on... it never fits right anyway.


Stereotypes about Asians (actual stereotypes I've been assumed to fit under/asked about/have been called in my own life.)

* NO, I am not interested in marrying your 77-year-old grandfather. Or 60-year-old father. I don't care how "good he looks for his age"--that just means he's all the more likely to find a woman... in his own age range.
* NO, my name is NOT Mei Ling. And NO, I'm not like the Asian prostitutes portrayed in the movies that so many men seem to believe all Asian women are like. (This one is a huge pet peeve of mine, for obvious reasons.) No, I don't have strange fetishes, nor am I interested in talking to you about yours just because I'm Asian. There are counselors you can see about this, not me.
* I totally suck at math and science, though I wish I didn't, because numbers really are cool. (Shour must be a distant cousin...) I wanted to go into the medical field (possibly genetic research) but do not have the brain for chemistry and the like at all. Want to know what my very best subject is wherever I go to school? ENGLISH. But then again, I was raised here... and English is all I've got.
* I can admit to not being the best driver (my friends say I drive like their grandma), BUT, that has more to do with my general sense of clumsiness and lack of coordination and direction. I take my GPS with me wherever I go... even if it's to the library. At least I've never gotten a ticket... and have driven across the country twice by myself.
* I can't use chopstick to save my life. I prefer a good old American fork and shovel (spoon.)
* No, I don't dine on canine or feline entrees. Fido and Fluffy can rest easy when I'm around. However, Bessie (your pet cow, of course) might not have as much luck, seeing as I prefer cheeseburgers and Italian food. Just keep Bessie on a leash and things will be fine.

I'll ask my butcher to visit your neighbor's house instead.

Asian Stereotype I WISH I Fit Into:

*Carries throwing stars and numchucks and a long sword... and utilizes each of them with expert skill.

THAT is one stereotype I would LOVE to be part of.

 

[Ugly]

Black people like fried chicken. You know what? Everyone likes fried chicken, except vegans/vegetarians...and even THEY like fried chicken, they just don't know it.

hahahaha...

 

[lav]

lav-
*that it stands for ' lavatory. '
have the decency to observe the country i come from, just as i can take the time to recognize where you live and the intercultural communications i should be aware of for our relating to make sense and be dignified and polite.
i live in the u.s. we do not call bathrooms or restrooms lavatories here.

chat-
*that because i am in chat, i must want to chat or should be obligated to do so. ( goes for answering p.m.'s as well. )
*that because i am logged into chat, i am actually ' in ' chat... sitting at my computer.
*that because i am in chat i must automatically want to go on mic or video or be obligated to do so.

live in the u.s.-
*i must automatically be a closed minded nationalist
*i like living here
*i like/enjoy all of our culture and customs

not a regular on the forums-
*i must then have nothing worthwhile to contribute, have 0 personality and am nothing but a lifeless, dismissible, boring as cardboard cyborg behind a computer that should obviously be ostracized and ignored for the satisfaction and ease of those in the regular forum clique.
*that i don't have feelings

introvert-
*because i don't pick up the phone, call you back or answer an e mail or text message at great length *immediately* means that i don't want to be, am not interested in your life or no longer want to be your friend.
CHILL.
*that because i'm not speaking, i'm not thinking and/or don't have potentially valuable input.

not a rapid speaker/communicator-
*that i lack intelligence
*should be deemed socially awkward
i like to breathe in between sentences
people don't have to fight to find words and talk on top of one another to communicate effectively
i like feeling calm and communicating in a thoughtful way
i like to think about things before i say them... sometimes : )
*that because i don't charge ahead and interject in my communications that i have nothing to add and am socially defective

right brained-
*equates an inherently lesser, more inadequate or useful form of intelligence

come from a history of abusive relationships-
*that i feel sorry for myself
*that i'm weak.
multiple sources of research on abuse... more often than not, have evidence and information to support the fact that abusive individuals choose strong personalities so they have a ' game ' to play and find stimulation and and feel a sick satisfaction in breaking a strong person's personality down. typically these are true, textbook psychopaths who find enjoyment in gaslighting someone and being an active participant in the destruction of an individual of strong character. it is more a satisfying challenge for them to destroy someone with a strong will, there is no game in praying on ' weaker ' personalities. they've already ' won ' in those cases... and it normally isn't stimulating enough for their twisted psychology.

-only child
* that i enjoy being an only child.
i have always wanted brothers and sisters my whole life.

-aspire to do well at a job
* somehow equates to me wanting to climb the ladder or usurp other's positions.
just because i want to do well so things can run smoothly in the workplace, does not mean that i want to snatch someone's long earned and coveted position from them. i have a certain amount of integrity and respect for seniority and order, thank you.

-do not excel in math
*all my teachers were shining examples of their chosen field and excellent math teachers. that it is/was my fault that i didn't absorb their lightning fast, inconsiderate propensity to interact with only the brightest and most naturally gifted and naturally inclined students of mathematics... who already knew all the answers and because they did, that therefore meant that the whole class understood, was all caught up and that we should then briskly move on to the next lesson.
*that i should have soaked all of the information of my weakest subject up like a sponge and that i wasn't paying attention if i had a question to ask. that that made me a drag and waste of time and space for helpful guidance, instruction and much needed respect and attention.
i am not unintelligent because of this. just because i'm not naturally inclined to linear left-brained thinking, does not mean i am ' less than ' someone who is.

-female
*that i don't like the idea of submission to or respecting male authority.
i crave the godly guidance of good male role models.
*that because i believe in certain rights and respect for women, i don't respect the opposite sex or appreciate an old fashioned gentleman and/or gentlemanly acts of kindness towards women ( such as opening doors, pulling out chairs... etc. )
*that i do not like women...
in fact, i am scared of most women. they often intimidate me and i find them hard to trust or relate to more often than not. i am always afraid of being rejected by women and girls. they can be mean and cliqueish and downright uncaring from most of my personal experiences. not to say that all are this way... it's just the majority of exposures i've had, haven't been very supportive or encouraging or long lasting. i've had far too many ' mean girl ' experiences, especially in early adolescence.
i've had numerous ' friendships ' where the other female was very bossy, dominating and controlling. it feels like they wanted to act a more worldly and knowledgeable individual and that i somehow needed another ' mother ' in my life. they seemed to want to diminish my right to independence and assertiveness and downplay the fact that i am an adult and can properly think for myself. why ? i don't know.
maybe it's my fault,... but i tend to feel more comfortable around males. this, however doesn't mean i wish that this were the case. i'd like to feel equally comfortable around both genders. i don't.
*that i follow trends and love to throw out and waste money on the latest fashions
*that i should want always have my freaking nails painted
*that i like wearing dresses and skirts all the time
*that i aspire to maintaining high maintenance hair that i must spend an hour or more washing, drying and straightening or curling every day. that i feel ' less than ' if i don't do these things
*that i don't enjoy hard work or physical labor
*that because i do, i should be a threat to males when i can basically pull the same weight as many do or can
*that this means i am a woman out of touch with my own femininity and that i could possibly be out of my mind or a potential lesbian for enjoying these things
*that i don't like dirt, hiking, camping or the wilderness
*that just because i enjoy being comfortable and more simple and ' natural ' most of the time, that means i don't embrace my femininity or doing girly things when *i* want to appreciate or do them... ( that i enjoy doing these things when or because a male would prefer or suggest that i do. ) *yuck*! what a lifeless, stepford, soul sucking way to live... to sacrifice my preferences and moods to suit a male's interpretation of what i should be or do to satisfy them with my outward appearance. )

-loyal, open, forgiving and kind
*means i'm weak or equates to frailty
' do not mistake my kindness for weakness ' ( paraphrased -lauryn hill. )
*that emotional honesty and vulnerability or honesty of any kind mean that i am naive and have no boundaries or strength.
* that my openness and ability to share, or vulnerability is a ticket or invitation for an overflow of condescending, misunderstanding, unwise unsolicited advice and/or guidance from just about anyone on the planet
*that i am overly impressionable, naive or immature

tall-
*i must love being tall in all circumstances.
*i am somehow unfairly blessed and gifted for this physical quality and it should make life easy. ( seems silly to bring up, but you might be surprised. )

-manic depression
( manic depression is a mood disorder... it does not equate to someone lacking sanity, self-awareness, logical thought processe or rational perspective. )
*that i am capable of misusing a gun or weapon and turning it on a group of people in a mall or any person or living thing. *that i am a weapon wielding, unstable lunatic.
*that i would ever hurt or harm someone spiritually, psychologically, emotionally or physically.
i detest guns and weapons and have a respectful fear of them. i have never in my life harmed myself or anyone else physically and will never *ever* do so, but for the exception that another is attempting to harm, hurt or kill myself or someone else and cause potentially life or bodily threatening irrevocable damage. in that case i would most likely try to do something to stop an individual that is this out of control, aggressive and dangerous.
*that God will never heal me of this illness that was caused by multiple traumas, abuse and therefore resulted in ptsd. that i will have it my whole life.
maybe i don't even have it at all
*that medication for the help of stability and/or to help chronic depression is always a bad thing that doctors and pharmaceutical companies push for their own benefit
*that continued, life-long medication is always necessary or even beneficial
*that continued, life-long medication is never necessary or beneficial
*that someone who uses disability has chosen to automatically to be a useless, lifeless sponge and therefore a detestable leach on society, the system and government.
*that depression ( and anhedonia, grief... etc. ) are made up illnesses because you can't see them, and that someone who has them should ' pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, get over their past, move on and stop babying themselves and being lazy. '
mental illness has scientifically, peer-reviewed sound evidence which points inarguably to concrete biological and psychological factors. mental illness is as real as juvenile diabetes. don't believe me ? video by stanford professor : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOAgplgTxfc&feature=player_embedded

 

[lav]

i do apologize if i sound exceptionally negative, i am having a seriously strange and grumpy day. this doesn't mean, however, that i don't often feel irritated by many of the things i mentioned in my last post.

side note : oh how i dislike the ability to edit or correct a post after a certain amount of time. i would really appreciate the opportunity to correct spelling and grammar mistakes... and have enough time to do so. even when i'm not impulsive, and do take the time to proofread, there seem to always be ones that slip by.

i am certainly not perfect when it comes to spelling and grammar, but it does get on my nerves when i find mistakes i no longer have the chance to correct.

 

[ChandlerFan]

i do apologize if i sound exceptionally negative, i am having a seriously strange and grumpy day. this doesn't mean, however, that i don't often feel irritated by many of the things i mentioned in my last post.

side note : oh how i dislike the ability to edit or correct a post after a certain amount of time. i would really appreciate the opportunity to correct spelling and grammar mistakes... and have enough time to do so. even when i'm not impulsive, and do take the time to proofread, there seem to always be ones that slip by.

i am certainly not perfect when it comes to spelling and grammar, but it does get on my nerves when i find mistakes i no longer have the chance to correct.

I didn't find your post exceptionally negative, and I wholeheartedly agree with the editing comments. I am not a fan of not being able to edit my posts whenever I want to.

 

[cinder]

~that i am 'scary' or 'intimidating' (both words i've heard used in reference to me more than once).
~that i'm 'harsh' or 'cold' (again words i've heard about myself).
Anyone who has ever taken time to actually get to know me quickly realizes none of these are true. I may come across as cold or harsh, but this has more to do with a lack of social skills to communicate what i'm really thinking and feeling. In reality i am much more emotional and feeling things much more deeply than even most of my closest friends realize. I have a stronger sympathy and empathy towards many people than i am often comfortable expressing. And despite my claim otherwise in another thread i can, at times, be brought to tears way more than i'd like haha.
Scary and intimidating? Again, until you get to know me. I've been called 'a big teddy bear' or similar more than i'd care to be. haha. Usually from people who first thought i was intimidating but got to know me better.

I gave my brother the nickname cream puff when he was a teen because he wanted to be all hard and tough on the outside, but had a warm sweet center. He of course hated it (isn't that what sisters are for?) If you aren't careful I may repurpose that nickname and use it for you.

 

[Ugly]

I gave my brother the nickname cream puff when he was a teen because he wanted to be all hard and tough on the outside, but had a warm sweet center. He of course hated it (isn't that what sisters are for?) If you aren't careful I may repurpose that nickname and use it for you.

Hey now! I don't put up a tough front. So that wouldn't be fair. I am this way because i don't know another way. *pokes your pike
So lets bypass the nicknames and save them for those more deserving, mmkaaaaay?

And if you are giving me a nickname like that at least make it decent. Like Oreo.

 

[cinder]

Hey now! I don't put up a tough front. So that wouldn't be fair. I am this way because i don't know another way. *pokes your pike
So lets bypass the nicknames and save them for those more deserving, mmkaaaaay?

And if you are giving me a nickname like that at least make it decent. Like Oreo.

Not because you put up a tough front intentionally, but because you tend to come across as cold and harsh until we get to know you and realize you care. Then we know about the good stuff on the inside. But I am willing to compromise on the nickname and call you Oreo Creampuff. But I will say that sometimes just managing to be me feels like an accomplishment.

 

[Ugly]

Not because you put up a tough front intentionally, but because you tend to come across as cold and harsh until we get to know you and realize you care. Then we know about the good stuff on the inside. But I am willing to compromise on the nickname and call you Oreo Creampuff. But I will say that sometimes just managing to be me feels like an accomplishment.

Ok then, Fluffernutter. =P

 

[persNickety]

Aren't cream puffs and wagonwheels the same?

 

[Percepi]

I'm an atheist and I DON'T eat babies.

Well, there was that one time... but I didn't like it! I swear!

 

[persNickety]

I'm an atheist and I DON'T eat babies.

Well, there was that one time... but I didn't like it! I swear!

I never knew atheists had a taste for them? Maybe they should try cream puffs..

 

[Tintin]

Hi, everyone.
My name's Christian and I'm a Christian.
I'm a 30 year old Caucasian man of Prussian and Anglo-Saxon descent.
I have dark brown hair atop my head but a naturally red mustache and beard. I weigh 86kg but love my food and don't exercise as much as I should. I'm 196cm tall, around 6'5 but was a short tacker for most of my high schooling.
Dad's of average height and mum's short, so I'm not sure were I got my height. Maybe my ancestors were tall, pale dudes. I burn like a lobster, as all good Europeans should beneath the Aussie sun. I have no problem sharing of myself but I'm not the most articulate. I don't enjoy talking on the phone, but I could talk to Arlene all day.

I don't really know the difference between hobbies and interests. But I love to have deep and meaningful discussions about life, faith (especially biblical creation) and entertainment eg. books, movies, TV series and sometimes music. I also enjoy silliness. I'm dyslexic but I love to read. I love fiction but I've been reading much non-fiction of late. I enjoy drawing but I haven't done it in awhile. I write long book reviews, even though most don't read them, because I enjoy doing so. I semi-regularly play board games with my friends and I spend too much time on CC. I have close friends but get along with most people. I seem to attract outsiders. I over-analyze many things, not because I'm boring but because I'm passionate about them. In some ways, I'm the quintessential extroverted introvert.

Some people think I smile all the time, but I do have other emotions. I love hanging out with my family and friends and can get pretty rowdy but I also need plenty of time to myself. Some think I'm outgoing, but if I don't know you, I'll probably be fairly shy and quiet. I'm perfectly okay with staying at home on a Saturday night. I'm a guy but I hate sports. That said, if I'm with friends and we're playing a game for fun, I'll join in and have a good time. I wear glasses but they don't make me intelligent, my brain does that. I laugh at my own jokes and apparently have a romantic side. That's me.

 

[cinder]

I'm an atheist and I DON'T eat babies.

Well, there was that one time... but I didn't like it! I swear!

But it really is the most sensible way to relieve the poverty of the poor and slow down global overpopulation. Haven't you ever read this : A Modest Proposal - Jonathan Swift


( Disclaimer: No I do not advocate eating babies. Here's your historical context for the document: satirical essay written and published anonymously by Jonathan Swift in 1729. Swift suggests that the impoverished Irish might ease their economic troubles by selling their children as food for rich gentlemen and ladies. This satirical hyperbole mocks heartless attitudes towards the poor, as well as Irish policy in general. )

 

[Pipp]

Fat...cause well.... I am overweight.

But I am not:
Lazy
Closet Eater (hides food)
Unconcerned
Emotional Eater
Someone who sits in front of a computer all day and eats cream puffs.

One I've noticed about being a Christian is people see to assume I'm mean and judgemental and that I think I'm perfect. Until they get to know me of course.