Monday Meme: Intriguing Questions Meme

Strawberry has some intriguing questions for all of us which range all over the stratosphere - and I think I'm most amused by the fact she wrote the questions and refused to answer one of them.

1. How do you deal with criticism? It really depends on the kind of criticism and from whom. I respond very badly to non-specific, personally aimed criticism - I was once told that I wasn't the kind of person someone wanted associated with them and I took it.... very badly. I can take incredibly specific critique well, though - for example, I've been critiqued on the quality of my emotional response to a client and simply felt the desire to do better.


2. What’s the most infuriating thing other SL residents do? Second Life specific... is really hard. Most of the things people do which send me into a spitting tailspin of college vocabulary rant are things which happen offline and on equally. I've been working hard to stop judging people, and actually since I've been blogging the annoying people who try to pick me up I actually enjoy them, too. I think something which exasperates and annoys me, though, is when people try to distance themselves form their feelings or actions by pretending that there is a difference between what happens online and any possible offline repercussions or effects. A lot of the problem with calling Second Life a "game" is that it tends to inspire people to treat other people like NPCs in their own stories - this happens offline, too, but I think some of the kneejerk tics of online interaction exacerbate it. The people who spend their time trying to hurt others, or enjoying annoying others, or insulting others while pretending it says nothing about them as a person are deeply mistaken.


3. Which SL resident would you most like to have lunch with and why? Honestly, I'd love to have my close Second Life friends come by and hang out in person. I have no idea what would happen, and but I've had in mind meeting several of them for years now.


4. Who would you say is your “anti” role model? Someone who serves as a warning rather than an inspiration? I've been intrigued recently by the interviews of people who left Second Life about why they left and what they got out of it, because it seems to be a really clear case of people getting out of Second Life what they put into it. I don't think that happens with everything - there is inequality that is outside of individual control which can only be altered by collective action - but I think with a lot of things you often find yourself reflected back at you.  


5. What was something you used to enjoy, but was ruined for you? I have an on and off again love affair with roleplaying. When it's good, it can be really, really good, but when peoples' wants diverge, when peoples' natures come into conflict, it can get ugly quickly. I'm still a bit sad from losing a roleplay I really enjoyed that the two other people involved didn't enjoy nearly as much, and it's left me a bit wary and hesitant. 




6. What’s something you want to do that you’d be embarrassed to tell other people  I am really embarrassed by how mean I can be. I know there's a slew of people who know me who will be all ready to reassure me - and believe me I do enjoy taking people apart and pressuring them into doing what I want and I am damn good at it when I do it - but I also end up feeling very embarrassed and upset the next day. I like to think that reaction is a way to keep me from doing it all the time; most of the time being a psychological bully is a Horribly Bad Thing No One Should So, so questioning myself and being uncomfortable when I use those abilities keep me from doing it to get, say... a jelly donut.


7. What’s the oddest term of endearment you’ve ever used or that someone’s used for you? Honestly, people don't use terms of endearment for me often... I find it weird whenever someone who doesn't know me is familiar, giving me nicknames or using the short form of my name.


8. Have you ever fallen in love with another SL resident? No.


9. Describe a time/event in your slife that you’re nostalgic for. When the Falln Angel Creations chat was a friendly place for a lot of free-form roleplaying I really enjoyed it. Then a bunch of the fun people moved on, and when I'd try to start something people would respond in weirdly aggressive ways - like I'd set out a plate of cookies, say, and someone almost inevitably would take all of them and hiss at anyone else who wanted one, and it just stopped being fun. Another thing i would free-form is flooding the chat with food things and giving people marshmallows and stuff to float on - gross in reality, but fun in cartoon land, and someone once did a bunch of disgusting things in the "food" that just... stripped the fun. Now I'm a lot more quiet there; I guess I feel like I no longer have much to say.


10. What’s something sweet you’d like someone to do for you? People honestly already have; I had a couple of really awesome days of cool stuff, and I have a new hair named for me (Discord Designs is awesome) and so I'm kind of Second Life wriggly in general. Specifically, I'd love someone to find me a time machine so I could do more things; I always seem to be out of time. Or a jelly donut. I like donuts.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Candace Creamer
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Cherry
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Mesh Eye Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: MiaSnow, XP Eyes
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, Shreveport Lips
Wings: Deviance, Titania Mesh Fairy Wings
Jewelry: Donna Flora, Lady
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: Nine Inch Nails,
Dress: Blue Blood, Kawaii Doll
Boots: r2, Kneehigh Boots

Poses: Flowey

Location: Little Cat WestBlue
Light Settings:
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only