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Name: Austin
Age: 17
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? There's a line from an Ani Difranco song, that articulates the way I feel about this. It goes: "Why don't you just go ahead and turn off the sun/'Cause we'll never live long enough to/Undo everything they've done to you". I don't find a lot of hope that anything I can do, will affect the greater outcome of things in the world. There are so many things I would like to change (racism, terrorism, bigotry) but lately I feel that any and all attempts I make or can make don't make any real difference.
Who is your favorite Hogwarts teacher? Definitely McGonagall. She's the sort of teacher I like in real life. She knows her subject well and does not put up with nonesense in the classroom that would inhibit her from teaching it. She's strict but fair, and I think that's my favorite quality about her.
Who is your favorite character in Harry Potter? This may seem weird, but I'm really fascinated by Petunia Dursley. We only know bits and pieces about her and it leaves a lot of room for speculation, which is something I like to do. I think she has a lot of personal conflict which many other Harry Potter character's don't have. She has the obvious tension between the wizard world of her sister and the muggle world to which she belongs, but more interestingly, I think she struggles between wanting to maintain an absolutely mundane and ordinary front before people and dealing with her own less than ordinary thoughts. Non-muggle characters I like are Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. I like Neville because he's brave when you don't expect him to be. I always feel like I am rooting for him to do well. I like Luna for her unfilterdness. She says what's on her mind and doesn't give any regard to the feelings of others but does so without being malicious. She comes off as being both innocent and wise, which is kind of appealing to me.
Who is your least favorite character in Harry Potter? While I was reading the fifth book, I found Umbridge absolutely repulsive. I hated her all the way through. Another character I don't like is Cho Chang. Maybe it's a bit of the bitterness I feel toward this character type in real life, but I find her boring and a little obnoxious. She reminds be of girls I remember from highschool - she doesn't have any real flaws or merits, but everyone seems to really like her. She just irritates me for some reason.
What makes a person respectable? Hmm. First and foremost, for me to respect someone, they must be competent. If someone doesn't know what they're doing or talking about, I have no reason to pay any attention to them. A person must also be true to themselves and their convictions. This does not mean they should be one-sided and never change their mind, but that they make their own decisions and formulate their own ideas by looking at all sides of a situation themselves, and not taking the things another says for granted.
What is your take on religion? I am not religious and neither is my family. I believe, though, that religion fits a certain niche in human life and is incredibly important. I have never met anyone who does not have some sort idea about where we fit in relation to the universe, and whether that idea comes from religion, spirituality, or science I think it helps people cope with themselves better. It gives them some sort of guideline for how to behave.
What do you think about house elves? Haha, I'm not really sure about this one. Every time they show up in the books they annoy me. Plus, I read out loud to my brother and sister and whenever I have to read for either Dobby or Winky, I make my voice high and squeaky. After those chapters, I would have to talk in whispers for the next few days.
What do you look for in a friend? I can't really think of any one quality I look for in a friend, or even a collection of qualities. I'm the sort of person who goes through a rapid succession of best friends, and all of them have been pretty different. I guess one thing you could say they have had in common though, is that they have treated me kind of like the center of their universe. Hah. Now, I'd hate to admit that that's something I look for in a friend, but I'm pretty insecure, so I suppose I do like people who think I am the cat's pajamas. It makes me feel better about myself. =/ How embarrassing.
Would you rather have friends and family or money and success? This is going to be a really typical answer. I would chose friends and family over money and success, simply because part of the allure of having money and success is to be able to share it with people, or at the very least to stick it under their noses and be a spoiled prat about it. Success in our society is generally measured now by how well or how much we feel we have accomplished but on how others perceive us. Without those people, I don't know if you can even be successful at all.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would probably like to be less insecure. I don't like myself all that much and can take that out on other people, which I think is very petty and immature. Also, if I were less insecure I would allow myself to have more fun, and I could definitely use some more fun with the way school has been going.
What do you feel is your best quality? I don't know if it's my best quality, but certainly my most useful quality is my intelligence. It allows me the freedom to do a lot of things, that if I were less intelligent, I wouldn't be able to do to.
What are your hobbies? Well, I read an awful lot. In the winters I snowboard and in the summers I do a lot of hiking. For the most part though, I just hang around and do nothing, which is kind of boring.
Do you want to have children? At times I have thought I do, and at other times I have thought I don't. When I think about wanting kids, it's usually for vanity reasons (something of myself that stays in the world) and out of need for companionship. When I think I don't want kids, it's because they would take up too much time and energy that I don't really have and can't really imagine myself ever having.
Have or would you give time and money to a charity? Well, I've never given money to a charity and I can't really see myself donating money to something that doesn't directly affect me (I would give money to local theater or music venues or to certain private schools, but not to a charity that sends money to far off orphans). I just can't imagine myself having that much money. On the other hand though, I would definitely be willing to work within a charitable or non-profit organization. I've done a lot of volunteering with local pre-schools and after school programs and plan to continue to do more. I feel more connected to the outcomes if I can see either the results of the process of my time or money. If I can't, I get depressed and feel that I'm not making any kind of a difference.
If your friend was attacked (by a person, animal, or (in the magic world) beast), what would you do? I have no idea. I think I would probably do one of two things - 1. Freeze and do nothing at all, I'm not good at thinking under pressure or 2. Freak out, scream, and potentially run away. I'm kind of a wuss.
What is the one thing you would most like to accomplish? I never think that far ahead. Right now, I would like to finish the semester without getting lower than a B.
Who is your role model? I don't really have any role models. I'm sure that when I was younger, I modeled myself primarily off my parents, because I see a lot of them in myself, but now I make a very conscious effort, not to look up to any one person as a perfect example. Something I tell my boyfriend is, "If you put people on a pedestal and model yourself after them you are denying both yourself and them the opportunity to interact openly and honestly as equals."
What trait most annoys you about other people? I really cannot stand it when people relay everything you say about someone back to that person. To me, it seems like you are intentionally trying to create conflict by taking things out of context and pitting people against one another. Blah.
What do you want to do for a living? I have no idea. When I was younger (read: ages 4-10) I was pretty convinced I wanted to be a writer. Then, throughout middle school and highschool I wanted to dance for a major ballet company. Now I'm going to school and pursuing a B.S. in mathematics. What I'm going to do with that degree, I'm not too sure.
Would you ever use an Unforgivable Curse for any reason? Ok, this is going to make me seem like a terrible person. Although I am a big advocate for international human rights and care deeply about world issues such as AIDS, the treatment of Native Americans, the incredibly high rates of suicide and homicide in rural Alaska, I get a certain twisted pleasure out of personal suffering. I hate seeing any group in pain, I really kind of enjoy watching individuals squirm and suffer. I would probably like watching someone writhe under the cruciatus curse and might get a kick out of controlling someone with the imperius curse. I think laws would probably keep me from using them, but I would definitely be tempted.
What house do you think DOESN'T fit you? I don't know really. I think the house that least suits me though, is Gryffindor. I'm neither very selfless or very brave.
What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
1. Like I said earlier, intelligence
2. I am compassionate. I am interested in the social welfare of others and really would like to make the world a better place.
3. I am not afraid to put my ideas out there and to say what I feel.
4. I can do weird "party tricks" like doing the splits with my legs up on boxes. Heh.
5. I ocassionally say funny things.
Where did you find out about us? LJ interest search="sorting communities" which brought me to hogwartsishome which brought me here. Yay!
Name: Austin
Age: 17
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? There's a line from an Ani Difranco song, that articulates the way I feel about this. It goes: "Why don't you just go ahead and turn off the sun/'Cause we'll never live long enough to/Undo everything they've done to you". I don't find a lot of hope that anything I can do, will affect the greater outcome of things in the world. There are so many things I would like to change (racism, terrorism, bigotry) but lately I feel that any and all attempts I make or can make don't make any real difference.
Who is your favorite Hogwarts teacher? Definitely McGonagall. She's the sort of teacher I like in real life. She knows her subject well and does not put up with nonesense in the classroom that would inhibit her from teaching it. She's strict but fair, and I think that's my favorite quality about her.
Who is your favorite character in Harry Potter? This may seem weird, but I'm really fascinated by Petunia Dursley. We only know bits and pieces about her and it leaves a lot of room for speculation, which is something I like to do. I think she has a lot of personal conflict which many other Harry Potter character's don't have. She has the obvious tension between the wizard world of her sister and the muggle world to which she belongs, but more interestingly, I think she struggles between wanting to maintain an absolutely mundane and ordinary front before people and dealing with her own less than ordinary thoughts. Non-muggle characters I like are Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. I like Neville because he's brave when you don't expect him to be. I always feel like I am rooting for him to do well. I like Luna for her unfilterdness. She says what's on her mind and doesn't give any regard to the feelings of others but does so without being malicious. She comes off as being both innocent and wise, which is kind of appealing to me.
Who is your least favorite character in Harry Potter? While I was reading the fifth book, I found Umbridge absolutely repulsive. I hated her all the way through. Another character I don't like is Cho Chang. Maybe it's a bit of the bitterness I feel toward this character type in real life, but I find her boring and a little obnoxious. She reminds be of girls I remember from highschool - she doesn't have any real flaws or merits, but everyone seems to really like her. She just irritates me for some reason.
What makes a person respectable? Hmm. First and foremost, for me to respect someone, they must be competent. If someone doesn't know what they're doing or talking about, I have no reason to pay any attention to them. A person must also be true to themselves and their convictions. This does not mean they should be one-sided and never change their mind, but that they make their own decisions and formulate their own ideas by looking at all sides of a situation themselves, and not taking the things another says for granted.
What is your take on religion? I am not religious and neither is my family. I believe, though, that religion fits a certain niche in human life and is incredibly important. I have never met anyone who does not have some sort idea about where we fit in relation to the universe, and whether that idea comes from religion, spirituality, or science I think it helps people cope with themselves better. It gives them some sort of guideline for how to behave.
What do you think about house elves? Haha, I'm not really sure about this one. Every time they show up in the books they annoy me. Plus, I read out loud to my brother and sister and whenever I have to read for either Dobby or Winky, I make my voice high and squeaky. After those chapters, I would have to talk in whispers for the next few days.
What do you look for in a friend? I can't really think of any one quality I look for in a friend, or even a collection of qualities. I'm the sort of person who goes through a rapid succession of best friends, and all of them have been pretty different. I guess one thing you could say they have had in common though, is that they have treated me kind of like the center of their universe. Hah. Now, I'd hate to admit that that's something I look for in a friend, but I'm pretty insecure, so I suppose I do like people who think I am the cat's pajamas. It makes me feel better about myself. =/ How embarrassing.
Would you rather have friends and family or money and success? This is going to be a really typical answer. I would chose friends and family over money and success, simply because part of the allure of having money and success is to be able to share it with people, or at the very least to stick it under their noses and be a spoiled prat about it. Success in our society is generally measured now by how well or how much we feel we have accomplished but on how others perceive us. Without those people, I don't know if you can even be successful at all.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would probably like to be less insecure. I don't like myself all that much and can take that out on other people, which I think is very petty and immature. Also, if I were less insecure I would allow myself to have more fun, and I could definitely use some more fun with the way school has been going.
What do you feel is your best quality? I don't know if it's my best quality, but certainly my most useful quality is my intelligence. It allows me the freedom to do a lot of things, that if I were less intelligent, I wouldn't be able to do to.
What are your hobbies? Well, I read an awful lot. In the winters I snowboard and in the summers I do a lot of hiking. For the most part though, I just hang around and do nothing, which is kind of boring.
Do you want to have children? At times I have thought I do, and at other times I have thought I don't. When I think about wanting kids, it's usually for vanity reasons (something of myself that stays in the world) and out of need for companionship. When I think I don't want kids, it's because they would take up too much time and energy that I don't really have and can't really imagine myself ever having.
Have or would you give time and money to a charity? Well, I've never given money to a charity and I can't really see myself donating money to something that doesn't directly affect me (I would give money to local theater or music venues or to certain private schools, but not to a charity that sends money to far off orphans). I just can't imagine myself having that much money. On the other hand though, I would definitely be willing to work within a charitable or non-profit organization. I've done a lot of volunteering with local pre-schools and after school programs and plan to continue to do more. I feel more connected to the outcomes if I can see either the results of the process of my time or money. If I can't, I get depressed and feel that I'm not making any kind of a difference.
If your friend was attacked (by a person, animal, or (in the magic world) beast), what would you do? I have no idea. I think I would probably do one of two things - 1. Freeze and do nothing at all, I'm not good at thinking under pressure or 2. Freak out, scream, and potentially run away. I'm kind of a wuss.
What is the one thing you would most like to accomplish? I never think that far ahead. Right now, I would like to finish the semester without getting lower than a B.
Who is your role model? I don't really have any role models. I'm sure that when I was younger, I modeled myself primarily off my parents, because I see a lot of them in myself, but now I make a very conscious effort, not to look up to any one person as a perfect example. Something I tell my boyfriend is, "If you put people on a pedestal and model yourself after them you are denying both yourself and them the opportunity to interact openly and honestly as equals."
What trait most annoys you about other people? I really cannot stand it when people relay everything you say about someone back to that person. To me, it seems like you are intentionally trying to create conflict by taking things out of context and pitting people against one another. Blah.
What do you want to do for a living? I have no idea. When I was younger (read: ages 4-10) I was pretty convinced I wanted to be a writer. Then, throughout middle school and highschool I wanted to dance for a major ballet company. Now I'm going to school and pursuing a B.S. in mathematics. What I'm going to do with that degree, I'm not too sure.
Would you ever use an Unforgivable Curse for any reason? Ok, this is going to make me seem like a terrible person. Although I am a big advocate for international human rights and care deeply about world issues such as AIDS, the treatment of Native Americans, the incredibly high rates of suicide and homicide in rural Alaska, I get a certain twisted pleasure out of personal suffering. I hate seeing any group in pain, I really kind of enjoy watching individuals squirm and suffer. I would probably like watching someone writhe under the cruciatus curse and might get a kick out of controlling someone with the imperius curse. I think laws would probably keep me from using them, but I would definitely be tempted.
What house do you think DOESN'T fit you? I don't know really. I think the house that least suits me though, is Gryffindor. I'm neither very selfless or very brave.
What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
1. Like I said earlier, intelligence
2. I am compassionate. I am interested in the social welfare of others and really would like to make the world a better place.
3. I am not afraid to put my ideas out there and to say what I feel.
4. I can do weird "party tricks" like doing the splits with my legs up on boxes. Heh.
5. I ocassionally say funny things.
Where did you find out about us? LJ interest search="sorting communities" which brought me to hogwartsishome which brought me here. Yay!