Epithets
Curios Student
I'm not a passive learner nor merely an active doer. I Love to chase new knowledge and challenge old assumptions, my own and those around me. I read a new book every 2 weeks and listen to 1-3 podcasts daily. I often find myself inadvertently dominating a conversation with an interesting new acquaintance by asking too many questions.
Lover of Natural Majesty
I love things that cause me to reflect, to be grateful and humble. Things like massive snow-covered volcanos made more appreciable through a climb to the top. I spend a lot of my free time seeking out new and impressive views, challenging adventures (like rock climbing), or little beheld wonders (like spelunking or stargazing).
Civil Guardian
Few things get my blood pumping like a defending that which I find deeply important. I think the society we live in is precious and worth defending. Key values like the value of life, liberty, and property are rare and I believe extremely valuable. I find that discussing these topics is a good way of preserving them. I spend a great deal of time and effort promoting and defending institutions that preserve those core values
Cultural Butterfly
You've heard of a social butterfly, I'm not that. Instead, I flit from culture to culture and draw nourishment and meaning from each. I mentioned the value I place on the American culture, this is bolstered, in some ways, by my experience in other cultures. I lived in South America for two years and speak fluent Spanish. I visit other countries when time and money permit. I study languages (particularly Chinese) and cook and eat food from a different country almost every day of the week. This helps me appreciate my own culture and the human beings that are the root of all cultures.
Wow I'm jealous that you have so much time to cook new foods from different cultures and listen to so many podcasts each day! Those are things that I too love, but I find my time for them is rather limited. Different cultures is fascinating and I agree that learning about cultures helps increase appreciation for all people. I appreciate that there's people so passionate about life and liberty. Keep standing up for what you believe in!
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me like you are one who truly loves culture. I'm sure you've become very well-read from the quantity of books you've read. You spoke about your love for nature, and your desire to enjoy its beauty. I would love to get out more to enjoy the sights, especially since I'm living near Utah's mountains.
ReplyDeleteJames, I am impressed by your desire to challenge yourself in many ways. You are obviously very dedicated to everything that you pursue. I agree with you that the freedoms we enjoy are worth defending. They allow us to have unique and meaningful experiences, like traveling, reading, and learning. There is so much to be learned from the world around us, especially from other people and cultures. I would love to hear what your favorite foods are after exploring so many different types.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy your epithets, they really painted you vividly. I especially love Cultural Butterfly, because I can feel the love from you to different cultures. I from a different culture and I really like to study and learn about new cultures as well. To be able to fly around different culture and learn about it is such a great thing for me as well. This makes my eyes open and expanded my vision.
ReplyDeleteYou appear to be a very proactive and intentional person--and that is to be admired! I like that you are proactive in what you read/listen to, what you eat, where you visit, and what you say (particularly in defense of your values). Intentional living can be really hard in a world with so many distractions and competing priorities.
ReplyDeleteCultural Butterfly is a well-thought epithet! I like the allusion to social butterfly that is made more personal to you, and the metaphor becomes even more elevated by your definition of what constitutes a cultural butterfly!
I think that is crazy you read so many books and listen to so many podcasts! You seem like a very adventurous person! I like your term cultural butterfly! It paints a good picture! I have never heard it used before! And good for you for being so passionate about defending! We all should be a bit more.
ReplyDeleteI'm very impressed by your devotion to school and new knowledge. I strive to be as devoted to seeking new information as often as you. I have started listening to podcasts and am really enjoying the information I find in them. I work at a change management company and it has really opened my eyes to lots of new developments in the world and ways to gain new information.
ReplyDelete