“Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!
“This week, while looking for a blog we hadn’t hit yet, we discovered Living in the World, Not on It. This meme comes to you from ‘life in the slow lane of the unemployable, unworkable, disabled HR Manager/EMT’. Too bad she quit posting because she sounds interesting.”
Living in the World, Not on It
1) You’re on a trip taking a tour through the jungle. You have a backpack with some food, first aid supplies, a pocket knife, a flashlight and a couple bottles of water. Somehow, you get separated from your group. By night fall you haven’t found your group and haven’t heard them looking for you. How long do you think you would be able to survive on your own?
First, let’s be clear that I will never voluntarily take a tour through a jungle. It’s not my thing; maybe I’d do so at gunpoint or something. That said, how long I could last depends on how much water I could find, how hot it is, and what unsavory plants or animals I encounter. I could probably survive about a half a week on the avoirdupois of my body. Water is the basic thing; also, extreme heat – I don’t do well with hot and humid.
Liar
2) Do you think it’s okay to lie to spare someone’s feelings? Why?
Of course, especially about things of no great consequence. I’ve known so-called “truth-tellers” who use “honesty” merely to create pain and prove superiority over another human being.
That said, I’ve long been affected by Sissela Bok’s book Lying, which I read four decades ago and wrote about here almost twenty years ago. Even the “little white lie” has consequences for the teller and, if they find out, for the person being lied to.
Talk talk
3) If a talking doll were made to resemble you, what 3 phrases would it say?
I don’t know about phrases, but it would use the word accoutrement in a full French accent; French and Italian words are inherently sexy. It would say “refrigigator” as one of the words I enjoy mispronouncing. One phrase would be “That’s suboptimal,” which I swear I heard from some press secretary or Cabinet official in a Presidential administration. However, I can’t find out who; it is usually used as classic British understatement, I have read.
If You Could Read My Mind
4) If the superpower to read minds at will were possible, would you think it would be cool and helpful, intrusive and wrong, manipulative, or maddening?
It certainly would feel intrusive if I could read other people’s minds, and I’m sure it would feel the same if others could read mine. The idea of the Thought Police is frankly terrifying. I believe the idea of NOT saying things was a good thing. It would also be manipulative and maddening.
It might be helpful if you’re dealing with someone who cannot speak or otherwise communicate. Otherwise, I have not seen the upside, although I suppose if I could read my cat’s mind… Well, maybe I don’t want to know that either.
5) Are drunk confessions things people can’t bring themselves to say sober, or just the crazy ramblings of an influenced and intoxicated mind?
Based on observation, I think both are possible. Still, in my experience, most involve people confessing affection, expressing anger, or saying something they just can’t otherwise get out.
That is a great thought about being able to read the mind of someone who can’t speak. I’m not sure I would have wanted to know what our cat was thinking about us haha! He was such a good kitty boy and I still miss him!
I am with you on #4. I don’t want to know what others are thinking and I think all of the noise in my brain would be maddening. I actually enjoyed all of your answers. Love that you made a playlist too. Loved your answers! Have a great day!
https://lorisbusylife.blogspot.com/
That’s the problem with lying – the chance of discovery – even for little white lies.
:o)
Cheers
PM
ooh I love the term suboptimal! I’m going to have to think of some sentences to use it in.
The thought police. Wow. I didn’t even go there, but that’s terrific for that question.
I may have to adopt “suboptimal” in my classroom jargon.
1. Nope. Not even at gunpoint.
2. Sparing someone’s feelings over small matters is a show of compassion.
3. Seriously…Now that’s funny…Oh, you have g -o-t to be kidding.
4. Depending on whose mind is being read, frightning or profitable would be my choices.
5. No firsthand experience. But have always heard alcohol releases inhibition.