What's unique about you?

[Anita]

Anything unique goes, from the profound to the trivial. I'll start.

One weird thing about me I just noticed is that I seem to be more concerned with the "greater good" than my own interest sometimes. What I mean is, unlike most people, I don't care much about such things as meeting the President or being mentored by a leading figure in my field. My rationale is, I'd rather have Obama spend his time solving national issues than talk to me, and I'd rather have said leading figure spend their time researching cutting-edge questions than mentor me. I don't think it's anything about my self-esteem. I just think it's more cost-effective for everyone who benefits from the work of those people. If I'm informed enough about political issues to make conversations with the President productive, I won't be afraid to meet up with him. Likewise, when I'm knowledgeable enough in my field to be an intellectual peer of leading experts, I'll hang out with them all day long discussing pressing academic questions

When I was small, every time I heard someone ask "What would you do if you get to spend an hour with such-and-such?", I perspired a little. I freaked out because I not only couldn't think of anything to do with even people I genuinely admired, but I honestly didn't even want to meet them. I always thought I was weird, but now I think I know why.

Next

[Summit_Bid]

I have a pet tarantula although I'm afraid of spiders.

A hobby of mine is nomenclature. I love anything to do with peoples' name (like meanings of names) and I especially love collecting names.

I enjoy studying the history of commencements and academic regalia...hmm..wonder if this is a good omen of things to come.

I think I'm unique because I can use my artistic background in performing arts and film and apply it to almost anything (a boring office jobs, life, other fields etc.) and always see the connections between these seemingly different relationships.

[katalytik]

I like to blow spit bubbles.........it's a highly unique talent and i don't know anyone else who can do it! I'm not trying to trivialize the thread, but we should have some fun while we wait!

[NeuroNerd86]

I dance in random places (elevators, empty rooms, etc) when nobody is around:)

[Anita]

I dance in random places (elevators, empty rooms, etc) when nobody is around:)

Ha! That's not unique! I do that too

[rogue]

I dance in random places (elevators, empty rooms, etc) when nobody is around:)

Me too, and sometimes I accidentally do runway in the middle of city hall when I'm walking home from work. And unfortunately, there are almost always people around.

Also, I can stick a nail in my nose like the blockhead guy at the sideshow. Surprisingly, this has come in handy when trying to impress people with actual talent, like musicians I've interviewed for one of my many freelance gigs.

[digits2006]

im color blind

[joro]

I'm learning the art of pick up.

I also competed in nationally ranked tournaments for badminton.

[Victorianna]

oh! I am jealous. I love badminton!

Before undergraduate work I had a life as an opera singer.

[joro]

oh! I am jealous. I love badminton!

Before undergraduate work I had a life as an opera singer.

Always nice to find another badminton lover in the US. If you ever come to Northern California, let me know and I'll take you to a few badminton clubs here. Although I'm not at the same skill level I was before, my skills have degraded.

[Victorianna]

Always nice to find another badminton lover in the US. If you ever come to Northern California, let me know and I'll take you to a few badminton clubs here. Although I'm not at the same skill level I was before, my skills have degraded.

Awesome! I may take you up on that

[johndiligent]

The problem with this post is we're all going to say something that we *think* is unique about us, only to have other people comment and say, "Me too!"

[psycholinguist]

The problem with this post is we're all going to say something that we *think* is unique about us, only to have other people comment and say, "Me too!"

* giggles * Oh well. It helps pass the time!

I'm allergic to nearly everything.

I have a strange fondness for desk lamps.

I like making clothes.

I identified as asexual for several years before observing that I'd simply been too young to have experienced sexual attraction.

It takes me about twelve years to get tired of a good video-game (at the moment, I'm still playing the original The Sims and, uh, Civilization II).

[mastermind1886]

I too play competitive badminton - HS and college

I also used to live in Hawaii, have a deep interest in drug literature (like what do drugs do to people's understandings of reality...), enjoy making lists, play the ukulele, and have an obnoxious 15.5 year old dog who wakes me up at 7am every day just because he wants someone to hang out with.

[Anita]

Whoa whoa. People here amaze me. I want to interview y'all

The problem with this post is we're all going to say something that we *think* is unique about us, only to have other people comment and say, "Me too!"

I actually find it kind of heart-warming to hear some soul out there shares my supposedly unique quirk. It's a tiny (but possibly very deep) human connection! I can imagine feeling "scooped" if you've always been proud of your uniqueness, but that's not really how I feel. As a psychology dork, I like to explain that according to the Self-Determination Theory, my relatedness needs are stronger than my autonomy needs

[piccgeek]

Wow. Reading this thread makes me feel young and inexperienced. I've lived in the middle of Indiana for pretty much my whole life, so...yeah. Not so much with the fun, unique life history. I'm totally floored reading about some of the places everyone's been and things you've done--you guys are incredible!!

The only thing that comes to mind: I've spent the last year living in different professors' houses and babysitting their cats while they're away on sabbaticals or study abroad trips...and I'm allergic to cats. None of the professors know that, though. By this May, I'll have managed 11 months living in big beautiful houses rent free in exchange for feeding little fluffy balls of allergens.

Oh, and also, I was a member of the only marching band ever to march on the Great Wall of China. Now THAT was a great moment. (but still, not so much unique, as there were like 250 of us.)

[johndiligent]

Whoa whoa. People here amaze me. I want to interview y'all

I actually find it kind of heart-warming to hear some soul out there shares my supposedly unique quirk. It's a tiny (but possibly very deep) human connection! I can imagine feeling "scooped" if you've always been proud of your uniqueness, but that's not really how I feel. As a psychology dork, I like to explain that according to the Self-Determination Theory, my relatedness needs are stronger than my autonomy needs

Haha, I wasn't saying that in fear of being scooped or anything, I'm just saying that it's very hard to come up with something about yourself that absolutely no one else has experienced or could identify with! People usually have far more in common than they realise.

[Lauren the Librarian]

The only thing that comes to mind: I've spent the last year living in different professors' houses and babysitting their cats while they're away on sabbaticals or study abroad trips...and I'm allergic to cats. None of the professors know that, though. By this May, I'll have managed 11 months living in big beautiful houses rent free in exchange for feeding little fluffy balls of allergens.

Beyond cool.

Oh, and also, I was a member of the only marching band ever to march on the Great Wall of China. Now THAT was a great moment. (but still, not so much unique, as there were like 250 of us.)

Even better. Totally counts as unique.

Just admit it, you rock.

Edited January 9, 2010 by Lauren the Librarian

[melusine]

I was hit by a bus when I was sixteen. Coma, memory loss, fractured every bone in my face and skull, had to say bye to my silly girlish modelling dreams. (perhaps a good thing, in retrospect lol) But anyway.

You know all those funny movie moments, like the Mean Girls ending, or expressions like "get yourself hit by a bus" or whatever.. Yeah. I hate those.

I mean, I actually *was* hit by a bus. And I'm still scared of the damn things whenever I have to walk too close to the road.

[piccgeek]

Lauren the Librarian, you made my day! It actually is pretty cool when I step back from my life and realize what unique opportunities I'm living. A toast to everyone being a unique little snowflake (each of which actually has tons in common with every other unique little snowflake...re: badminton, which personally I don't think I've played since high school gym.)

[psycholinguist]

I was hit by a bus when I was sixteen. Coma, memory loss, fractured every bone in my face and skull, had to say bye to my silly girlish modelling dreams. (perhaps a good thing, in retrospect lol) But anyway.

You know all those funny movie moments, like the Mean Girls ending, or expressions like "get yourself hit by a bus" or whatever.. Yeah. I hate those.

I mean, I actually *was* hit by a bus. And I'm still scared of the damn things whenever I have to walk too close to the road.

Yikes!

[Pamphilia]

Man, you all are really cool!

Edited January 9, 2010 by Pamphilia

[jacib]

I was the singer of a hardcore (punk) band called "Fuck Your Face" for almost two years. Our guitarist ended up bleeding at about 50% of our shows.

Edited January 9, 2010 by jacib

[jlee306]

I am deathly afraid of wrists and ice cream men! No joke! I know this sounds weird, but it is very true. When I was little, I watched the movie The Ice Cream Man and every since then, I have been horrified of ice cream men. Luckily, I live in the country and there is no ice cream trucks driving around with that creepy music playing. Once while at a public pool swimming, an ice cream truck pulled up. Needless to say, I'm pretty sure I broke some sort of record for holding my breath under water. My fear of wrist is 1,000,000 times worse, however! My wrist are small and I can see the blue veins and that really freaks me out! I am afraid of accidentally cutting myself and dying. My friends back in high school knew about this and were always pretending to cut themselves and I would always gag and get real light headed. If I see something gross in a movie, my wrist and arms begin going numb and I get real weak. When I wear a watch and bracelets, I keep them pushed up on my arm so they don't touch my wrist and when I wear clothes with long sleeves, I make sure the sleeve goes past my hand in length. I don't like people talking about wrist or touching mine. I don't know how I got this way, but just typing this stuff makes me feel nauseous.

[NEPA]

I play trombone in a German oompah band (mostly active around Oktoberfest). This same oompah band, when I returned from a study abroad experience last May, got a permit from the airport to set up near the baggage claim area to give me a surprise, musical welcome home. (It's a really small airport so the security folks and other passengers were more amused than anything.)

Kudos to the OP for coming up with such a creative topic!

Edited January 10, 2010 by rwfan88