So this is the Book of Questions quiz, which I've lifted from
Sanna and
Lucy. Onwards to procrastination and desperate avoidance of the fact that my supervisor wants to see my draft as she "assumes" I've done "some work on the novella over the break". It's amazing that I managed to complete this quiz while breathing into a paper bag really.
1. For a person you loved deeply, would you be willing to move to a distant country knowing there would be little chance of seeing your friends or family again?Not to be pedantic, but in this day and age, what are the chances of not being able to visit your friends and family again? Where are we moving, Antarctica? The location would play a huge part in this decision. I won’t be moving to any severely deprived nations, for example. Regardless of how much I love someone, I will be of very little use if I’m a basket case.
2. Do you believe in ghosts and evil spirits? Would you be willing to spend a night alone in a remote house that is supposedly haunted?
Eh, not really. That’s not to say I haven’t been majorly creeped out by things. On that logic, I am disinclined to acquiesce to any haunted house sleepovers.
3. If you could spend one year in perfect happiness but afterward would remember nothing of the experience, would you do so?Ouch. Hang on, if I remember nothing of the experience, am I losing the memory of the happiness or of the
entire year in general? Cause that’s just too much time to lose for fleeting contentment. (I’m overthinking, aren’t I? And I’m asking a question of the question, never a good sign.)
4. If a new medicine was developed that would cure arthritis but cause a fatal reaction in 1% of those who took it, would you want it to be released to the public?Yes.
5. You discover your wonderful 1-year-old child is, because of a mix-up at the hospital, not yours. Would you want to exchange the child to try to correct the mistake?
This would just be an epic disaster waiting to happen. I would want to keep the kid, but it’s going to get insanely complicated when the children grow up.
6. Do you think the world will be a better or a worse place 100 years from now?
Reason stands to argue that at least in terms of technological development, it will be better. Humanity, on the other hand, I have my doubts about. It’ll probably even out and be roughly the same, just with handy microchips and teleportation.
7. Would you rather be a member of a world championship team or be the champion of an individual sport? What sport would you choose?
Being part of a team would no doubt be more fun, and it’d be nice to share something like that with others. I’d pick a really obscure sport, like lacrosse or something. Australia as a nation was very surprised to find out we even
had a lacrosse team when they made the news for some or other drama a few months ago.
8. Would you accept $1 million to leave the country and never set foot in it again?No way.
9. Which sex do you think has it easier in our culture? Have you ever wished you were of the opposite sex?Oh, men have it so much easier. There’s no question about that. I can’t say I’ve ever really wished it with any real conviction.
10. You are given the power to kill people simply by thinking of their deaths and twice repeating the word “goodbye.” People would die a natural death and no one would suspect you. Are there any situations in which you would use this power?
Ooooh. Yes. Only with due cause such as self defence or defence of loved ones, never lightly or simply in the heat of the moment. Though the way this is worded it sounds extremely suspect, I mean this kind of power is perfect for petty vengeance but that’s not what I’d use it for.
11. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the body or the mind of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
This is my worst nightmare. Losing mental faculties fill me with a complete horror, but so does the frailty of old age. Either way, it comes down to being trapped. If I had the mind of a 30 year old, I’d be aware of how absolutely caged I am in my own body and that would be its own kind of hell. If I was in a 30 year old body, but suffered from senility or something, it wouldn’t be much use. I suppose if I was guaranteed a healthy mind for the 90 year stretch, save for a bit of forgetfulness and general wear and tear, then a younger body would be the way to go. Overall though, I think I’d rather not live until 90.
12. What would constitute a “perfect” evening for you?Watching a brilliant sunset, followed by dinner with my friends where we order too much food and have too many drinks, before ending up on the beach talking and laughing around a bonfire.
13. Would you rather be extremely successful professionally & have a tolerable yet unexciting private life, or have an extremely happy private life and only a tolerable and uninspiring professional life?
I don’t think I’d be able to separate the two. But if I must, I suppose the latter.
14. Whom do you admire most? In what way does that person inspire you?Are we talking about role models? Because I’ve never really been the role model type. I’ve always found it very strange. I’m inspired by tons of people though, creative types, honest and flawed, people who stick to their convictions and manage to live the lives they want without compromising who they are, that sort of thing.
15. If at birth you could select the profession your child would eventually pursue, would you do so?
No way.
16. Would you be willing to become extremely ugly physically if it meant you would live for 1000 years at any physical age you chose?What kind of absurd pseudo immortality is this? Just offer me it all, or don’t even bother. Although, the things I could learn in a thousand years…But no. I’d have to pass on this one.
17. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one ability or quality, what would it be?Confidence would be a plus. As would more patience, since maybe then I’d be able to see things through that I don’t immediately take to, like music or drawing. An eidetic memory would be insanely useful too.
18. You have the chance to meet someone with whom you can have the most satisfying love imaginable - the stuff of dreams. Sadly, you know that in 6 months the person will die. Knowing the pain that would follow, would you still want to meet the person and fall in love?
This sounds like a Nicholas Sparks plot. Sigh. Yes.
19. What if you knew your lover would not die, but instead would betray you?
Huh. No, I don’t think so. Doesn’t that sort of imply it's one-sided? If it was really the stuff of dreams, I can’t imagine it ending like that, it would mean my lover was never as involved as I was and in that case it negates the whole “most satisfying love imaginable” deal. It would simply come down to too many questions on my side, so why even bother.
20. If you knew of a way to use your estate, following your death, to greatly benefit humanity, would you do it and leave only a minimal amount to your family?
Oh of course.
21. Do you prefer being around men or women? Do your closest friends tend to be men or women?My closest friends are all women, but it wasn’t always like that. I used to have a huge group of guy friends but I've never been able to replicate it. I don’t know, I can’t seem to keep male friends for very long.
22. If you could use a voodoo doll to hurt anyone you chose, would you?No.
23. While on a trip to another city, your spouse (or lover) meets and spends the night with an exciting stranger. Given that they will never meet again, and that you will not otherwise learn of the incident, would you want your partner to tell you about it?Considering the circumstances, sure.
24. If the roles were reversed, would you reveal what you had done?
Again, considering the circumstances, sure.
25. Are there people you envy enough to want to trade lives with them?I don’t really envy anyone. Besides I can’t imagine being anyone else, as much as I desperately wish to be some days.
26. For an all-expenses-paid 1 week vacation anywhere in the world, would you be willing to kill a beautiful butterfly by pulling off its wings?Ugh. I ineffectually gaped for a bit here. Um. I don’t think so. I couldn’t hurt something beautiful and essentially harmless.
27. What about stepping on a cockroach?
Depends what shoes I’m wearing. If I’m wearing boots, then sure.
28. Would you be willing to murder an innocent person if it would end hunger in the world?I’m confused as to why I’d ever be in a situation to make this decision, and how this would even work – plot hole! Do I look like an immortal time traveller? Ahem. Ok, while eradicating world hunger is no doubt a good thing, the world has so many problems, something else will just move in and continue where the hunger left off. Seems wasteful to sacrifice an innocent person only to have humanity tear itself apart again anyway.
29. If God appeared to you in a series of vivid and moving dreams and told you to leave everything behind, travel alone to the Red Sea and become a fisherman, what would you do?I would ponder the sheer insanity of it and proclaim that I thought visions were meant to be profound which, to me, fishing is not.
30. What if you were told to sacrifice your child?Ok now that’s slightly more profound, but I’d still be hung up on the sheer insanity of it.
31. What is your most treasured memory?I…can’t really say. I suck at these sorts of questions, I can never quite articulate anything. It’s there in the periphery of my mind, but no way of getting it out here *shrugs*
32. Have you ever hated anyone? I have severely disliked people, but I can’t say I’ve ever really hated anyone with any true passion.
33. Would you rather be given $10,000 for your own use or $100,000 to give anonymously to strangers?
Considering how I waste money on random people as the urge takes me anyway, I’d say the latter. At least I’d actually have money to spend unlike my current stupidity where I buy half a moshpit water on my wage, or end up paying an old man’s consult fee like I did today because I felt too bad to tell him we didn’t bulk bill that particular procedure. Afterwards I’d probably berate myself for not taking the money for myself. It’s what I usually do (and they say you’re supposed to feel good about helping people? Bah.)
34. If you knew there would be nuclear war in 1 week, what would you do?
Relax, max out my credit card, and have a massive all-week apocalyptic party. The final hours will be spent on the roof, with deck chairs and cocktails in hand. Contrary to TS Eliot, we’ll go out with a bang not a whimper.
35. Would you accept 20 years of extraordinary happiness and fulfilment if it meant you would die at the end of the period?
Hm yeah. I mean, as long as I get to do it on my own terms. I don’t know why, but this type of question always makes me suspicious of a
Dollhouse type scenario.
36. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?I’m not even 22. I have no great accomplishment.
37. Is there anything you hope to do that is even better?Having a great accomplishment would be a good way to start.
38. Would you give up half of what you now own for a pill that would permanently change you so that 1 hour of sleep each day would fully refresh you?
Yes! This would be greatly beneficial since despite my fondness for it, sleep hates me. I can choose what I want to give up right? Oh just imagine all that extra time to do things with and not feel like crap because of it. Brilliant.
39. If you knew you could devote yourself to any single occupation - music, writing, acting, business, politics, medicine, etc. - and be among the best and most successful in the world at it, what would you choose?Writing, definitely.
40. If you knew you had only a 10% chance of being so successful would you still put in the effort?
I'm already doing that at way worse odds, so I’ll take any boost I can get.
41. If you went to a dinner party and were offered a dish you had never tried, would you want to taste it even if it sounded strange and not very appealing?Oh I would probably take a very small nibble with the most disgusted facial expression you could ever imagine. It’s how I roll.
42. Do your close friends tend to be older or younger than you?I'd say it’s pretty evenly spread.
43. If the person you were engaged to marry had an accident and became a paraplegic, would you go through with the marriage or back out of it?
This is awful. You want to say you’d go through with it because you fell in love with the person and all that, but on the other hand something like that places such incredible strain on a relationship and people change under pressure, you may even find they don’t want to have you around anymore. Also, there’s the whole thing about never knowing if it’s progressed purely because of guilt or obligation and feeling like a burden…oh hell no, I’m not answering this. I’d have to make a call like that based on the circumstances.
44. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire; after saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any 1 item. What would it be?
My laptop/external hard drive. They’re connected so it counts as one item! My entire life is on this thing. My photos, my music, my bazillion word documents! Oh the unspeakable horror. [Also I’d like to think my pet/loved ones are quite capable to save themselves, so I should be able to grab some other stuff too as I run out of the house.]
45. How would you react if you were to learn that your mate had had a lover of the same sex before you knew each other?
Unperturbed? I can’t imagine I’d be surprised.
Music: Streetlights - Ludo
Mood: Cold
