What is your response in classes/seminars when you are asked to tell “three interesting things about yourself” during introductions?
I was surprised on Monday morning when our instructor asked us to reveal “three interesting things abut ourselves” to our table-mates, then later to the class. I couldn’t remember the last time an instructor asked me to do that. Sure, tell where you are from, what your degree is, blah blah blah, I’ve done all that, but three interesting facts?
The first three things that came to my mind were:
- I am vegetarian
- I am a runner
- I write a blog
I think those are some of the more interesting facts about me. Or at least, somewhat unique facts about me.
But what I said was:
- I am a runner
- I like to travel
- I like to read
Lame-o, cop-out responses! I didn’t want anyone asking me about why I am a vegetarian, and I didn’t want anyone asking me what a blog is, what I blog about, or what my blog address is, so… I was totally vague*.
Which turned out to be a good thing, because I did get a lot of questions, at least at my table, about my running. Which makes me think they would have asked about the other two things. Which means they are polite people, but… I just don’t like talking about my vegetarianism to people. I am so tired of hearing the same questions over and over, and the same excuses for why they eat meat, or why they couldn’t give up meat. It’s rude for me to say this, but I don’t care. Some people automatically assume they have to justify their diet to me, when I really DON’T CARE. Why people are so interested in what I eat continues to fathom me.
Hmm. Wasn’t expecting all of that to come out. Sorry.
So I guess my real question is: If you had to share “three interesting things” about yourself, would you share the first three that come to your mind, or think about it for awhile and maybe come up with something else? What would those three (or up to six) things be?
Yeah. And just ignore all the crazy writing above.
*I think the fact that I did this says something about my personality… but I am not sure what. I am usually very open, but maybe there are just certain things I am guarded about? Who knows. I’m tired.
I can’t think that fast!!!
Maybe I’ll get back to you… or do this on my blog and link back? I don’t know, yet.
Sue – I know, it’s hard, right? I think that is why I struggled with coming up with non-lame answers when I didn’t want to use the first three that popped into my head. Let me know what you come up with!
Eh, I’m vain, so I’d probably put some thought into presenting myself in the best, or at least most interesting, way possible. It’s funny that you’re wary to say that you’re a vegetarian because I’m wary to call myself a runner. (I’m always worried that I’ll be in the presence of a REAL runner, like a college trackstar or something.)
I really like your outlook on vegetarianism as a private thing that doesn’t need to garner a lot of outside attention. Some vegetarians I know are really militant, and though they claim to “not care about anyone’s decision”, they’ll still point to some meat and tell everyone, “That’s rotting flesh.” Yeah, um…
P.S. Did I write this before? I love your new header image!
I decided to go with a full-blown post and linkback. I did not intend on this, either, it just sort of came out. 🙂 Thanks for the great idea!
Three things:
1-I’m a hokie (went to VA Tech)!!
2-Christmas is my absolutely favorite holiday (the entire time between Thanksgiving & New Years really)
3-I dont believe in judging other people (unless they are a celebrity because I love gossip sites)
Ok this is harder than I expected!
My friends and family dont even know about the blog, so I wouldnt bring that up in a class either. I figure for now this is my journey, and I want to keep it between blog land & myself 😀 I suppose that is selfish, but really its more because I am embarrassed about how far I let myself go, and I know that blogging friends dont judge the same way I feel other people might?
I love the new header banner!
I’m an artist.
I’m married to a real rocket scientist.
I’m the first born of the first born since 786 AD, and I could challenge for chieftainship of our clan in Scotland if I really wanted to make the effort… which I might, since we have castles and stuff, and people would call me Lady – and not like a cab driver would – and then I would declare Tuesdays to be Chocolate Tuesdays.
I’m sort of like a living cartoon, dontcha think? 😉
I used to hate being put on the spot like that when I was in school. I am a very interesting person in my opinion but I can never think of anything when asked. I always say dumb things like I have 4 kids, I do triathlons, and then struggle to find something else interesting. Actually my anesthesiologist asked me right before my last surgery to tell him about myself. I think he was trying to make me more comfortable or something but all it did was put me on the spot and make me look at my husband with a blank look trying to get him to help me. Then I felt dumb because why would I need his help to tell the guy about ME? I think in the end I did say I have 4 kids but that was all I could think of!
i always totally freeze up and blank when asked to do something like that, then get frustrated at myself because how can i not think of three things about myself?? especially because 2 of the things i think are the most interesting / unique are a) i write a blog, and b) i take pole dancing classes, and NEITHER of those are things i like to bring up with strangers 🙂
i usually end up with stuff like
1) i spent a year in france during college
2) i would die without cheese in my life
3) i have the same last name as the family in full house
In my head, I’d tell them what age I was when I got my period, lost my virginity and something else … provocative enough that they’d be stunned into silence. Instead, I’d likely tell them really boring facts. Sigh.
I’d probably say:
1) I’m double jointed
2) I am a certified self-defense instructor
3) I hate pickles
I wouldn’t mention blogging because, like you reasoned, it would open up too many questions. But like Nilsa, I’d WANT to overshare personal stuff to shock them.
i hate it when you have to do stuff like that.. hate it hate it hate it!!!! namely because i always cop out, if i could even think of 3 answers, or i would end up “borrowing” someone else’s answers… like, oh yeah, i could say that… cause i am lame that way… if i really want you to know about me, trust me, i’ll let you know!!!! i do know my first (lame) answer though… i love kittehs!!!!
=^..^=
I belonged to a co-ed service fraternity in college and it always seemed like we were doing some kind of exercise involving an interesting fact about ourselves. I’ve led the world’s most boring life so I always said that I’d been in a car accident where I was hit by a hearse. Freaked people out every time. No, there was not a body in the hearse.
So what would I say now?
1. I’m a runner and I write a blog about that (my running blog isn’t so personal that I’d worry about answering questions about it. I have another place for those things.)
2. I once applied to be a police officer.
3. And I guess the hearse story. Hey, it’s an oldie but goodie!
As an aside, I always feel bad when people grill (ha ha) vegetarians on their choice. I think it’s rude!
I hate being put on the spot like that because I always choke and think of really lame things, then later think of what I should have said.
I think I would go with:
1. I’m training for a marathon.
2. I foster dogs for a boxer rescue.
3. Chips and salsa is my favorite food(s)
I wouldn’t mention my blog either as I like to keep it quasi-anonymous so I feel free to write what I want to.
Put on the spot, I probably would run through a variety of possibilities before deciding what I felt comfortable revealing.
1. I’ve driven cross country 4 times.
2. I like to photograph.
3. I used to work in the film industry, mostly as a gaffer (chief lighting technician).
I hate talking in front of people so I always hated “ice breakers.” But I guess that’s the point of them, right?? I usually pick generic things about myself, such as…
1) I’m from Chicago (this always worked at college because I went to an out-of-state public school).
2) I like to run.
3) I play the trombone (not too many female trombone players in the world).
4) I have a twin sister.
Generic enough that I could get away with people forgetting about me! I’m a terrible person.
I would never let people I work with know my blog address. If they find it accidentally, so be it, but there’s no sense in making the additional information available to them when they could ultimately use it in a way that would not be favorable to you. I think people are jealous of us runners. Sure, they say we’re going to ruin our knees (despite the fact ALL the recent medical studies support that running actually helps support the joints) but they view us as a secret society. We’re part of a world that they just cannot understand. They don’t know that anyone can run, you just have to be disciplined enough to work at it. They think we have some magical ability. And a vegan runner? Oh, you would really shake them up with that!
I think I always share that I minored in Russian as an undergrad and that I have a Master’s degree in English…both are far enough back to have some emotional distance and usually surprise people (since I am not doing anything with either). Depending on my audience I might also share that I can say “Your crocodile is wearing a very ugly tie” in Russian.
I used to tell people I did improv for all of college and half of my time in Chicago…sometimes I’ll throw out that Jack McBrayer (from Talledega Nights and more famously 30 Rock) was one of my improv instructors and I went to his birthday party. People always seem to like to hear about connections to famous people.
Honestly I haven’t had to answer these types of questions in a really long time so I don’t know if I would “update” my answers. I might add that I’m an only child who is dating an only child because that’s fairly unique. But it’s kind of nice to have standard answers I don’t have to think about for such occasions. 🙂
Ummmm…. depends on the context.
It really really does.
If it’s in a professional context I tend to leave the blog out of it.
1. I ran a 200-mile relay on a team with my husband and 10 people I met on the Internet. It was so much fun.
2. The Man and I hate seeing concerts in our home town Ottawa, hence we travel to see our favourite bands. We went to see the Bruce (Springsteen) the night before the relay.
3. Something about photography.
In a context where people know me as whacky and have heard all my stories:
1. I have 43 versions of Evenflow on iTunes
2. English is my second language, but I don’t speak it with an accent. (Sorry.)
3. One my oddest claims to fame is that a story I wrote, ended up in the headlines segment on Leno. (This woman was being inducted in some country music hall of fame. She was 94 and played the fiddle. I asked her the secret to her success, she said: “I have a bowl of porridge every morning and I fiddle with younger men in the afternoon.”)
There you go.
I can’t stand to do this type of thing because I really hate for the attention to all be on me. I’d much rather just listen to everyone else!! I think of the fastest thing that won’t lead to questions!!
I’ve had to do this a couple times before. I always pick the most bizarre things about me and then people leave me the hell alone cause they think I’m crazy.
1. I was born with birthmark – a red cross in the middle of my forehead. After awhile you could see it only when I got mad.
2. Outtie belly buttons weird me out.
3. Of my three siblings, the one that everyone used to say looks just like me is the adopted kid.
to be honest it depends on the day and the company. some days I’d really say the first 3 things about me which would reveal yet another: I’m very comfortable with me and really don’t care what you think about that! but if I were sitting at a table with say my boss who at the moment I don’t want to dislike me, then I’d probably find 3 tactful things to say that wouldn’t later be contorted.
there’s nothing wrong with having something great about yourself that you prefer to keep private. however I will say that in my opinion you should have said “I like to run 10K’s” “I’ve driven/ridden in a Ferrari” and “I walk my cat on a leash” or “my husbands co-workers put in requests for my baked goods” and oh yeah “I’m kinda a big deal” 🙂
three things about me:
I frequently use an alias and have different ones for different situations.
I’m very shy but hide behind the shield of extrovert.
I am a big time Daddy’s girl which means that I am such a geek/tomboy. I love this one though and wouldn’t change it one bit, in fact I’m trying to rub it off on my girls who don’t have the same type of relationship with their father.
OMGosh! I’m totally with you on the Justification of their diet to me and that you don’t care. Now I don’t feel so bad that I feel that way! 😀
mine is late but I still have to write about it! Interesting topic!
I hate hate hate those questions!!!! lol I dont know why but I just cringe when I have to come up with “unique facts” or whatever in classrooms/meetings, bleh… haha.