Perceptions
by You ever wonder how other people perceive you? This has been something on my mind a lot lately. It's also been making me ask myself who am I? Am I wild and crazy? Am I laid back and observant? Sometimes who you think you are isn't how other people see you. When I was married my wife often said I was an old man, I didn't want to go out, I just wanted to stay home all the time. This wasn't always the case, I just enjoyed staying in and spending time with her. I wasn't into hanging out in bars or staying out late on work nights. That just wasn't my thing.
Now I do at times enjoy staying out late any time, hanging out and having fun. I like to think of myself as a responsible person, but not a stiff. I can be crazy at times and while I may just be enjoying myself I may be upsetting those around me. Case in point. Last year I was in NY coming home from a night of dancing. We were walking through Brooklyn heading towards a dinner. I was singing Open Arms by Journey, not loud, just singing it. I kept getting yelled at cause of it, I was loud, which I wasn't.
Anyway, I know some people that think I'm crazy and others think I'm mellow. I'm pretty sure they've been around me in different enviornments together. Maybe their views of mellow and crazy are just different. Can I be crazy? Yes, at times too crazy I think, something I've really been working on. Now when I say crazy I'm just talking about doing stupid things, singing in the streets, dancing for no reason where ever I may be. Never is alcohol involved if that's what your thinking. I drink occasionaly and am always extremly responsible when I do so. I hate beer and have to be in the mood for one to drink one.
So it's got me thinking of how I want to be perceived. I like to think I don't care what people think of me, cause honestly I don't to a degree. Everyone is different and some people are just way too anal. But there are certain things I don't want people to think of me. I'd like to think I'm a good guy. I know I'm a good listener and enjoy being given the opportunity to help others if I can, in just about any way.
I don't know where I'm going with this, or if I knew and I lost it, but I've been at work entirely too long. So do you ever wonder how people think about you? Do you care? Personally, I think I'm an easy going guy. Theres a time and place for everything right? Maybe my times aren't the same as yours? Maybe I should just syncronize watches with people before I hang out with them. Whatever, that's my journal entry for the night.
Update: Ok, I just got home and I was thinking some more. I'm a sarcastic fool. Well I used to be really sarcastic, and I realized that I was hurting people with things I would say. I'm no where nearly as bad as I used to be now. But I still find myself at times saying things and after I'm like, why did I say that. So forgive me at times if I'm too sarcastic. I'm working on it, trust me.
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37 Comments
I think I may fit into your update. Its odd. This is something I think about a lot because for a while I was struggling with the 'who am I' part. I'm kind of accepting the fact that I really can't define who I am because I'm just so many different things. I can be funny, witty, obnoxious, a smart alec (in the words of my mother) a lot of the time, I'm a fairly good listener, loving (the second you get into my heart like friend-wise I strive to keep you there), way too talkative, mellow, very much insane.
I'm a home-body (that's what Bryan says). I enjoy going out and leaving my house especially if something fun is going down. I think people are a little turned off by how wacky I really can be because they don't understand that I'm just being silly and carefree and if I don't make any sense, why does it matter?
I think everyone can try as hard as they want to not care what people think but words still hurt and they always will.
I like how you said silly and carefree, cause I guess that would define my 'craziness' at times. I'm just enjoying life and enjoying myself. I guess doing those silly things help me to cope with some other issues in my life that could get me down if I start thinking about them.
Yeah, that definetly makes sense. I think if I wasn't so silly I would be way too serious.
seriously, you guys have to be silly and carefree, this world is to sick to be too serious all the time. only be serious when the need be! i'm 30 and still like to be carefree and silly, keeps you youthful and you see life as it should be
I think life is too boring to be normal. What is normal anyway? who knows. You gotta find the good in life or it's just way too depressing. People are dying around us every day. For stupid reasons mostly. It's terrible and sad. If you take yourself too seriously you'll just get wrapped up in it and get depressed I think. I duno. I just like to say "weeeeeee" and eat ice cream while jogging to burn calories. hahahaha
HAHA i LUV that "eat ice cream while jogging to burn the calories" the best of both worlds!!!
I'm perceived as a snob. It's funny as ones meet me and get to know me, they say "OMG I totally thought you were a snob but you're so sweet and silly" that always cracks me up!
But seriously, i really don't care what people think of me. i try to be the best person that i know how to be. I've been through a lot in life and that has taught me that not everyone is going to like me, nor am i going to like everyone. The only thing i can do i never judge a book by its cover and truly get to know people and understand them and have fun (within the guidlines of my dedication)
but on a serious note, I'm a pretty quiet person when i first meet people, so i am probably perceived as a quiet person. But... I am not a quiet person, just at first. Haha. It takes me a little while to get comfortable. And yeah it is a lot easier to talk online when you can think about what you're about to say and type type delete and stuff like that. Talking is hard. A lot of people are losing conversational abilities because of all the technical advancments people don't even call anymore they just text message. haha
People think i'm really boring at first.. or sometimes think i'm like this guy who thinks he's too cool to hang out and snobby.
so not me. i'm just shy at first.. or quiet when i dont know people. i try not to be loud and obnoxious right away. because i hate loud obnoxious people. until... well.. we're all loud and obnoxious together.
people percieve me as being odd... plain and simple
That is such an understatement. lol
ha ditto im weird everyone tells me that
i was saying to perrin the other day that ezabel has the largest collection of quirky people i've ever seen in one place. concentrated quirkiness. i love it!
Isn't perception spelled with a 'c'? Man I'm dumb.
yeh, i was meaning to correct you but i forgot :P
It's corrected. I was just looking at it and was like, that doesn't look right.
yeah i was gonna ask you about that... but i didnt
Yeah you spelled it right in the actual journal but misspelled it in the title. lol. I'm horrible at spelling so that's why I didn't even mention it. lol
i perceive you as dead sexy, jesse
jesse...dude, i was there...i was singing along that night...and althought i cant say i enjoy "journey" one bit (except for its campy quality), i have to say we were not too loud, its just that people often need to assert "the adult role" because theyre FINALLY at that point in their lives when they feel like they get to. its like they enjoy being the mature one, so to speak, of a group and they cant possibly believe how immature everyone else is. (insert eye roll and exasperated sigh). whatever, dude, it was a fun night and brooklyn heights enjoyed our awful awful vocals of an awful awful song.
ooh very well said I like it. Nothing beats singin in the streets!
i think perceptions are interesting. there is not just one of you. there are lots of you's, as many as the people you've run across in life. no one looks at you the exact same way. so if you think about it, there are hundreds of you's in the world, each one different from the other.
Wow that is such an interesting way to look at it. I'm going to have to remember that. I like that.
thanks :) and the only true perspective is how you view yourself - that is the only true self, and only you can understand yourself, and Jehovah too of course.
don't forget how much you can appreciate yourself in a mirror or funhouse mirror :)
well, i can look at myself & see what mood i'm in but not what the perceptions of what others see me as. I tend to act differently depending on what group of friends i'm hanging out with at the time. Certain groups i can get away with more stuff than other groups. It's probly really hard to get to know the real me unless the person was secretly videotaping me at home, thats the place i act the most like the real me..whatever that is, lol
Yeah I know what you mean. I'm pretty much the same person no matter who I'm around but the things I talk about change depending on who I'm with since I have different groups of friends that have very different interests.
what about when you are horse jumping along the rails of ganzhee river?
reminds me of adam sandler in punch drunk love.
"i don't know how i am, because i don't know how others are."
i really wanted to see this movie. but i heard mixed reviews did you like it?
unique. loved it. from the director of magnolia.
Great movie, I watched it again a week or two ago just cause I was thinking about it. It is very unique but it's a decent story. Don't expect a comedy cause he plays a strange character. But I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
see i got the part that it wasn't a comedy b/c that's what all the commercials stressed but then they never explained any of the story. they just read good reviews.
You know I learned awhile ago that I have to break peoples perception of me - I always get "oh my goodness you are so cool I thought you were totally to good for me." Now where that all comes from i don't know because I am ultra shy at times and more or less am more intimidated than I would like to let on. But how others percieve us is a science within itself. I don't think any of us can see ourselves the way other people see us - if we were able to I think a lot would be different.
Jess - truthfully you are the same way you have always been for as long as I have known you... and that's cool. My dad was just saying he thinks you are a pretty cool guy - don't remember how you came up in convo but you did - lol.
Haha, should I be frightened that my name is coming up in the Morgan household? :P
I've changed a lot in some ways and stayed the same in some ways. I'm still fun! :)