We humans are an incredible bunch.  When we put our minds to a task, anything is possible.  And though we all have the capability to accomplish great things in life, we also have our faults.  These can limit us, or propel us to new heights.  I am a firm believer that there are no good and bad traits in a person.  It’s what we do with those traits that make them good or bad.

Now, before admitting four of my many faults, I’d like to say that this is my entry for Nick’s Most Evil Blogger contest at oubipaws.org.  The winner of this contest will score themselves either a Nintendo Wii with 2 extra controllers (and Nunchucks) as well as the addictive Mario Party 8, or a Microsoft XBox 360 Elite System with a copy of Forza 2.  The contest has been extended to August 4th (or thereabouts), and it will be interesting to see what kind of participation will happen.  Not too many people are comfortable talking about their faults, and fewer still want to have those issues broadcasted to the entire globe.

So what are my failings?  Well, similar to Nick’s post, I have a temper (but it’s getting much better), a small lack of self-dicipline (but Reiko keeps me in check), and a tiny amount of pride to contend with (by tiny, I mean my ego is the size of the moon sometimes).  So rather than repeat them, I’ve supplied four other faults that I contend with on a daily basis.

I’m highly opinionated.  We all have our opinions on subjects, but I can be as stubborn as a mule for many things when I think I’m right.  Heck, even after I’m proven wrong I will still keep my feet firmly planted on a subject.  What I don’t understand, however, is that I tend to examine matters from as many angles as possible before forming an opinion.  It should be a simple matter to re-examine those matters and allow a more dynamic opinion … but oddly this doesn’t happen very often.  I’m working on it, though.

I have a very low opinion of self-worth.  This tends to clash with the huge ego I can have, however, the two are locked in an eternal battle much like Loki and Biel.  Friends have found that when my self-worth is at its lowest, it’s best to just stay away.  While at the same time, when the ego is at it’s highest, it’s best to either burst the bubble (letting the low opinion regain a bit of control) or avoid me outright.  This trait is the one that upsets the most people (myself included), as it’s the most unpredictable and most annoying.  For years I’ve tried to keep the this in balance with ego, and often times it can be done.  Hopefully as I edge ever closer to 30 this will become less of an issue.

I am very tightly wound.  Being the first born and a classic Type-A personality, I am a very high-achieving workaholic that thrives in environments that allow me to multitask on several projects with tight deadlines.  People who stand in the way of my tasks tend to earn a spot on my “temporary delay” list, where I will intentionally delay their future projects as a form of silent retribution.  I also tend to contain quite a bit of “free floating hostility”, which often results in some explicit language or throwing objects.  That said, I will never ever hit people or animals, nor will I damage something I do not own.  Even in moments of absolute rage I will retain an amount of control over my actions.  I am an adult and fully accountable for my behaviour, after all.  This is something I’ve struggled with all my life, and while I am not as physically violent as I used to be, there is still lots of room for improvement.  Luckily, Reiko helps with this quite well … I don’t think she even realizes it….

And finally, everything has a comedic value.  This stands in stark contrast to the last point, and it’s probably the sole reason I’m still alive today.  I’ve learned to laugh at everything around me, even my own rages.  Quite often I have gone from throwing a pack of Mentos across the room to fits of laughter as the little mints explode in a thousand pieces and the packaging disintegrates from the sudden deceleration.  I find that the more stressed I am, the more things I find funny.  The only time this fails me is when something has upset me far faster than a quick mental rebuttal can difuse it.  Laughing when times get tough is a great way to relieve stress, but I’ll admit that I need more control over this.  There are times when I can start laughing at a situation and the people around me get even more upset because they feel I’m not taking the matter seriously.

For the record, Mom, I’d like to say that the time I had that 8-inch spike go through my shoe while carrying a 50 kilo block of wood, I was laughing not because it was funny, but because I had the uncontrollable urge to.  Seeing a long metal shaft coming out the top of someone’s footwear is always good for a laugh, even when your mother is less than 2 meters away screaming in terror :P
So there are four of my many, many failings.  Sometimes I wonder if Reiko knows what she’s getting herself into … with less than 10 months until our wedding, will she decide I’m more trouble than it’s worth?  Hehehe, I hope not :P
Did I miss any faults you think should have been included?  Let me know and (if I agree….) I’ll add them to the list.