Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Flawed



Can't we all agree that none of us really like perfect people? I mean, how can you be friends with someone who always has their hair perfectly coiffed first thing in the morning, who keeps their house immaculate and never suffers from an occasional nervous breakdown? It may be that people like that don't actually exist in reality, which is a good thing in my opinion. Our flaws are the things that make us human. They make us quirky and relatable and let others off the hook for their own imperfections.

My list of flaws might be a bit longer than some of yours, but I like to imagine that they're part of what make me so funny and lovable (my husband might disagree that my panic attacks at two in the morning are anything but charming).

And when thinking about the characters in books and movies that we truly relate to, aren't they always flawed? The characters that stay with me the longest are ones that I relate to, not in their perfection, but in the bits of their personalities that make them struggle.

So what are some flaws that you struggle with?

Here's a few of mine in no particular order:

1. fear and anxiety- Ha, you say. No particular order? Yeah, okay, I get where you're coming from. This is something that can rule my life if I don't keep it in check, but it's a great source for writing.

2. procrastination- Yep, here's another one that I struggle against constantly. It seems so much easier to put things off until tomorrow, even though in the end it never pays off.

3. loyalty- I'd like to think of myself as a loyal person, but I fear that deep down I might be one of those people that is quite selfish and thinks of self preservation above others.

4. selfishness- While we're on the subject... I often put my own needs and desires above others. I care about my little family, but often don't think outside of our own little circle. I'm also very selfish with my time.

5. quick temper- It's true that this mostly plays out in terms of politics and my opinions of what I think is fair.

6. judgemental attitude- I'm not usually judgemental when it comes to people's lifestyles, but don't get me started on aesthetics.

7. gluttony- Yeah, I don't have willpower when it comes to the yummy snacks in this world. And maybe while we're on the subject of willpower I should mention that I don't really have it in any form.

8. envy- The green eyed monster visits me often. I haven't figured out how to keep him at bay.

I could go on and on. What faults do you find the most interesting in a character?

3 comments:

  1. The exact same ones! We must be related.

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  2. I think characters with OCD are interesting. I loved the show MONK. But it could be because I'm kind of OCD. I get anxiety attacks and I'm the definition of procrastination. I'm super selfish and I have some weird quirks about eating out. I only eat at the OG. luv erin

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  3. I have ALL of your faults except for gluttony. I'm one of those overweight people due to medication and not food. But you can substitute PETTY and you'll have me all the way.

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