How brave are you ?

People have often told me I am brave, but I have trouble believing it sometimes.

1) The dichotomy of “sissy/brave” is not a very fair one. I deal with difficult and complex situations all the time, because I have to. Some people would think I am a sissy because I let them affect me at all, but I go through with them just the same.

2) I’m sure I have done this for tests in throw-away classes like Health and Psychology (it can be a difficult class, but the survey classes are generally a joke). But doing this for important classes is not brave; it is foolhardy.

3) I would not do that. For one thing, I thing skydiving is very wasteful. I am not interested in extreme sports because I am not an adventuresome person. Growing up with a chronic illness that could kill you any day can do that to you. That being said, simply doing things that others can take for granted, like traveling alone in a foreign country, or letting loose at a party, is adventuresome for a type 1 diabetic.

4) I have done so, yes.

5) I am not on track for a well paying 9 to 5. I need job security, health insurance, intellectual stimulation, and a sense of social contribution. So I am brave enough to take a difficult course of studies that will allow me to have a job that fulfills these conditions, rather than taking the easy way out and working a high paying job that might not agree with my values.

6) No, I did not, because the administrators backed the bullies up. Just going to school every day was brave.

1) It really depends. Sometimes I get flustered, but I deal with it. My method is usually to get flustered or go numb emotionally til I resolve the issue. I had a strange guy walk into my house once (hopped the fence in the backyard) and sit down next to me. My brother and 10 y/o cousin were freakin’ out, and I was just sorta, “hmm, that’s odd”.

2) Yes, but that’s usually because of me being unprepared…

3) NO. I’m a chicken. Bock, bock, bock, bock….

4) I prefer to face it. However, I can’t guarantee that would be my reaction 100% of the time.

5) No. If I were lucky enough to get a job then I wouldn’t risk it. I’m going to have to look after my parents, brother, and pets. I couldn’t risk their financial safety and comfort.

6) I have a bit of a temper, so I always do my best to contain it and just suffer through certain indignities. If I didn’t then I fear I would do something terrible. At worse, I’ve shoved someone. Against something. Twice.

1. I’ve been a military policeman for 19 years now so I’ve been in a position to witness all kinds of emergency situtations. I have encountered difficult, tough, and complicated incidents at times and that is when you rely on your training and experience to carry you through and assist you. Many times, things that happen can be unpredictable and they can turn out well or go south in a hurry and you just have to do the best you can to resolve things. I’ve seen both sides of that coin too. In essence, I have the skills needed to respond well to adversity or stress through years of experience but there are still times when I’ve faltered too. We’re only human after all.

2. Yes, I have been given exams or tests without warning and had to rely totally on memory in hopes of doing well. I have to be honest in the fact that I don’t always do well in this regard because I perform much better if I’ve had a chance to review and study testable materials before the test actually takes place.

3. To date, I have not yet taken the time to experience extreme sports. The only one that I would really like to try is the same one you mentioned in your question details. I would really like to try skydiving. I’m going to get around to doing a tandem jump eventually and if find that I like the experience, I’ll probably be looking do more skydiving. Several of my friends have already skydived and they’ve all said it is an amazing experience.

4. More often than not, yes, I would face up to what I had done and accept the consequences of my actions. Throughout my life, I’ve always been a very honest person by nature. This has also been reinforced by almost two decades in the military where I follow a code of ethics and core values which I adhere to stringently.

5. I would most likely not give up a 9 to 5 job to take up an entrepreneurial opportunity, This stems from the fact that we don’t have a sterling economy right now coupled with the fact that jobs are harder to find nowadays. It is just too risky to quit a well paying job and gamble your livelihood on whether you may or may not do well in an uncertain entrepreneurial opportunity.

6. I have never had an occasion to come across a bully that had harrassed me in high school in my past. If that situation were to arise, I most likely would not confront that person or even expect or want an apology. That is a part of my past that is long gone and forgotten and will stay that way. Life is way too short to contemplate meaningless little events like those that occurred so long ago.

1.) Maybe not with “ease”, but I am no sissy by a long shot. Usually I am a “go with the flow ” type and very creative in my problem solving abilities.

2.) Yes, I have an excellent memory and retention.

3.) Absolutely! I have been a white water rafter, endurance rider ( horses ), been up in a hot air balloon, hung over cliffs just for the view, wandered around by myself in a foreign country. I am a ” Dora the explorer” type for sure. Always want to take the road less traveled.

4.) Yes, I can take responsibility and handle criticism and confrontation.

5.) Hell yes! I have NEVER wanted, nor worked a conventional 9–5 job and it is my worst nightmare. I like to have a lot of freedom and diversity in my work. I’m a creative, and would literally die in a cubicle, and despise micro-managing, hardcore, structured routine work.

6.) I sure did! It was in 7th grade.
Pushed her bitchy little behind off the school bus and head first into a snow drift. That took care of that, and…bonus, I inherited the bullies friends. Ya know, the Alpha bitch leads the pack. haha

6.)

1)Do you become a sissy when you face tough and complicated situations or can you deal with the most difficult of things with ease?

*I am no sissy and deal with things calmly. I may shed a tear or two in frustration but after that moment, I move on to ‘fix it’ mode.

2)Have you ever given an exam or a test without preparing for it and by completely relying on your memory?

*No, I think that’s irrepsonsible.

3)Have you ever tried extreme adventure sports like sky diving?

*No, I haven’t had the opportunity.

4)If you were caught red handed doing anything wrong, would you accept your mistake and face the consequences?

*Yes, grudgingly.

5)Would you give up a well paying 9 to 5 job to take up an exciting entrepreneurial opportunity?

*No, I have a mortgage and bills.

6)Did you ever get back at the bully who harassed you a lot in school?

*No, it only happened once, I stood up for myself and that was the end.

Hmm… Me and brave in the same sentence just does not work out.

1. Depends on the scenario. If I feel my brain working, I go for it and tackle the flaws. If I don’t then I guess I’ll put together some sort of shabby solution that doesn’t have a 100% chance of success, thinking about extra details is not possible as ‘thinking’ has gone on holiday.
2. Yeah, pretty much. I usually revise a little though. I’ll get more serious if it’s an extremely important exam. Doubt I will though…
3. No. I’d rather not feel the adrenaline pump in my veins. I mean, me being cautious means that I consider possible accidents like; breaking the leg, breaking the neck, getting a deadly disease, infection etc.
4. Pretty much. What’s the point in denial?
5. I think I’ll stick with the job. Opportunities does not mean you’ll succed and if you do, well… Congratulations.
6. “Get back”? You mean… revenge? Yeah, verbal insults I guess could be called revenge. I don’t yell out random profanities though. I usually strike a blow to their ego. It’s fun.

1)Do you become a sissy when you face tough and complicated situations or can you deal with the most difficult of things with ease?

I find that I do what I can in any given situation. But I try to stay away from trouble.

2)Have you ever given an exam or a test without preparing for it and by completely relying on your memory?

Probably, but that’s been such a long time ago, I don’t remember.

3)Have you ever tried extreme adventure sports like sky diving?

Nope.

4)If you were caught red handed doing anything wrong, would you accept your mistake and face the consequences?

No. I would deny, deny, deny, and make them prove it. Only if I was convicted on all appeals would I admit it and apologize, whether or not I had done it. In an adversarial system, truth is irrelevant. It’s all about strategy.

Now if we were talking about a hypothetical spouse, it would be different. I would tell her the truth.

5)Would you give up a well paying 9 to 5 job to take up an exciting entrepreneurial opportunity?
That depends on how strong an opportunity it was, and what my financial responsibilities were and all kinds of other things. Most likely not. Unless I was already independently wealthy. Give me a few years. We’ll talk.

6)Did you ever get back at the bully who harassed you a lot in school?

What bully? I made friends with the bully, so he didn’t harass me. Like I said. I prefer to stay out of trouble instead of having to act bravely in a situation I didn’t have to be in.

I’m a cautious risk taker. I think you’re born with a tendency to react to change which is how you react to change and ability to risk change. You can see it in newborns. Some babies welcome change and explore easily. Others aren’t able to do that. Astronauts and mountain climbers, for example are willing to bravely take chances. At the other end of the continuum are people who live 15 miles from a world renowned city and have never seen it, because they can’t stand any risk.

1) No.
2)

I live a charmed life. I face deadly diseases and survive, every day. And it seems easy, although at the time, it seemed impossible. I never could have done it without support from others. I never could have found support, and yet I did. People love me. Why? Makes no sense to me. But I am totally grateful for it, and totally aware I would be dead without their love.

But bravery never seems like bravery. You always just do what you have to at the time. Only later do people tell you you were brave. And then it seems ridiculous.

I assure you that I am a total sissy. I assure you that I will always do what I have to to survive and to protect those I love. But it isn’t bravery. It’s just life.