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Do our preferences, like favorite color, serve as indicators of who we are?
We all have individual preferences. Some of us like the color blue while others prefer a shade of grey. Do these preferences serve as indicators of who we are?
I think it’s interesting to think about.
Who are we?
Well we can think of ourselves as a box or [ } at birth.
[] We are given a name.
[ Jake ]
Then we are inscribed with data to build our personality.
[Jake - Experiences: Year1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5]
At age 5 [Jake-5] has experienced many things. However, at this point [Jake-5] hasn't constructed the necessary filters to understand complex information.
As [Jake-5] gets older he includes more information and builds stronger neural pathways. These pathways are generated by electrical impulses continuously storing information and associating existing information with new data.
[Jake-35]
At this point [Jake-35] has a favorite color value of "RED".
If [Jake-5] is constructed from [Jake-1] + [Jake-2] + [Jake-3] + [Jake-4]....then it isn't [Jake-5] as [Jake-5] doesn't account for the other years of life.
[Jake - 1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435]
Out of this string we can pinpoint individual variables.
What is [Jake-19]?
Jake 19 as I remember it was an arrogant...know it all. I didn't really have a favorite color. I didn't care about colors much.
Does that say something about [Jake-19]?
What does "I have no favorite color" transfer to?
Well if [Jake - 19] was arrogant and thought he knew everything...he may not have really focused enough on things like color, nature, or art to appreciate their place. Therefore, [Jake -19] could be identified, very loosely, by his color choice...or lack thereof.
Putting your life on a data string will allow you to dissect portions and associate them appropriately. Can we tell...from these data strings...that present "preferences" can, loosely, serve as indicators of character or personality traits.
Steve C
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc43DdhuhME starts talking about a "color belief" at about the 6-minute mark.
I think [Jake-5] would account for the other years of life; unless it were written into a sci-fi book, where "5" would not be assumed to be his age, but may be "[Jake#5]". But we don't go out on the street and meet a 5-y-o & then ask them if those were five consecutive years of combined knowledge & experiences.
Even the years demarked [1], [2], [3] were not equal years of any kind or type of measurement.
"I have no favorite color" may translate to "my eyes don't have as many cones as most others," or "I'm worrying about grades and girlfriends more than colors," or "colors are for girls and fashion-shows." But I think if someone were to give [Jake-19] a well-designed test, would ferret-out a subconscious favorite.
"Putting your life on a data string..." makes me start to question, "Where does '0' start," or "Are you measuring speed when you should be measuring weight," and "Aren't our measurements telling us more about those who measure, than it does those who are measured?
Luis Javier López Arredondo
I disagree in segregate or prejudge others by likes. I don't think there is any science in ther to investigate.
Likes only help to know myself.
edward long 100+
Barry Palmer 50+
I have always been partial to redheaded women; the slightest glance will turn my head every time. My wife is not a redhead. I have no idea how this preference formed, It seems to me that this must have some larger meaning with respect to my personality, but I do not know what it is.
Generally I think our preferences regarding people are probably the most significant.
Another significant preference is where you want to live. I always knew I would prefer country living, and I was right. I find this surprising because I had only a vague idea of the realities of country living. There are many negatives. This is actually a common experience; many people here came from the cities because they 'always knew' they would prefer country living. Some people who are born in the country prefer living in the city. We seem to know this before we have any real information about the alternatives, so it must come from our basic personality.
Fritzie Reisner 100+
People who prefer to be, or insist on being, only with people who look like they do and share all their beliefs- that says something about them.
Having an aversion to thousands of different foods might signify an eccentric level of pickiness or inflexibility.
Loving or hating horror movies or romance novels may suggest attributes of personality.
But I doubt that disliking watermelon or brussel sprouts says much.
Juniper Blue 10+
I do think that we can gain some information about learning styles and even medical conditions if we are careful to observe some likes an dislikes.
Sometimes, you can get a good feel for a person based on their favorite music.
I think that it is interesting when our likes an dislikes change dramatically over our lives. I value much different things than I did when I was in my 20's.