MEMO+1+-+Neuroses,+Traits...

Gareth Edel
 * __Memo 1 Habits, Neuroses, Talents__**


 * 1) Leading my list of neuroses is the inability to evaluate myself well. Courses regularly required self evaluation during my undergraduate years and I was frequently told that I was too critical. I feel comfortable with my ‘glass half full’ perspective, but in the below list it influences a more limited selection of talents included.


 * 1) In the schema found in //Figuring Out Ethnography,// I am both a compulsive and a paranoiac. Per the description of Jakobson’s “combination disorder” (Obsessive Compulsive) and “Selection Disorder” (Paranoia) I have a very hard time narrowing down and I am far more excited over broadly ranging connections, and the whole field than I am by the tightening down and focusing on the figure. While appreciating the breadth of the field I also feel a basic inability to discuss the figure without focusing. My unwillingness to proceed without knowing everything about the specific figure has been a problem in the past. Having been previously introduced to the terms “fox” and “hedgehog” as styles of researcher (Archilochus) I find myself all too often a fox with hedgehog tendencies.


 * 1) I have a wide ranging (shallow) body of background knowledge about social science, popular culture, and health and medicine in the US Context.


 * 1) I can draw.


 * 1) I can stumble in broken Spanish and French, and understand a bit more.


 * 1) I have been told that I listen well, and really enjoy learning and seeing new cultures and meeting new people. Like Brandon said in class, I like other people’s stories.


 * 1) I am a disorganized writer and have trouble with cohesiveness.


 * 1) I read a lot and remember the broad strokes well, finding connections between the texts and am usually able to explain the complex theses clearly. On the contrary I usually lose the details quickly (especially the flavor of empirical work).


 * 1) I have a comfortable, but not extensive understanding of Marxist theory.


 * 1) I am very shy about asking for help, while very willing to offer it. I have inherited an unwillingness to impose or intrude while moving easily to conversation and interaction upon invitation.


 * 1) I Smoke. I drink with moderation.


 * 1) I am long winded, especially in writing, as perhaps is obvious from this memo.


 * 1) I have a hard time filtering when writing and usually have too many things included without narrowing.


 * 1) I wear hats.


 * 1) I am punctual and hate being late, while I easily forgive others failures of punctuality. The exception to this is occasionally getting carried away talking and smoking during breaks in class.


 * 1) I have contacts and friends all over the place.


 * 1) Even when I don’t like the food I can eat anything put in front of me, and smile about it to be polite.


 * 1) I can understand just enough medical/science jargon to get by and to understand professional conversations.


 * 1) I don’t like to answer questions without definitive answers, this leads to two habits, declaring things that should be tentative as if certain, and avoiding some questions where an answer would be too tentative.


 * 1) Patience


 * 1) I like new things, new places, new people.


 * 1) I am good at putting myself in the position of another person, as much as that is possible.