interview with salima

Welcome everyone to another member interview on philosophyforum.com! Member's interviews provide the opportunity for members to get to know other members a little bit better by answering a small number of questions and saying a little something about themselves.

Today's interviewee is Salima , who has been a member on the forum since May 8, 2009 .

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So what about you? Most of the forum knows you through the profile at the top of every post you make. Tell us about your profile.
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Q1: So tell us a little about your name, why you chose it, what it means, etc.
Quote:
It has been my internet name since 1998, it was given to me by the sufis in america. My legal name isnt easily understood by hindi speaking people and I dont pronounce it properly, so in the interest of simplicity and due to the unimportance of technicalities here, I am known as salima... or Auntie.

Q2: Tell us a little about your avatar. Does it mean anything special to you?
Quote:
Yep-i made her up with a yahoo program, and called her pandora. She is that part of me that is curious and wants to know the truth of it all and sometimes finds out things that hurt, but there is that saving element of hope that things can get better through other discoveries.

Q3: Explain to us the significance of your user title (if you have one) and/or signature. Where does it come from? What can this small tidbit of info tell us about you?
Quote:
My user title has been changed a few times, as of now it reflects my cataract operation, and since I got it done here I say I now have indian eyes, even though the lenses were imported from america and probably made in china. The signature also has been changed a few times, and now will probably remain the same because I cant remember how to change it. I love those two old guys from the Muppet Show, and I can just picture one of them saying that quote...obviously they failed, and so have I, to reach the ideal exit.

Q4: What made you join the forum?
Quote:
My best friend died and it took a whole forum of people to replace the empty spot in my life.

Q5: Can you tell us anything more about your stats, like the volume of posts, your thanks/thanked ratio, and your rep power?
Quote:
Not really-they kind of happen by themselves, dont they? I use the thank you button on purpose of course, either when someone makes a funny comment or says something that is very profound or something I hadnt considered while pondering the subject.

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Tell us a little bit more about you in general.
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Q6: If you could describe yourself in one short sentence, what would it be and why?
Quote:
I dont think I could, and it would depress me to try and think of one.

Q7: Do you have any other interests other than philosophy (i.e. hobbies, work, etc.)?
Quote:
Yes, but I dont pursue them. I love architecture and photography, behavioral anthropology. My hobby would be the internet and writing, and I am still looking for work. I intend to get started on the gutenberg project as soon as I get my pc in order-it is full of dust and I am overclocking again.

Q8: Do those interests coincide with your affinity for philosophy?
Quote:
I think everything coincides with philosophy-collides with it in fact.

Q9: Can you tell us anything more about yourself?
Quote:
No-i dont like talking about myself, but I thought I would attempt it anyway.

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Tell us about philosophy forum and you.
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Q10: What are your favorite areas of the forum? If you have more than one, give us your top five.
Quote:
The general discussion area or lounge is great because you dont have to be so formal there and are less likely to be expected to know any real philosophical terms. The sky is the limit. I am interested in ethics more than anything else at this time in my life.

Q11: Do you blog? What are some of the topics you discuss?
Quote:
I think I am blogged out for the moment. But I more or less left an epitaph there, and it would be the best way to get to know me. I wrote about the cultural experience of living in a different country, left the story of my life in poems, monuments to some incredible people i have known, my own personal trials and dark nights of the soul (I had more than one).

Q12: If you could describe philosophyforum.com in one word, what would that word be?
Quote:
Interesting-which means a lot more coming from me than most other people because I find so little to interest me lately.

Q13: How would you describe your posts and the style/structure you use?
Quote:
I try to be objective, try to comment without using my own beliefs as a baseline, try to be open to new perspectives, try to add something no one else has yet mentioned.

Q14: What would you do to make philosophy forum a better/more interesting place?
Quote:
I would ditch the separate forum for religion. A person's philosophy will reflect the religion they adhere to, but it is not necessarily rigidly derived from religion. So religion may enter into the conversation or argument in philosophy, but I dont find it necessary to refer to my own particular religious beliefs when discussing philosophy. If I wanted to discuss religion I think I would go to a religion forum. when I see questions here such as 'can god's omnipotence be proven' I treat them as a philosophical question, the assumption being there is a god or otherwise the question would be moot.

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Tell us a little about your perspective of philosophy in general.
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Q15: What first got you interested in philosophy?
Quote:
I think it is a natural reaction to having learned either you were mistaken about something or you were deceived by something-that is when the search for truth begins. I dont remember the first time, but it was pretty soon after birth I would guess.

Q16: Explain how philosophy is important to you.
Quote:
With my definition being philosophy is the search for truth, it is important in the sense that I want to know the truth, but at the same time I tend to believe it is impossible to ever really know the truth about anything. But that is actually a good thing, because whenever I get tired of looking, or I dont like what I am finding, I can always give it a rest and leave it go until later.

Q17: What keeps you interested in philosophy?
Quote:
It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it-looking for the truth I mean. The wealth of deception abounds, there is no limit to ignorance, and trying to root it out of my own mind is a lifetime task.

Q18: If you could define you own particular philosophy in one short sentence, what would it be?
Quote:
I dont think I can...but it has to start with the premise that there is only One Being...this is at the basis of any of my moral, social or ethical decisions...in fact all my decisions.

Q19: What do you think the benefits of philosophy are?
Quote:
The benefits are there can be a better understanding of humanity and we will discover our samenesses and realize we all live in one world.

Q20: What do you think the drawbacks to philosophy are?
Quote:
Sometimes truth bites and for those prone to depression it could get a whole lot worse before it got better.

Q21: What is your favorite subject in philosophy (i.e. ethics, logic, etc.)?
Quote:
ethics

Q22: What is your least favorite subject in philosophy?
Quote:
philosophers

Q23: Who is your favorite philosopher and why?
Quote:
It is difficult to have a favorite because I am not that well versed in them. But Plotinus and Hegel come to mind...

Q24: Who is your least favorite philosopher and why?
Quote:
If they say something I dont like I stop reading and forget their name, so I have no answer to that...

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Lightning Round!!! Answer either or!
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Q25: Global warming or Global fooling?
Quote:
neither

Q26: Conservative or liberal?
Quote:
both

Q27: Formal or informal?
Quote:
formless

Q28: Smart or ignorant?
Quote:
sometimes

Q29: Mac or PC?
Quote:
I admit to Linux envy

Q30: Awesome or Phenomenal?
Quote:
Awe still happens but the phenomes are gone