Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Either...Or

Let's play a game.

From the following, choose either one or the other. (If it doesn't apply to your gender, imagine yourself as the other gender. Or, if that's too kinky, choose on behalf of someone you care about.)

Pretend you MUST choose. No wimping out with, "But I like bo-o-o-o-th..." or "I don't like e-e-e-either..." (Yeah, I can hear that whine in your voice. Nut up and do it already.)

On your mark...get set...GO!

Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?

Flats or heels?

Sweater or sweatshirt?

White cotton or black lace?

Top up or top down?

Facebook or Twitter?

All-white Christmas lights or multi-colored?

Wine or beer?

Martini or Manhattan?

Hamburger or pizza?

Boots or sneakers?

Frosty or Rudolf?

Hanukkah or Chanukkah (or Hanukah or Chanukah)?

Europe or Australia?

Sheep or cows?

Boxers or briefs?

Thong or granny panties?

Pyramids or Eiffel Tower?

Button-fly or zipper?

Painting or photo?

Fiction or nonfiction?

Ask permission first or apologize after?

Give the truth or take the dare?

Decisive or deliberative?



There.  All finished. That wasn't so bad, was it? 

Now for the part I'm really curious about: 

How tough was that for you? Did you instantly know which to choose, or did you waffle back and forth, mentally begging for more information to help you weigh the options?

Don't worry, this isn't a test. One choice isn't better than the other. There are benefits and drawbacks to both. That's why we have conflicting adages, like...


"He who hesitates is lost."  vs. "Look before you leap."

Because there are times when an immediate decision is essential, and times when a more cautious approach would be prudent. Adage writers like to cover their...um, bases.

Personally, I tend to be more deliberative*.  Oh, I can make a snap judgment when I have to, but I will second guess myself ad nauseum afterward, until I've reassured myself it was the right one. I may *cough* tend to over-analyze things just a tad.

[That raucous laughter you hear in the background is TG opining on my choice of the word "tad." At a guess, he doesn't seem to think it's an adequate descriptor.]


How about you? Are you a LOOKER or a LEAPER?

 P.S. You don't have to tell me everything you chose in the Either/Or. Unless you want to, in which case I'd love to hear. I am trying to correlate the chocolate thing with the kind of underwear people prefer, if you'd care to contribute to my research. My guess is, people who prefer dark chocolate like to wear risque underwear, but I could be wrong.

*Notice my skillful use of the word "deliberative." Sounds better than "wishy-washy," doesn't it? Just as rash and reckless person may prefer to be referred to as "decisive." POV is everything, yes? ;)

29 comments:

Falyn Donaldson said...

I don't do very well with tests, but this one was surprisingly easy. However, I am not willing to share the answers. I will comment on your theory of chocolate/underwear. In my case, you are wrong (hint: I like milk chocolate). ;)

Jessica Bell said...

milk chocolate
Flats
Sweater
black lace
Top up or top down? (what's this mean?)
Facebook
All-white Christmas lights
Wine
Martini
pizza
Boots
Rudolf
Hanukkah or Chanukkah (or Hanukah or Chanukah)? (don't know what these are - I'm Australian!)
Europe
Sheep
briefs
granny panties
Pyramids
zipper
photo
Fiction
apologize after
Give the truth
deliberative

Ha! That wasn't tough at all. The only tough one was the Europe or Australia. Damn you. They are BOTH my home.

Teri Anne Stanley said...

Dark chocolate and black lace granny panties?

I was pretty quick on the draw with most of those. Is that because I'm a leaper (not a leper, but some might think so), or is it just that I know what I like? Because when it comes to deciding a course of action, I am a total looker. I can overanalyze any decision to the point of complete paralysis. For example, I like dark chocolate, hate butt floss. But if I was buying chocolate and underwear for someone else? The mall would close before I would be able to decide whether to go to the Godiva store or Victoria's Secret.

out of the wordwork said...

The only one I hesitated over was wine or beer!
It was pretty easy to go through the rest though. I'm a decisive person but I'm not a leaper. I deliberate for a time but not forever (it would drive me nuts) and that's too close to what my mom always does. Takes forever to make a decision and when she does she agonizes over it. Nope. Not for me. Once the decision is done I don't second guess. That way lies madness!
Nelsa

Unknown said...

I didn't have a problem with these answers. the only one that stopped me up was heels or flats...i immediately said flip-flops (my flip-flops have a bit of a wedge heel to them). ah, the joys of living in year-round sun :)

demery said...

I'm usually a LEAPER! And I've learned the hard way (when it comes to creativity in my writing and work life) to ask forgiveness after the fact than to ask permission... I used to be such a permission seeker that rarely did I get to do anything wonderful and interesting.

I do think that dark chocolate and lace undies go together somehow... but I'd be perfectly fine wearing the granny undies while consuming milk chocolate. Maybe there's no going wrong where chocolate is concerned :)

And speaking of zippers or button ups, Thanks for your limerick on my blog yesterday!! You had me l'ing o l. :)

TAWNA FENSKE said...

I totally just read that as "are you a hooker or a leaper?"

Suffice it to say, I was confused (but what's new?)

Tawna

Bill Cameron said...

Most of them were easy, but two presented me with challenges:

Hanukkah or Chanukkah (or Hanukah or Chanukah)? - Okay, it's not I can't choose. It's that this doesn't matter to me in any way.

Boxer briefs - The merger wins.

Europe
Sheep
granny panties
Eiffel Tower
zipper
photo
Fiction
apologize after
Give the truth
Dark chocolate
Flats
sweatshirt
White cotton
top down
Twitter
multi-colored
beer
Martini
pizza
sneakers
Rudolf
Wishy-washy

Kelly Breakey said...

Here goes

Milk
Flats
Sweatshirt
Cotton
Down
Twitter
Multi
Beer
Martini
Pizza
Sneakers
Rudolph
Hanukkah
Australia
Cows
Boxers
Granny Panties
Eiffel Tower
Zipper
Painting
Non
Permission First
Dare
Decisive

I am almost afraid to ask what this says about me.

Sierra Godfrey said...

I'm a looker, but when I was younger, I was a leaper.

I've only recently figured out that it pays to look first. I HATE that cringey, bad-dog feeling I get when I've messed up because I didn't look first. HATE IT. Why it happened just this morning at work. It is the single thing that stresses me out at work: the worry of taking too long to look when everyone is encouraged to leap, but knowing that if I leap, I'll fall.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Dark chocolate and white cotton. Those two jumped out at me! The rest were pretty easy to choose too, and I'd say I'm fairly decisive. At times overzealous even.

Amanda said...

I'm a looker -- so much that it once took me 6 months to choose a plain, navy blue couch. I know.

This test wasn't as hard, but I did have to force myself to not just choose the first option.

AND -- milk chocolate and white undies. I think you're onto a scientific discovery of mass proportion!

abby mumford said...

i had a quick decision for almost everything, but don't let that fool you because i'm definitely a looker (yeah i am.) (just kidding.)

i'm only a leaper after i've looked all i can and gathered enough information. some may say this makes me slow, but i am rarely late to things. i look early and often.

Elizabeth Flora Ross said...

This is a game I am really good at. I chose instantly. There was no thinking about it. My mom says I was like that as a young child. She loved shopping with me b/c I was so decisive. LOL

So, my choices were:

Milk
flats
sweatshirt
cotton
down
Twitter
multi-colored
beer
martini
pizza
sneakers
rudolf
Hanukkah
Austrilia
cows
boxers
granny
Eiffel Tower
zipper
photo
nonfiction ;)
ask permission
truth
decisive

Fun post! Loved it!

Unknown said...

Dark chocolate, beer, sneakers, top down, and uh, I'm ... losing... focus....

I am a dyed in the wool leaper. Most of my major life decisions were made after saying, "Eh, what the hell? Let's give it a try."

Things go wrong, of course. But I can't change what I am.

Summer Frey said...

I give a quick glance before I leap. :)

And this was quite easy for me.

Milk chocolate
Flats
Sweatshirt
White cotton
Top up
Facebook
All-white lights
Beer
Martini
Burger
Boots
Rudolf
Hanukah
Europe
Sheep
Boxers
Granny panties
Pyramids
Zipper
Photo
Fiction
Apologize after
Give the truth
Decisive

Patty Blount said...

Ooo, fun.

Here's mine:

heels

Sweater

White cotton

Top down (I've only done this ONCE!)

Twitter

All-white Christmas lights

Wine

Manhattan

pizza

Boots

Rudolf

I don't know what the correct spelling of that holiday should be, so will skip it.

Europe

cows

briefs

granny panties because thongs should be illegal

Eiffel Tower

zipper

photo

Fiction

Ask permission after I've already done it, and apologize only if necessary.

Give the truth

deliberative

You may have noticed the glaring omission of one category on your test. That's because I like it all!

jill said...

I'm generally deliberative, but these questions were generally easy for me (or maybe I'm just set in my ways!)

Dark
Flats
Sweatshirt
Black lace
Top up
Twitter
Multi
Neither
Neither
Pizza
Sneakers
Rudolph
Hanukkah
Australia
Sheep
Briefs
Granny
Pyramids
Zipper
Photo
Fiction
Permission
Truth
Deliberative

I might have skewed your chocolate/underwear question - but if it helps, I do have some thongs, just rarely wear them.

Jeffe Kennedy said...

dark chocolate, black lace, thong.

And I'm a leaper. I can't bear dithering. If we ever hang out, *I* will make the reservations! ;-)

muffintopmommy said...

Funtastic post--needed a good laught today. Ready?

milk choco
flats
sweater
cotton
town down
Facebook (sorry!)
all white
beer
martini
za
sneaks
Frosty
Hanukkah
Europe
cows
boxers
granny panties (I'm bringing sexy back!)
Eiffel
fly
photo
non fiction (but I love me some great fiction, too)
permission
truth
deliberative, but you'd not know that by the way I flew through this list.

Your choco/undie speculation was right on with this chick!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry and thirsty and must deliberate one what to eat and drink. Decisions, decisions.... :)

Bren said...

POV is definitely everything. :) I'm a leaper all the way! And yes, it's dark chocolate and risque underwear for me too. Guess your research is on the right track. :)

Fickle Cattle said...

I'm definitely a leaper. :-)

http://ficklecattle.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

Dark
Flats
Sweater
Cotton
Top down
Both
All white
Wine
Martini
Hamburger
Sneakers
Rudolph
Hanukkah
Europe
Sheep
Boxers
Granny
Pyramids
Zipper
Photo
Fiction
Ask permission
Decisive

I look...but once I have all the facts, I make the leap. This was a fun post. I really wonder what you are going to do with all this information? (I know what I would do...)

Linda G. said...

Falyn -- LOL! And obviously risque underwear. ;)

Jessica -- Top up or top down: read into it what you will. (Okay, I was talking about convertibles.) Also, Australia and Europe may both be your home, but surely one ranks a little higher with you? Europe, at a guess. ;)

Teri Anne -- Ah, another over-thinker. I empathize. :)

Nelsa -- So true about the madness! Oh, and just don't mix the wine and beer, and you should be okay. ;)

Karla -- Sure. Rub in that warm weather. It's 19 degrees here this morning. Brrr!

Demery -- I agree. You can't go wrong with chocolate in any form. :)

Tawna -- LOL! Yeah, that would be confusing.

Bill -- The Hanukkah thing was a trick question. They're all right! (Since they're phonetic representations of the Hebrew, there's technically no absolutely "right" way to spell it in English.) And I approve of your boxer/brief merger. Best of both.

Kelly -- It's a shocking insight into your innermost soul!

Sierra -- Maybe if you glance but don't stare? A quick hazard check, and then leap?

KarenG -- Well, chocolate does go with everything. :)

Amanda -- Six months? LOL! Yup, you're officially worse than me. ;)

Abby -- Sounds like you've achieved optimum balance between looking and leaping. :)

Elizabeth -- I'm impressed! You are a woman who knows her own mind. :)

KLM -- "What the hell?" Now, that has "famous last words" written all over it. ;)

Summer -- Glancing is good. Saves some nasty surprises.

Patty -- Surprise! There is no "correct spelling" of that holiday. And I agree that thongs should be illegal. I don't go for butt floss, either. ;) And, yeah, the chocolate question IS tough.

Jill -- You "know your own mind." There, doesn't that sound better than "set in your ways"? The chocolate/underwear correlation needs some work.

Jeffe -- And I'll let you! Bet they'd be someplace fun. :)

Muffintop -- But Twitter is SO much better than Facebook! And granny panties ARE sexy. (That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.)

Brenda -- It does seem to be leaning that way!

Fickle Cattle -- Don't land in a cow patty!

Jeannie -- I'm compiling logs for future characters. You know the routine: "Careful, or you'll end up in my novel." Bwah-ha-hah!

Lola Sharp said...

LEAP!

Here you go, if you are a sorting, analytical sort:

Dark chocolate

Heels (or barefoot/flip flops...nothing middle ground)

Sweatshirt

Black lace

Top down

All-White twinkle lights

Wine

Martini...DIRTY. Extra olives.

Pizza

Rudolf

(I'm not jewish and don't have an opinion on the spelling...though I think the H version makes more phonetic sense)

Europe

Sheep

Boxer-brief hybrid

NO panties ;)

Eiffel Tower!

Button Fly

Photo

Fiction

Apologize after

Truth

Decisive

Lola Sharp said...

Oops, I missed one...Twitter. (I don't have FB) (I don't love twitter as much as the rest of you, though. I prefer blogs to all of it.)

Have a wonderful weekend, Linda.

Linda G. said...

Lola -- Blogs are a bit more in-depth, aren't they? I do like that about them. Hope you have a wonderful weekend, too. :)

Elizabeth Ryann said...

I am TOTALLY deliberative (I'm a Libra, so it pretty much comes with the territory, I think), but most of these are things I've already spent a considerable amount of time weighing, so I know the answers quickly. :)

Dark chocolate
Heels (though I'm usually wearing flats)
Sweater (though nothing itchy or tight around the neck)
Black lace
Top down (though my convertible top currently won't go down, but that's the car's fault)
Twitter (Facebook's become the place where relatives I'm not particularly close to comment on everything)
Multi-colored lights (so much more festive! Though I am occasionally seduced by the elegance of white)
Wine (in sauces, since I drink neither)
Manhattan (because it's pinkish, though I also drink neither of these)
Pizza! (Though hamburgers are an important lunch staple)
Boots
Rudolf
Hanukkah
Europe
Sheep
Boxers (Though Bill's right and boxer briefs are the best option)
Granny panties
Eiffel Tower
Button-fly
Painting
Fiction!
Permission first - apologizing later smacks of not caring whether the other person would've minded
Truth
Deliberative

:)

Linda G. said...

Elizabeth R -- But permission first means you might not get to do it. Is that really an acceptable risk? ;)