What person are you most fascinated by?

[Double Victory]

Whenever I'm asked questions such as, "Who is your idol?" and "Who's your favorite actor/actress?" I can never answer, because I never find specific people to be all-around interesting. There are specific parts of specific people that I like, such as famous scientists for great achievements, and famous rich people from humble beginnings, but there aren't any specific people that I'm fascinated by. So I want to know: famous or not-so-much, who are the most interesting people you're familiar with, and why?

[SRVcardsfan27]

Eric Clapton - He seems to be an INTp, and as a huge fan, I've always wondered what he did when he wasn't on stage, shooting up, or drinking. He's always seemed to be a private person, and I would love to just sit down with him and ask questions for hours.

My chemistry professor, because he is a very reserved guy, and has little emotion. I have talked to him a few times one-on-one, and see how cool and intelligent he really is. He's another I could sit for hours and converse.

George Harrison (although dead) for reasons previously mentioned.

I'm sure there are others; several philosophers.

[LionsPride]

William Stephenson, aka "the man called Intrepid". The book on him written by William Stevenson is full of fallacies, but I was intrigued enough to pick up a recent biography (the True Intrepid (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.)) that explores the man who is such an enigma and debunks the fact and fiction from what has been previously published. The descriptions and accounts of the William Stephenson from the people he worked with and the events he influences reaches right down to my core. I don't even know where to begin explaining how his character and accomplishments affect me. I have so many items underlined in my copy of the book that showed how much he resonates with me. Reading the first hand accounts of the people who worked from him are like reading lyrics to songs about everything I have ever wanted to be.

[BillyGoat123]

Nikola Tesla.....a true mad scientist. I loved reading his auto-biography, and how he talks about how he was able to construct and design things entirely in his head and imaginatively operate them, finding the weak points and design flaws and correcting them before he even picked up the first tool to physically make them. That is awesome, and its a real testament to the human brain and what it is capable of.

[Night Runner]

Nikola Tesla (pretty much what Billy said).

Niccolo Machiavelli - I'm pretty certain that guy was a hardcore INTJ. Unfortunately, he never put his principles into practice, and his genius wasn't recognized during his lifetime, so he loses some coolness points for that. :thumbsdown:

Alexander Hamilton - now there was a man who knew how to manipulate others and who actually managed to do so successfully. He started his life as an orphan in the West Indies, and ended up being among the most influential people in the United States. It's a bloody shame he got shot in that duel - I think our country would have been quite different had he lived a few more decades...

Charlie Munger - Warren Buffett's right-hand man. Few people know about him, but he's a true genius if I ever met one. Laconic, skilled in multiple disciplines, a big fan of Ben Franklin, the founder of the Munger dynasty (I think he has ~9 children!) and the author of the brilliant book on investing, Poor Charlie's Almanack (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.).

[TacocaT]

Henry Miller - based on the way he writes about women, food, art, music, books, bicycles and sex. He speaks to me or I listen to him, I find something new every time I read his work.

[DanteFalling]

Myself.
Sad, but true.

[loosefanbelt]

Joni Mitchell - brave poet

Mary Oliver - brave poet

Martin Luther King - brave preacher

Desmund Tutu - brave preacher

Yes, the poets and preachers...

[3am]

I find I am intensely fascinated by Sylvia Plath. (Yes, I know, oh-so-revealing.) I don't idolize her. I'm not going to construct a pyramid of her in my backyard. (But probably only because I don't have the acres of land and the many boards of wood necessary. :']) I just think she was marvelously gifted and she captivates the heck out of me.

[Stratego]

Whenever I'm asked questions such as, "Who is your idol?" and "Who's your favorite actor/actress?" I can never answer, because I never find specific people to be all-around interesting. There are specific parts of specific people that I like, such as famous scientists for great achievements, and famous rich people from humble beginnings, but there aren't any specific people that I'm fascinated by. So I want to know: famous or not-so-much, who are the most interesting people you're familiar with, and why?

I agree, and can certainly relate. I like/admire certain qualities about people but rarely the whole package together...

((And Night Runner---yet another thing we have in common--I'm also a fan of Alexander Hamilton, and also lament that he died when he did--you're right, the United States would be a different country had he lived longer...))

So my fascination kind of wanders to and fro. But I can claim that some hold it for longer than others (Alexander Hamilton one example, as above), and most of those are writers and philosophers. It's their ideas that grab me more than their personalities...

So for writers l like Jane Austen, Edgar Allan Poe, Thomas Pynchon, Thomas Hardy, and Robert Burton...and poets like John Milton, John Dunne, and Emily Dickinson.

For philosphers I like Aristotle, Rousseau, Kant, Locke, Maslow, Hobbes, and Mary Wollstonecraft.

[Winterstorm]

Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden - amazing singer, but also fencer, TV presenter and radio speaker, writer, great composer. And he looks like Han Solo :D

[Imposcillator]

For me it's mostly the musician/bard/composer type.
I'm a sucker for supreme compositional talent combined with good lyrics-writing ability and a decent singing voice. Seeing as I write my own music and lyrics as well, it's something I aspire to.

If I had to use the word "idol", I'd say my three main ones right now are Mikael Åkerfeldt (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.), Steven Wilson (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.) and Kevin Moore (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.), in no particular order.

[Shorgenfunkel]

If I had to use the word "idol", I'd say my [...] main one[...] right now [...] Mikael Åkerfeldt (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.), ...

Respect!

For a long time and still going, my idol/person I am most fascinated by is... Frank Zappa.

[Kisai]

Jon Singer, INTP extraordinaire:

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[Xanthippe]

Lots of people - Night Runner, I'm with you on Hamilton and Machiavelli (ugh, how unoriginal of me!). I find Napoleon and Bismarck rather fascinating, too, mainly because we discussed them at length in my AP European History class. I also admire Jefferson and Newton.

As far as poets go, I've always loved the Latin lyric poets and Edna St. Vincent Millay, who's like a modern version of them. I like Milton, too, but for less personal reasons. Musically, I admire Rachmaninoff, Strauss, Beethoven, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich. There are too many fiction authors to list. Philosophically, I like Aristotle's ideas and Socrates's amusing habits, but the philosopher to whom I most relate now is Nietzsche.

And then, of course, my own mind is a never ending source of entertainment.

[qwerty123]

Ernest Hemingway. Clearly a reasonable writer.

This is what he said when he received the Nobel Prize:

Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech – 1954
Ernest Hemingway


Having no facility for speech making and no command of oratory nor any domination of rhetoric, I wish to thank the administrators of the generosity of Alfred Nobel for this prize.

No writer who knows the great writers who did not receive the prize can accept it other than with humility. There is no need to list these writers. Everyone here may make his own list according to his knowledge and his conscious.

It would be impossible to for me to ask the ambassador of my country to read a speech in which a writer said all of the things, which are in his heart. Things may not be immediately discernable in what a man writes, and in this sometimes he is fortunate. But eventually they are quite clear, and by these and the degree of alchemy that he possesses, he will endure or be forgotten.

Writing at it’s best is a lonely life. Organizations for writers palliate the writer’s loneliness but I doubt if they improve his writing. He grows in public stature as he sheds his loneliness, and often his work deteriorates. For he does his work alone and if he is a good enough writer he must face eternity, or the lack of it each day.

For a true writer, each book should be a new beginning, where he tries again for something that is beyond attainment. He should always try for something that has never been done, or that others have tried and failed. Then sometimes with good luck, he will succeed. How simple the writing of literature would be if it were only necessary to write in another way what has been well written. It is because we have had such great writers in the past that a writer is driven far out, past where he can go… out to where no one can help him.

I have spoken too long for a writer, a writer should write what he has to say and not speak it. Again I think you.



Amazing. Some of his quotes are phenomenal as well:


If you have a success you have it for the wrong reasons. If you become popular it is always because of the worst aspects of your work.

Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

[Imposcillator]

Respect!

For quite a while it was exactly as you made my quote look like :p

No respect for Wilson and Moore though?

[Double Victory]

These are all fairly interesting people listed here. If I had to choose one person I think I would go with Genghis Khan at the current moment. He's one of those people where you've heard of his name a thousand times, but until you do a little history lesson you don't realize he had the largest empire in the world. I also like that the Mongols rode such little horses, which I affectionately would refer to as a pony.

[Shorgenfunkel]

For quite a while it was exactly as you made my quote look like :p

No respect for Wilson and Moore though?

Wilson, verily! (I've got to say that's an error on my part, I didn't know that he was in Porcupine Tree until I looked at the Wiki)

Moore's pretty glorious too, but in my book he's a tier below Wilson a tier below Akerfeldt. Although, Awake is pretty much the only Dream Theater album I don't find massively ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh nowadays, so good on him.

[Imposcillator]

Wilson, verily! (I've got to say that's an error on my part, I didn't know that he was in Porcupine Tree until I looked at the Wiki)

Moore's pretty glorious too, but in my book he's a tier below Wilson a tier below Akerfeldt. Although, Awake is pretty much the only Dream Theater album I don't find massively ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh nowadays, so good on him.

Have you listened to any of his other stuff (Chroma Key, OSI)?

I do realize both Åkerfeldt and Wilson are more complex composers and they were my initial favorites but there's something about Moore's ambience and ability to compose minimalist electronica that's captivated me. Plus I like his lyrics and he's got quite the sense of humor too. :)

[jakeordie]

+1 for Tesla.

Leonardo da Vinci.

and (perfect timing, because I just discovered his work last night); Harlan Ellison.

[PeterIMC]

The Google Founders, for saying:A management team distracted by a series of short term targets is as pointless as a dieter stepping on a scale every half hour.This makes so much sense and goes so much against what pretty much the whole world believes... I love it. Reading something like this just makes me know I'm not the only one.


Russel Crow: He's a great actor. I don't think I like him as a person, but when acting, he's one of the best actors I can think of.

Einstein - Figuring out that time is not constant but that instead the speed of light is constant.... The simplicity in that logic is very beautiful.

And I guess we all have to like Carl Jung as the MBTI was based on his work.

[Quite8the8bell]

*Also Nikola Tesla
*Alexander the Great
*A teacher of mine whom I shall not name
*Friedrich Nietzsche

There are actually many more people in history though I'm tired and don't feel obligated to list them all.

[Wapiti]

Andy Grove fascinates me. Not many know the name or who he is and that is some of the intrigue. Many - most of you are using at this very moment what he helped make possible, what he inspired. I saw him on Charlie Rose (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.) once and I was so impressed. There's many videos there, I'm not sure if this is the one I saw (I think it is, now that its been playing a few minutes) but this guy fascinates me. He's just so quiet in a way that not many know who he is yet his influence on today is so great.

[Jonathan Brewer]

No one fascinates me like my children and my wife, but especially the former. Just the same, there are quite a few historical figures who intrigue me. Most of them are individuals who have succeeded in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Here is a brief list:


Ludwig van Beethoven
Helen Keller
Leonardo Da Vinci
Kurt Godel
John Nash

[Antares]

Sources of endless fascination include:

Alexander Hamilton. I don't even know why.

Niccolo Machiavelli. There're no words to describe his ingenuity.

Beethoven. An extremely complex character as well as a musical genius. He's bound to be difficult to understand or get along with, but his life and plight intrigue me.

Friedrich Nietzsche. The complexity of this man is staggering. We all love insane genius'.

George Gamow. The ultimate jester and a genius to boot.

Jack Nicholson. Man, can that act. He amazes me as an actor, frankly.

Benjamin Franklin. One of the most influential polymaths ever.

Gandhi. His spirit humbles me. If I were to be honest, his philosophies have greatly influenced the way I see the world.

Jesus Christ. Many may think this is strange, but I have countless questions regarding this remarkable man. First, did he exist? Secondly, how, oh HOW did he get so wise? His sermon on the mount was the most inspiring.

[Jonathan Brewer]

Gandhi. His spirit humbles me. If I were to be honest, his philosophies have greatly influenced the way I see the world.

I forgot Gandhi, though he definitely falls into that category of fascinating individuals. :)

Jesus Christ. Many may think this is strange, but I have countless questions regarding this remarkable man. First, did he exist? Secondly, how, oh HOW did he get so wise? His sermon on the mount was the most inspiring.

You know, seeing as I profess Christianity, you'd think I'd have listed Jesus. Just the same, having spent some much time studying the Bible in my youth, I tend to assume I understand his motivations. It would do me well to read some non-theological works on the man.


I should also add Louis XIV of France (the Sun-King) to that list. His was a childhood scarred by tragedy and neglect that led him to excess. Nor should I neglect Ludwig II of Bavaria (Mad-King Ludwig), for the same reasons. Both of these men were given to fantasy that manifested itself in the incredible structures they commissioned.

The Palace of Versailles of Louis XIV.
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Neuschwanstein Castle of Ludwig II.
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[elfece]

Richard Feynman!

[Dngen]

-Grigory Rasputin

A simple farmer from Sibiria, later a traveling mystic, who shook the entire Russian Empire and contributed to the happening of the Russian revolution of 1917.

[Shorgenfunkel]

Have you listened to any of his other stuff (Chroma Key, OSI)?

I do realize both Åkerfeldt and Wilson are more complex composers and they were my initial favorites but there's something about Moore's ambience and ability to compose minimalist electronica that's captivated me. Plus I like his lyrics and he's got quite the sense of humor too. :)
I have Free and the self-titled by OSI, but I haven't gotten the opportunity/urge to listen to them yet.

I think I put them on the back burner because I thought they would be another Liquid Tension Experiment (fun, but they get old fast), but if not, then they will be heard.

[Double Victory]

I forgot Gandhi, though he definitely falls into that category of fascinating individuals. :)



You know, seeing as I profess Christianity, you'd think I'd have listed Jesus. Just the same, having spent some much time studying the Bible in my youth, I tend to assume I understand his motivations. It would do me well to read some non-theological works on the man.


I should also add Louis XIV of France (the Sun-King) to that list. His was a childhood scarred by tragedy and neglect that led him to excess. Nor should I neglect Ludwig II of Bavaria (Mad-King Ludwig), for the same reasons. Both of these men were given to fantasy that manifested itself in the incredible structures they commissioned.

The Palace of Versailles of Louis XIV.
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Neuschwanstein Castle of Ludwig II.
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. chwanstein.Winter_50_web.jpg

I had completely forgotten about Crazy Ludwig and his beautiful castle. Great, now I'm going to spend the rest of the quarter planning out the life path that'll lead me to living in that castle, thanks.

When you look at all of these people it makes me think about how dull modern life seems in comparison. I wonder if any of us will end up one of these names a hundred years from now. :P

[SequorVeritas]

I have to second Mr. Brewer on J.F. Nash, Ghandi and Beethoven. All were brilliant, revolutionary and relentless in their genius given lifelong adversity.

Additionally:

C.S. Lewis. Another who faced tragedy head on, and in doing so transformed apologetic Christendom (he was also an INTJ).

MLK. See Ghandi.

Einstein. One of his famous quotes was "You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother." He was a staunch advocate of simplicity and elegance (big plus).

Larry Wall. Yes, PERL has been supplanted by Ruby and Python in the realm of RAD-enabled scripting but he was first to try making programming syntax model natural languages.

Morgan Freeman. I could've picked several actors but I honestly have never seen this man deliver a bad performance. He's genuine, believable and natural in that delivery. To me that's genius.

[MikeC]

Hugh Hefner. I'd like to hang out with him and get invited to his parties.

[curiousgeorge01]

Lao Tzu- the mythical man who wrote Tao de Jing. I'm sort of curious what he thought about life.

[TheLastMohican]

A few of the most fascinating:

Socrates
Jesus of Nazareth
Leonardo da Vinci
Queen Elizabeth I
Thomas Edison
Chris Farley
Milton Friedman