We filled out character sheets at Elastic as a team building exercise. I wrote this in 2022. I figured I'd work in the open and share it with the world.
Richard Kuzsma. Last name is pronounced "Kooz-mah".
My preferred name is "Rich".
He/him
Verona, New Jersey, USA
Amherst, New Hampshire, USA
Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Ireland, England, France, Spain, Japan, China.
Japan was a favorite.
What is your Myers-Briggs personality type? (Test) Do you identify with it? How so? How not?
I am an ENFP, an Assertive Campaigner. But I'm a logistician fanboy; Hermione is my hero. What I strive to be, and actually am, are different things. For example, what ENFP would ever attend a weeklong conference on applied rationality? Me!
My spirit animal patronus would be the true form of the patronus. (image, beware, HPMOR book spoiler!)
In my spare time, I like playing Minecraft with my kids. Creating new worlds is good fun.
I used to bowl, before Covid. Candlepin bowling, of course.
These days I occasionally stand up at my desk, and then sit down in my chair, at least a couple times a day. My dog takes me for walks outside (quick walks in winter because I don't have fur and it's New Hampshire).
Mazie
Here's a 3D extrusion of the Elastic logo I built in Minecraft Java Survival, one block of sheared sheep wool at a time.
What are some of your favourite shows, books, games, and/or movies? What do you like about them? Recommendations?
Books, essays and movies that speak to me include:
- Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality - read it free at hpmor.com. It's my favorite book of all time. My favorite quote from the book is:
“There is no justice in the laws of nature, no term for fairness in the equations of motion. The Universe is neither evil, nor good, it simply does not care. The stars don't care, or the Sun, or the sky.
But they don't have to! WE care! There IS light in the world, and it is US!”
― Eliezer Yudkowsky, Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
That quote helped me make sense of the world when my daughter battled leukemia and I saw the best side of humanity all around me.
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Meditations on Moloch essay by my favorite internet blogger.
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Forrest Gump and Dumb and Dumber are my two favorite movies of all time. 1994 was the single greatest year for movies, including: Shawshank Redemption, Ace Ventura, Lion King, Forrest Gump, Dumb and Dumber, Pulp Fiction,... If you include 1993 then you can add Groundhog Day, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Jurassic Park.
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Although I only read it once long ago, the book "The Death of a Salesman" motivated me to speak less and act more.
The soundtrack to The Greatest Showman moves me. I listened to it for many years almost every day while doing the dishes.
That my genes didn't screw up when they combined with my wife's to produce the two most incredible tiny humans in this universe.
I'm motivated by a good story.
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Please don't assume bad intent.
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I like fixing things. And I can only fix what I know about.
I picked up these quotes from a former co-worker/engineering leader. They've stuck with me over the years in many contexts:
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"Satisfaction = Expectations Minus Results"
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"We reserve the right to be smarter tomorrow than we are today."
A colleague remarked that I am a truth seeker. That suits me. I'll aspire to be that.
If you've read this far and you want to send me a gift, Scott Adams gets me: