Self-Knowledge Question #42: Role Models

[ng_moonmoth]

Initial post on what I'm doing here.

42. Who is your greatest role model?

As far as I can tell, everyone, no matter how exemplary and worthy of role model-hood they may be in some things, falls short in other areas. Saying that someone is a "greatest" role model strikes me as one's vision of the golden crown blinding one's perception of the feet of clay. I'd much rather list some people who have been worthy role models in certain areas:

• My folks, who showed me what a relationship that stands the test of time looks like;
• Someone I worked with at the start of my career, from whom I learned a lot about how to organize a team, run a project, and treat all the people involved with it -- and what it entails to be the one who does that;
• Lynn Conway, a renowned computer science researcher who battled stereotypes and prejudice through her MtF transition, was a key figure in establishing hardware design principles that have enabled the astounding increase in computing power since then, and was able to spend the bulk of her subsequent academic career as an out and activist trans woman;
• Julia Serano, whose understanding of gender and its relation with culture has been very enlightening for me, and models well how to affirm one's transgender existence and be an advocate for the sorts of change that reduce the misunderstanding, fear, oppression, and violence that are culturally common;
  
•  ysabetwordsmith, who affirms the value of having a diverse range of interests, being inquisitive, doing one's research, embracing change, and bringing those tools to bear on one's own self and the status quo. In addition to which they are themself genderqueer, and a damn fine writer.