dichotomies and a survey

I don't like dichotomies because I don't like being forced into a category, although I admit I am guilty of doing such things to other people. Dichotomies are incredibly reductive and force us to choose sides. Society is ruled by dichotomies, from politics to entertainment to the market place. Dichotomies even permeate minute details of our every day lives like grocery shopping—paper or plastic? We are constantly being compartmentalized.

I have engaged in several conversations for some time with other people about dichotomies and since then its presence has been quite noticeable. The other day I was online shopping (which really should be my second job) and online shops like Shoemint have increased in popularity. These are online stores that cater to your specific style. Before you can shop you are presented with a series of questions: Which celebrity’s style do you identify with most? At what store would you go on a shopping spree? What shoe would you likely wear? You pick one of three choices for every question (I realize three choices do not count as a dichotomy but I think you get my point about being reduced). When you’ve finished, you are finally presented with a selection of shoes that are suppose to be to your exact liking based on the five questions they asked you. They now know who you are. I can see the appeal in this because it simplifies choices for people but my problem is that I can’t help but wonder what other style of shoe I am missing out on because I answered a certain way. Needless to say I went back and reloaded the damn website and started all over again with different answers. I know this is a lot of time I am investing in an online shoe store but you see how it has led to this important reflection on life?

My point in all of this is that I really do not like being reduced to a type or a category but I probably belong to one or maybe I have some serious identity issues.

Now, I am going to do the very thing I just ranted about and reduce you into a type. Here’s a series of dichotomies and based on your choices, you’ll be put into a category. This survey is not based on any science or scientific method. I made up the categories. It’s kind of like writing a horoscope.

Some of the questions may be gender specific but a majority of them are gender neutral.

	A	B
1	Gay	Straight
2	Wine	Beer
3	Cats	Dogs
4	Mac	PC
5	Pessimist	Optimist
6	Single	Married
7	Ranch	Blue Cheese
8	Chess	Checkers
9	Pepsi	Coke
10	Edward	Jacob
11	Fries	Onion rings
12	Chocolate	Vanilla
13	Blended	On the rocks
14	McDonalds	Burger King
15	Heels	Flats
16	Oxford dress shoes	Tennis shoes
17	Trousers	Jeans
18	Fedoras	Baseball caps
19	Elvis	Beatles
20	Tea	Coffee

If you chose mostly A:

You enjoy the finer things in life although you have a tendency to think the worst in people. Based on your love for cats and chocolate, you are probably either gay or evil. You are single because you choose to be. You think you are better than everyone. You like to pretend you care about the planet. You are probably a liberal.

If you chose mostly B:

You like doing things with your hands and you think you can kick everyone’s ass. You’re married but you likely miss being single. Based on your love for PCs and checkers you are probably afraid of change. You are most likely a conservative.

If you chose 50/50:

You probably like both men and women. You are confused. You swing both ways politically and sexually.

Side note: During G.W. Bush’s 2004 Presidential campaign, Karl Rove (a.k.a Darth Vader) employed a similar tactic in gaining votes. He used marketing data in order to determine which way people were going to vote. The kind of beer people drank, the kind of movies people watched all were a tell on a persons political leaning. Rove somehow used all of that data to his advantage. I’m not exactly sure how. I am assuming it involved some dark Jedi mind powers.