User:WilfredOwens

About me

I am a 24 year-old male from the southern United States. I am a Marine Corps veteran and a biology student, and am currently planning on becoming a doctor. I work as a polysomnographic technologist, and have also worked as a bouncer, bartender, and surgical assistant. I have been a voracious reader since an early age, and have an intense interest in many different subjects.

My layman's expertise is highest in psychology, psychopharmacology, evolution, sleep medicine, quantum physics (conceptually, and the history of, not the highest level of mathematics, which is required for real understanding), the politics of the Middle East, poetry (English only), the United States Marine Corps, personal computers and Christian theology (particularly evangelical Protestant variations).

By layman's knowledge, I mean that I do not have a degree or other formal designation of expertise in these subjects, but through experience, reading, or formal study have garnered a working knowledge that would enable me to effectively research, source, and edit subjects in these areas with some degree of ease and familiarity. Essentially, these are subjects where I have context, which I think is of utmost importance on Wikipedia. Intelligent persons can easily source and paraphrase text on a subject, but context is necessary to know what information appropriate and how it should be characterized. One example is dissent within a specialty, such as the cause of the Cambrian explosion, which someone who is not versed in the subject may be unaware of, and which popular and reputable sources may omit or mischaracterize.

In my off-time, I like to read, write (incredibly amateur) poetry and non-fiction essays, play video games, build computers, listen to stand-up comedy, and learn to do (or learn about) new things. I strongly believe in aRenaissance man ideal (which, ironically, I habitually misspell). I am constant user of Wikipedia because of this-- it is a fast, accessible way to learn about new subjects, understand connections among them, and find sources for further study.

Moreover, I have a firm, personal, completely indefensible and a priori belief in the virtue of knowledge, and the moral right of people everywhere to have access to it. Beyond that, I find incredible delight in learning, and by contributing to Wikipedia from my own meager store of knowledge, I hope to share that delight with people everywhere.

Oh. One more thing. The last five paragraphs make me sound like an anal and arrogant blowhard who mistook Wikipedia for rU+00E9sumU+00E9 writing software. For that, I humbly apologize. I actually thought that [[Facebook] had made another change to their layout. But I do love blue links, so I decided to stay anyway. That's got to count for something.

But really, forgive me if I sound like a blowhard. It's entirely unintentional. I'd much rather be a secret blowhard.

Also, I'm very new to this, so please forgive me for my inevitable mistakes-- and teach me. I'm never afraid to learn.

Possible biases

I respect and admire that Wikipedia strives, to whatever degree is possible, for a neutral point of view. I hope that, in any edit I make, I will be able to recognize, and refrain from writing within, my own biases. But I'm human, and more fallible than most (in my opinion), so here's some ammo for those who need to make a constructive edit/criticism. I am possibly biased about:

The [United States Marine Corps]. I am a veteran of this service. While I do believe it can (and has, and will continue to) do wrong, I am proud of the Marine Corps and my service in it. Possible bias: Positive.

(to be continued...)