The H-Factor

There is a part of me which would like to believe that we can compartmentalize features about ourselves in little cubby holes of "good" and "bad". However, recent events have lead to the outright debunking of this theory.

A few days ago, I met a guy. Mid-twenties, fairly nice-looking, good-humoured, sociable not to forget adventurous and a wildlife enthusiast. And he was a chain smoker. Now, you normally wouldn't think something like smoking would have any positive effect on a person's image, but it completely did. Somehow, I can't quite describe why, the fact that he smoked made him human. It made him less of a mythical being and more of a real person, telling me about how he once hid in a bushel for an hour just to get a photograph of an elephant with its calf. (Oh right, did I mention he's also a professional wildlife photographer?) . And he smokes. But it was that imperfection that made him a perfect version of himself. It was is human factor.

This factor doesn't necessarily have to be positive or negative. It just has to humanize you. It could be anything from the most serious girl you know having a crush on Chad Michael Murray to a dare-devil martial arts expert having a 2 1/2 year old son.

Look beyond the common misnomer of right and wrong and find your H-factor.