Sheldon Cooper was based on me 20 years ago!
I just watched all the episodes of The Big Bang Theory and the conclusion is ineluctable: I was the original Sheldon Cooper! The people who know me today find it hard to believe because they see me as a socially confident extrovert. They don’t realize that this is the result of a deliberate exercise I undertook 10 years ago to foster my extroversion and social skills, followed by 10 years of practice.
Friends, who knew me in my late teens and early twenties, would tell you I had exactly the same delusional sense of self-worth and condescending and arrogant self-centered world view. I could not conceive of why other humans spent time chasing girls, listening to music or watching movies when there were more intellectually stimulating endeavors at hand. Combined with a total lack of social awareness, empathy and understanding of social norms, my human interactions took awkwardness to a whole other level.
Sheldon and I even have similar mannerisms and we kind of look alike! I should be asking the writers for royalties!
On another note The Big Bang Theory is fantastic and I can only encourage you to watch it. The dialogue is witty and sharp and I have been astounded by the inclusion of recent scientific discoveries in the show. In a recent episode Sheldon was commenting on the potential discovery of neutrinos traveling at faster than light speed at CERN, a discovery that had only been made public weeks earlier!
Watch the show!
SAdly I have to agree: ‘my human interactions took awkwardness to a whole other level.’
when was the “delusional sense of self-worth” fixed? 🙂
And where is the “Special thanks to my friend Breo for pointing all this out”?
My friends and I laugh about the stuff you post since it’s so insanely arrogant and self-centered. We figured you were blissfully unaware, but the fact that you’ve tried to improve it makes it even funnier.
“Anon” I am often perceived that way, but I would like to believe that there is self deprecating humor in the posts too and that the “real” me is actually much friendlier and nicer than I might appear in a post. I suppose you would have to ask my friends for a more definite answer on that one. We are rarely the best judges of how we are (and are perceived 🙂
Hey Fabrice,
Maybe this will help, as I want you to become a better person since clearly you’re super smart and have a lot to offer the world. I don’t personally know you at all. The only thing I know about you is what you post, and while there may be self-deprecating humor in some of this, I just don’t see it. The perception you cast to the outside world is one of someone who measures everyone by how much money they have or how successful they’ve been. You’re an angel investor, so you need to put forth some persona so that you will have access to the best deals. Is this the public persona you want to put forth to the world? I’ve raised money a few times and I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking money from you, because I can tell you’d drive me crazy. I’m sure there are others that feel the same way. Same problem with dating – I would think that you’re going to self-select on gold digger type women because of your public persona. Let’s say you find a nice girl you like, her friends and family look you up and see all this rich guy shit and think you’re too money oriented and tell her to stay away.
Think about it, and maybe see if you can get some honest feedback from people who actually know you. Maybe they’ll say you’re not really like that, but that you do come across that way online and you would be well served to change how you present yourself to the outside world.
Actually I am more like Sheldon on that front and judge people on the basis of intelligence rather than financial success. In dating I am sure I will avoid gold diggers because something tells me they won’t like my idea of going on adventure vacations where I sleep in tents, live with the locals and fly coach 🙂 Besides, my real weakness is for intelligence and passion.
I also saw the show last year and I felt you had an uncanny resemblance and similarities to Sheldon, which I was reluctant to share with you. Now since you have accepted the fact, I can only say that you are bang on 🙂
I don’t think you got the concept of my response. I said you’d self select on gold diggers, you said you’d avoid them. Both are true, so now you have nobody.
Given the numerous posts on your dating frustrations, it seems like you’d like to have a successful long term relationship and maybe get married. My suggestion is that maybe you need to change something so that you can attract a different type of person. Certainly an intelligent, passionate person would be fine with doing the whole youth hostel thing.
@Anon
Hey Anon, I know Fabrice since the last three years and I don’t agree with your comments at all. I can only say ‘Don’t judge a man only by what he writes or shares’. If you meet Fabrice and deal with him, he will come across as a very transparent person who will not lie about himself or hide anything from you. So in a way, he doesn’t pretend to be someone else. If I were you and needed funds from an angel, I would choose Fabrice as he wouldn’t drive you crazy but help you wherever he can. Yes, there are certain queer traits he sometimes has which by admitting himself as Sheldon, he has proved that he can take a joke on himself. And he is very equally self aware, which in today times not many people are.
Amar,
You say he’s transparent, and I would say that his blog posts reflect that. Certainly he was very open in letting these comments onto his blog in the first place, and then sharing his anti-gold digger strategy, which I think is genius. I would bet that previous gold digger girlfriends have broken up with him shortly after these vacations.
It seems like Fabrice is into self improvement, so I was trying to give him some honest feedback for what is happening in the world based on what he posts.
What I hear you saying is that he’s open and transparent and these blog posts are reflective of what he is actually like, which doesn’t surprise me, but I was not trying to judge him based on what he writes since I haven’t met him. I was just focused on how he presents himself to the outside world.
The resemblance to Sheldon Cooper is indeed uncanny 😉 self-centered geeks of the world unite 🙂 You should absolutely ask for royalties!
In Fabrice’s defense – I’ve known him for 10 years and he is one of the smartest, most curious, “enlightened” guys out there, he is passionate and sweet & wears his heart on his sleeve.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the sign of success in our culture is the hedonistic happiness achieved by accumulating not only experiences but possessions. Gold diggers or experience seekers will enjoy Fabrice’s company given they are smart, sexy, into adventure, tennis, computer games and idol worship 🙂
Fabrice, my youngest sister DVRs BBT and I told her after watching a couple episodes, “I think I know this guy.” Granted you certainly are more socially adept than our beloved Sheldon, and your paintball and overall dexterous skills no doubt put him to shame…I’m just excited to see this post. I still need to check out the new place!
BTW something tells me the last quote I posted might be misinterpreted. I posted it because it was funny, not because I believe in it. Happiness is an end in itself 🙂
Maybe you can meet him in NYC.
http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2011/08/17/big_bang_theory_star_buys_at_gramercy_park_conversion.php
Fabrice- It is kind of funny to read these comments, and know you so well in person- what 6 years? 7? . There is certainly a gross disconnect between what can be left to tone online and the reality of an individual in person. Despite your Sheldon Cooper like roots, I’d have to say you are one of the kindest, most generous, sincere, and honest friends I have known. Hilariously self-agrandizing and blatantly self-deprecating at once, a brilliant and rare balance….personally I am glad for it. It sends all of us into peals of laughter and you know exactly where your true strengths and weaknesses are. But after knowing the “live Fabrice”, I think the online version may even be an underestimation of true brilliance, humility, and candor….and humor. I have few friends so brilliant and well-schooled (financial success aside) who would open themselves and their lives up to so much scrutiny and fun-poking with such equanimity. I didn’t know you in your Sheldon days but I think you must have had a heart of gold then and remain a gem of a human being.
How should we interpret these recent tweets:
Quote of the Day: “Money cannot buy you happiness, but happiness can’t buy you anything!”
Test drove a MacLaren MP4-12C and a Ferrari 458 Italia! Next: picking a color for the MacLaren and test driving a Fisker Karma.
@fxmorre #luckydriver I will probably get the MacLaren because it’s more unique
@oxenford I am thinking about it. Should the MacLaren be Volcano Orange or Fire Black?
Looking forward to a fantastic dialoguing dinner at La Petite Maison with @auren and other amazing friends!
Headed to Sao Paulo for the week-end!
Seems to me that he likes to brag about dining with smart people in the world’s most expensive restaurants, buying the worlds most expensive cars, and jetting around for the weekend to exotic locales. It’s not like I had to pull these tweets from years of tweets, these are just from the last few months, it’s a significant percentage of what is tweeted about. It feels like it’s in direct conflict of the picture he painted of staying with locals in hostels and flying coach. Does he park his million dollar car outside these hostels? And seriously, if you’re buying a million dollar car, why fly coach? I’d totally allocate my resources to business class tickets if I can afford a million dollar car.
I do understand how the man of the people identity and the entrepreneur identity can seem diametrically opposed. And how someone’s public personal might seem conflicting.
Personally: “Money cannot buy you happiness, but happiness cannot buy you anything” I believe was meant to be funny. I am not a venture capitalist; I don’t jet to exotic locations, and I work in academia on vaccines but I do have a sense of humor. I also believe 99% of people in Fabrice’s per capita income wouldn’t care to support a) up and coming musicians b) biomedical scientists and c) starting film makers… and yet he does. Fabrice may be it’s time to blog about this… and not just the inner kid who loves toys.
As a close friend of Fabrice’s in academic medicine- who knows several of his other close friends (also in academia) the currency is passion and intellect not money and status. He always takes his friends out (independently of their financial status). The reality is that he does have to travel weekends for work and sometimes for holidays or sports. I guess the part I don’t understand is why care enough to justify hobbies and lifestyle choices and take personal attacks. He’s a huge kid to be sure. But still an amazing, caring, and loyal friend and I’m still a fan !
Mais non t’es pas Sheldon…maybe a younger version of Larry David 😉
Biz
You have my respect, sir.
Arrogance comes from knowing that you’re smart and successful. Chasing girls, listening to music and watching movies may be intellectually stimulating to others, but your choice of stimulating activities may be something else. Just a difference in preference. Who’s to judge which activities are more “intellectually stimulating ” over others??