Okay, here's a phrase I hate. "As a person." As in, "I just want that cute surfer guy to like me as a person." Or "I wish the toothless redneck respected me as a person." What does that mean? What else do you expect someone to like/respect/etc. you as? A monkey? A jello blob? I think it's pretty much assumed that you are a person, and when you say you want to be liked, respected, or understood, you don't have to specify what you are. Unless you are really freakish. In that case, disregard what I just said and by all means, tell us all what you are.