"Tell us about yourself"

I went to the career center today for a workshop called "Job Search Jump Start."  Despite the title of the workshop, I really am in last place I feel like in the job hunt race.  I feel like I learned some valuable tips about resumes and cover letters, while some other things were pretty common sense, i.e. eye contact during an interview.  We did a little exercise with the person next to us to answer a possible first question of an interview; the duzy- "tell us about yourself"

The question seems simple enough but when asked to tell a peer who you don't know "about yourself" for a minute straight with out awkward breaks of silence, the question was impossible.  Its a deceiving question I feel like.  The workshop leader said that that is a great question to really sell yourself if its the first thing they ask.  I don't know though.  If I was an employer, I feel like I would use the question to break the ice and relieve anxiety for a would be employee; a moment for them to describe themselves... anything they wanted.  Apparently, "Tell us about yourself" = "tell us why you think we should hire you" or "brag about yourself."  Why can't I answer that question with my gut.  I feel by using the question to sell yourself is missing the point of the question.  Is it really the goal to define yourself through your desire for that specific job?  Thats essentially what the workshop leader was telling us.  

If an interviewer asks me what I can bring to the company then I'll tell them and try and sell myself.  If an interviewer asks me to describe my qualifications, I will sell myself by telling that person such.  But if I am asked to describe myself, I am more inclined to say that I love reading and writing and the beach, athletics and sailing, camping, or that I'm a twin and that my parents are divorced, or that I'm Catholic, or that I'm passionate about people... you know things that actually form my identity.  

My next favorite interviewer question is "What do you consider your weakness?"  This one can be the ultimate lock up if you're not ready for it.  Your eyes will migrate towards the ceiling and you'll stare at that fluorescent light until the cows come home trying to think of an appropriate answer.  Some of my favorite bad answers: 

"I'm a workaholic" - Lets all be honest, this is the annoying answer that desperate people give in order to turn a "negative" question into a positive and make you sound like a self righteous kook at the same time.  This is the answer that basically says, "I have no weakness but to serve you till death master!"  Next please. 

"I like people too much" - not really possible in my mind.

I'll stop there.  Basically any answer that changes the point of the actual question - for you to analyze a real weakness of yours and show to your employer what you have done to strengthen yourself in that area.  The idea is to show your employer self improvement and an ability to identify one's own self.  Now this isn't easy because it is a weakness for a reason and therefore isn't something that'll probably sound good, but they asked for it after all.  I'm not really sure what I would say mine is at this point, or at least one that I would tell my possible future employer.  Do you think they would mind if I said I was complacent, which might be just one notch above lazy?  Maybe I'll just take the easy way out:

Mr. Munns, What do you consider your weakness?

"I find that my weakness is being able to identify a weakness... it really is difficult, I can't think of anything..."

I'm sure I'll get hired on the spot with that quip.