One Simple Question That Reveals Your Personality | Mind Cafe

Thursday, August 30, 2007

One Simple Question That Reveals Your Personality

What can a simple question reveal about you?

A lot, depending on the question.

One such question can easily pass as a fun party discussion. Here's the question:

“If you could choose between the super powers of flight or invisibility which would you pick and why?”

On the surface this is a seemingly innocuous question but the answer reveals whether one aspires for no-holds-barred freedom of expression (flight) or security of cunning and power (invisibility).

By asking “flight or invisibility?” it reveals our dreams and but also our fears, hopes and insecurities.

While this is not a scientific survey it is an enlightening one.

Go ahead ask it of someone. There is often a pattern to in their decision-making that follows five stages:

  • Gut Reaction - Everyone instantly chose a power of the top of their head without much thought. In most cases, the super-power chosen was invisibility

  • Practical Consideration - They would then try to justify the choice that they made, talking about the things they would do - Free movies, watching women taking showers, getting on planes without paying ...

  • Philosophical Reconsideration - They would then start having doubts about their choice and start thinking about the bad things associated with their choice

  • Self Recrimination - They would express concern that invisibility would lead them down a dark path of perversion

  • Acceptance - "I would definitely have to choose flight !"

Various interpretations ....

  • Flight is the hero, invisibility is the villain

  • People who choose flight have nothing to hide, others want to hide themselves

  • People with guile choose invisibility, those without choose flight - And the reason for our internal conflict is that people do have guile, but want to appear guileless

No comments: