Can We Guess What Personality Trait Is Strongest in You?

By: Emily Maggrett

6 Min Quiz

Image: CarlosDavid.org/iStock / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

About This Quiz

No human differs all that radically from another. No matter how weird you think your personality is, it largely consists of traits you share in common with other people, such as conscientiousness, eagerness, passion, curiosity, sensitivity and so on.

What makes each of us unique is the balance of personality traits we exhibit. For instance, an antiques dealer's conscientiousness may drive him to preserve the past, but his sensitive artistic temperament is what led him to start collecting beautiful objects in the first place. On the other hand, the CEO of a cruise company may have parlayed her curiosity about other countries into a career in the travel industry, but once there, her perfectionist nature is what guaranteed that she'd rise to the top.

In this quiz, we're going to guess what your strongest personality trait is, through questions about your likes and dislikes, as well as through asking what you'd do in various difficult hypothetical situations. If you're truthful with us, our supercomputer should be able to calculate which trait dominates your personality, which we'll reveal to you at the end of the quiz. Are you ready to go on a journey of personal exploration? Drop everything else: It's quiz time!

When you accidentally text a misspelled word, does it haunt you?

Yes. I immediately text back a correction.

Nah. It's text, mistakes are natural.
Yes, but I don't do anything about it. Instead, I feel a quiet shame.

No. It's embarrassing but I've got other stuff to do, baby!

Do you hope to someday visit all seven continents?

No. Think of how much it would cost!

Sure, that sounds fun.
No ... I hate traveling, it scares me.

That's the number one item on my bucket list.

Your partner says something critical about your new shirt. How does this make you feel?

Annoyed. I thought the shirt was in fashion, but I guess it wasn't.

Hurt, but not very deeply. After all, I can just change my shirt, right?
Deeply wounded. Have they been despising my taste in clothes for the duration of our entire relationship?

Bemused. Why does my partner care what I wear?

If you were a Desperate Housewife, which one would you be?

Lynette

Susan
Bree

Gabrielle

In the middle of a conversation with your mom, she mentions "that thing Grandma Ellen did in 1974," then pauses, as if she accidentally revealed a secret. Do you push her to tell you more?

No. I respect my mom's privacy, as well as my grandmother's.

Yes. Whatever Grandma Ellen did, it sounds interesting.
No. I don't want to know about the skeletons in my family's closet.

I will not rest until I know EXACTLY what Grandma Ellen did! Hold all my calls.

An elderly neighbor asks for your help with her lawn. What do you say?

"Yes, of course. When should I come by?"

"Ooh, I'd love to, but I'm going to a barbecue."
"I'd like to ma'am, but I'm afraid of using lawn tools."

"Sure, but I'll need to charge you $15 per hour."

Are you always posting selfies, then deleting them?

I don't take selfies.

Yes, this is my whole life!
Yes, and I'm deeply ashamed of it.

Nope. I don't care if people think my selfies are flattering or not.

Can you handle watching horror movies?

No. I'd rather not watch movies at all; they're kind of a waste of time.

Yes, I love guts and gore!
No. The images sear themselves into my brain and give me nightmares.

Yes. I like speculating about how they did the special effects.

A local detective agency is hiring a receptionist. Do you apply for the job?

No. I want to help people, not investigate their crimes.

Maybe! It sounds like an interesting summer job.
No. Crime scene photos are the stuff of nightmares to me.

Yes, yes, yes. Dream job!

What's your biggest regret?

I regret all the mistakes I've made at past jobs.

I regret all the experiences I haven't had yet.
I regret all the times that stress or anxiety kept me at home.

I regret not being able to live for a thousand years. I want to know everything!

While driving, you see a sick dog stranded by the side of the road. Do you stop?

Yes. I can't let that good boy suffer!

Yeah, probably. I do love dogs.
No, because what if he's rabid? But I do call emergency services.

Yes, because I want to know what happened.

Your friends are going to Mexico for spring break. You're kind of broke. Do you borrow money so that you can accompany them?

No, that would be irresponsible.

Yes! You only live once!
No. Spring break in Mexico with my goofy friends sounds like a recipe for chaos.

Maybe. I do want to know what would happen if I went ...

On your way to work, you overhear a loud argument between a mother and a child on the subway. How long does it take for you to stop being distressed by it?

30 minutes. I'd wonder if I should have intervened, if it was just a bad moment between them ...

10 minutes. It's sad, but it's none of my business.
Three hours. I hate it when people are cruel to children.

Five minutes. I'm not really impacted by other people's emotions.

There's a rumor in your workplace that one of your coworkers has a crush on you. Do you try to find out who it is?

No. What if I don't like them back? That would really damage our working relationship.

Yes. I hope it is who I think it is!
No, this whole situation is kind of terrifying. In this case, ignorance is bliss.

Yes! Not because I'm looking for a date, but because I can't leave this mystery unsolved.

What kind of guilt do you have?

Work guilt

Money guilt
Exercise guilt

No guilt at all! It's a useless emotion.

You're on a diet, but the Girl Scouts are at the door and they have Thin Mints. What do you do?

Buy a box and give it to my aunt. I've got to support their good cause.

Buy a box and eat it myself. I can't resist temptation!
Say no thank you, but feel weird about it.

Say no thank you and firmly close the door. Diet crisis averted!

At a party, someone suggests skinny-dipping in a nearby lake. Do you go?

No. You shouldn't swim at night; it's not safe.

Yes! It sounds like a beautiful memory in the making.
No. I'm too shy for that.

Yes. I bet the water will feel amazing.

Imagine you have the money to pursue an advanced degree in Neanderthal studies. Are you into it?

Maybe. But is that choice best for my family?

No. It sounds like a lot of time behind a desk.
No. The vast scope of human history intimidates me.

Oh yeah! Love Neanderthals, love getting master's degrees.

What's your favorite type of water to relax by?

Peaceful ponds

Rippling streams
Mighty oceans

Clear mountain lakes

You discover an acquaintance has committed a minor crime, such as stealing something worth less than $10,000. Do you let others in your community know, or do you stay silent?

I tell everyone. After all, what if the thief strikes again?

I stay quiet. I could see myself doing something like that, and it would suck to be ratted out.
I anonymously report the thief, because because I don't want to start any drama in the community.

I don't tell on the thief, but I do investigate them!

When you wake up in the morning, how do you feel?

Worried

Hungry and happy
Tired

Eager to see what the day will bring me

Through a DNA-testing service, you find a long-long cousin. They want to meet you. What do you say?

"Sure, I could do coffee."

"Yeah, let's have dinner!"
"Can we talk on the phone first?"

"Are you free right now?"

What kind of stuff makes you cry?

News stories about old people losing their homes

Tales of young people getting injured while traveling
Everything: sad animals, commercials, country music ...

Um, almost nothing? Deep grief?

An older person you know, who is very successful, offers to mentor you. They'll do it for free, but they will need you to make a substantial time commitment. What do you say?

"It would be an honor."

"Sorry, but I can't predict my schedule that far ahead of time."
"I'm not sure if I'll be able to live up to your expectations."

"What will you get out of it?"

How ill do you have to be before you call in sick?

Not able to walk

Slightly feverish
Headache-y

I never get sick!

If you text someone and they don't immediately text you back, what do you do?

I angrily stare at my phone.

I text somebody else. Maybe they'll get back to me!
I decide that the other person hates me and quietly mourn our friendship.

I spy on their social media to try to deduce whether they're ignoring me or just busy.

Would you rather spend the night in a haunted house or go bungee-jumping?

Haunted house. I don't believe in ghosts.

Bungee-jumping sounds like fun!
Either option would terrify me to the bone.

Is there time for me to do both?

When your friends are out of work, how do you try to help them?

I diligently job-hunt for them, even if they don't want me to.

I say, "You'll find something," and buy them a beer.
I don't try to openly help them, but I might slip $100 into their mailbox.

I ask them how they think they got into this situation.

Do you love to order new foods at restaurants, or do you stick with what you like?

I stick with what I like and what I can afford.

I hate ordering the same thing; I need variety!
I always order the same thing because I have very specific taste buds.

Why not order something different? You might discover a new dish to love.

If an alien beamed down and asked you to travel the galaxy with them, what would you say?

"No. But say, do you know how we Earthlings could cure cancer or avert global warming?"

"Sure, I could explore space for a couple weeks."
"No, I am not ready for that jelly."

"Absolutely. I have literally thousands of questions."

5 Minute Quiz 5 Min

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