Who Are You Really?

By: Elisabeth Henderson
Estimated Completion Time
6 min
Who Are You Really?
Image: petekarici/E+/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Finding out who you really are can take a lifetime. While the core of a person’s being is always there, it can lay dormant for years, even decades, without being realized in daily life. The pressures of performing all the different roles we are assigned, as well as the expectations of those around us, can keep us living in a box, an identity that doesn’t actually match who we are on the inside.

How do you know if your outer self doesn’t match your inner self? You may notice signs of this dilemma when you are finally alone, and your being has room to breathe without the pressure of others’ observations. You may feel a sense of disquiet, like something within you is trying to come out. Or you may experience a fiery discontent in your work or in your time for relaxation. The unnamed and unexpected sensation of something being wrong may be a warning sign that you are not living as your true self. 

What would your life look like if you unearthed that buried self and let it grow in the sun? Let yourself take the risk of looking within, to ask what your true being is really like. If you can get to know this inner person, you may be able to find out what your true path in life is. Take the first steps by thinking about these questions concerning your real heart’s desires. 

Woman doing yoga in nature
kokouu/E+/Getty Images
In which of the following settings do you feel most at ease?
Alone in the woods
In a fine-dining restaurant
In my workshop
By someone’s bedside

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Still life with a skull
Wiki Commons by Philippe de Champaigne
If you are looking at a painting that contains a skull or some other "memento mori" — reminder of death — where does your mind go?
I try to enter into the reality that I will die.
I ignore it altogether.
I think about what work I want to complete before I die.
I think about how I can make the world a better place before I die.

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Gift
Prapass Pulsub/Moment/Getty Images
What gift do you have that you can share with others?
I can pray and send loving-kindness.
I have a gift for leading and showing which way to go for people who are unsure.
I can make useful and beautiful things with my hands.
I can sense what people need and know how to help them.

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Bored young woman at office
Aleksander Rubtsov/Cultura/Getty Images
In which occasion would you feel least like yourself?
In a country club
Alone in the woods
In an office environment
When I’m dependent on someone else to help me

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Man writing plan
Mikael Vaisanen/The Image Bank/Getty Images
If you were to sit down to write something, what would you be most likely to write?
A prayer
A list of things I need, in order of priority
A plan for a project
Journaling about something I’m working through

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Two women embracing
Maiwolf/Cultura/Getty Images
How do you try to help people when they are grieving the loss of a loved one?
I pray for them or meditate on them receiving comfort.
I send flowers.
I make them something beautiful.
I make them food.

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Drink good coffee and read amazing books
kupicoo/E+/Getty Images
What kind of living space makes you feel most deeply at home?
A quiet, minimalist space
A lavishly decorated space
A plain, functional space
A cozy, comfortable space

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Woman pruning hydrangea plant in garden
anouchka/E+/Getty Images
Which of the following are most important to cultivate in your life?
A sense of peace
A retirement fund
An actual garden
A sense of empathy

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Slabs of Marble in a quarry
toos/E+/Getty Images
If you see a beautiful, large marble slab, what do you think of?
The layers of geologic time it took to form that beauty
What a beautiful countertop it would make
All the things I could make with it
How much food I could buy for the poor with the proceeds

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Woman relax on deck chair
OJO Images/OJO Images/Getty Images
Which weekend retreat would give you the most refreshment?
A silent retreat
A luxury resort
An artist retreat
A workshop on how to care for others

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Young woman sitting on edge looks out at view
AscentXmedia/E+/Getty Images
When you look back on your life, what do you want to be able to say about yourself?
I lived in the present.
I enjoyed all the finer things that life has to offer.
I used my hands to make beautiful things.
I lived my life in the service of others.

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Man embracing a tree trunk
Ghislain & Marie David de Lossy/Cultura/Getty Images
Which of the following would you be most likely to do to a tree?
Climb it
Cut it down to open up a view
Appreciate its beauty through painting
Have a picnic in its shade

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Young woman flipping through book at bookstall
Kathrin Ziegler/Stone/Getty Images
When you want to read a book, what most often motivates you?
A desire to understand and connect with something profound
A desire to be distracted
A desire to find out some information
A desire to enter into a story

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Distracted
gollykim/E+/Getty Images
Which of the following would make you deeply uncomfortable?
Being fake
Being around people who are clearly in need
Not having work
Seeing someone in need and not being able to help them

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Man hand on turn on radio in the car
Thanit Weerawan/Moment/Getty Images
What kind of music do you listen to in the car?
Meditative instrumental music
Trending pop hits
Obscure indie
Folksy rock

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Beautiful woman in a sunny autumn day
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On a cool autumn day, which clothing option would you select?
Turtle neck
Crochet sweater
Pea coat
I was too busy helping a friend on the phone and forgot to grab a jacket.

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Young woman lighting candles
Jamie Grill/The Image Bank/Getty Images
For what reason do you usually light candles?
To concentrate on in meditation
Only for birthdays
To create ambience for a gathering
To help celebrate someone

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Woman watching movie
SrdjanPav/E+/Getty Images
What kind of movie makes you feel deeply invigorated?
A drama with an intense spiritual component
A comedy with characters I identify with
A documentary that relates to my work interests
A suspenseful, historical drama with a happy ending

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Spices and herbs
fcafotodigital/E+/Getty Images
Which spice do you identify with?
Paprika
Garlic
Cumin
Rosemary

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Woman using laptop near fireplace
CreativeDJ/E+/Getty Images
What form of heat on a cold winter’s day would make you feel most warm inside?
A roaring fire
A heater
A space heater
An electric blanket

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Road trip
ShotPrime/Moment/Getty Images
Where would you go on a road trip if you deeply felt that you needed to feed your soul?
Utah
I would never go on a road trip unless it’s just to the airport.
Colorado
To the beach

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Woman praying
artpipi/E+/Getty Images
If you were to pray, what would you be most likely to ask for?
To commune with the spirit
To be able to afford something I really need
To have guidance in my work
That a friend would be healed

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Young woman on field holding yellow scarf in wind
RelaxFoto.de/E+/Getty Images
If you were standing out in a field and felt a gust of wind, what it would mean to you?
It would feel like the rushing of the spirit of creation.
It would mean it’s time to go in.
It would make me think about how I would describe that feeling.
I would check to see if anyone looks cold and in need of a jacket.

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Three brothers and sister
Catherine Delahaye/Stone/Getty Images
If your good friend has kids who are a real handful, how do you respond?
I try to remain peaceful around them.
I just don’t hang out with them when they have their kids.
I would make the kids something to play with.
I would offer to take the kids for the day so they can get a break.

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Jackpot winner
jhorrocks/E+/Getty Images
If you suddenly came into a fortune, what would you consider doing with it first?
Buying a solitary cabin the woods
Buying a yacht
Buying some tools
Donating it to a charity

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Hand holding a flashlight
Juanmonino/E+/Getty Images
If someone shone a flashlight into your mind in the middle of the afternoon, what might they find?
A prayer of longing
A fantasy about something I want to do
A plan for my next project
Anxiety about someone in pain

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Dreamy man on the grass
Martin Dimitrov/E+/Getty Images
On a beautiful spring day, what would you most deeply want to be doing?
Hiking
Having fine food and drinks on a patio
Working in my workshop with the door open
Taking someone who is lonely on a walk

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Yellow paint can with brush
Peter Zvonar/Moment/Getty Images
What would you be most likely to do with paint?
Doing a spontaneous painting to reflect a mood
Hiring someone to paint my kitchen
Applying paint to a project I’m working on
Painting someone else’s kitchen

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Girl playing doctor with dog
Ghislain & Marie David de Lossy/Cultura/Getty Images
When you were a child, what recurring game did you play when left alone?
I pretended to be a priest.
I pretended that other people were serving me food.
I pretended to work on cars.
I played doctor.

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Young woman having stomachache on sofa
Francesco Carta fotografo/Moment/Getty Images
If you are in immense pain, what is a strategy you use to cope with it?
I try to meditate on something else as a distraction.
I take a lot of pain killers.
I try to think about something I want to work on.
I try to be in solidarity with others who are in pain.

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