I thought it would fun to post my answers to the Proust Questionnaire. Since none of my readers have met me and because I reveal very little about my life details here, I thought it a great idea to share so it might give you some insight (if you cared.) You'll see more about my fear of apathy below.
The Proust Questionnaire is a questionnaire about one's personality. Its name and modern popularity as a form of interview is owed to the responses given by the French writer Marcel Proust.At the end of the nineteenth century, when Proust was still in his teens, he answered a questionnaire in an English-language confession album belonging to his friend Antoinette, daughter of future French President Félix Faure, entitled "An Album to Record Thoughts, Feelings, etc." At that time, it was popular among English families to answer such a list of questions that revealed the tastes and aspirations of the taker.
1. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being in incredible cardiovascular shape
2. What is your greatest fear? Being in the middle of an apathetic crowd during a major crisis
3. Which historical figure do you most identify with? Catherine the Great
4. Which living person do you most admire? Any person who stands up for the right thing in the face of violent opposition.
5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Egocentricity
6. What is the trait you most deplore in others? Willful ignorance and apathy
7. What is your greatest extravagance? Unbridled ideas and opinions
8. On what occasion do you lie? To save a loved one unnecessary hurt
9. What do you most dislike about your appearance? An easily readable facial expression
10. When and where you the happiest? Late summer/early fall 2012 when, for the first time in my life, my allergies didn't bother me
11. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? An immature need for attention
12. If you could change one thing about your family what would it be? That they were better listeners
13. What do you consider your greatest achievement? My marriage but I can't take all the credit
14. If you died and came back as a person or thing what do you think it would be? Christians only get one turn around this particular block
15. What is your most treasured possession? My waterproof Merrell boots that can go anywhere and never cause me pain
16. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Being a member of an apathetic society
17. Who are your heroes in real life? My husband, my father, and my best girlfriend
18. What is it that you most dislike? Wanton cruelty
19. How would you like to die? In the arms of my husband
20. What is your motto? An anecdote is not evidence.
Hmmm...whence this great loathing for apathy? I'm inclined to do this, too, but for the fact that I am incapable of being genuine in these things (not in the sense that I lie, but in the sense that I'm incapable of giving spontaneously genuine answers. Too bad I didn't take it when I was a teen, like Proust!).
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