This is a guy named Marcel Proust, a French writer, who believed that to really know others you must first know yourself. He developed a questionnaire to help people to get to know themselves.
Well, every month, Vanity Fair gives the Proust Questionnaire -- or at least a portion of it -- to celebrities. This month was Karl Rove. You can see his interview here. It is interesting, and it is clear he is a smart dude.
For those bold enough, the Fruit Street Free Press included a blank version of the Proust Questionnaire in this post: feel free to copy and past it into the comments section or e-mail it to us for posting.
As we get to know ourselves, we can get to know each other.
What is your greatest fear?
What is your current state of mind?
What is your favorite occupation?
What historical figure do you most identify with?
Which living person do you most admire?
Who is your favorite fictional hero?
Who are you real-life heroes?
What is your most treasured possession?
When and where were you happiest?
What is your most obvious characteristic?
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
What is your greatest extravagance?
What is your favorite journey?
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
What do you consider the most over-rated virtue?
On what occasion do you lie?
Which words or phrases do you most over-use?
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Where would you like to live?
What is the quality you most admire in a man?
What is the quality you most admire in a woman?
What is it you most dislike?
What do you value most in you friends?
How would you like to die?
If you were to die and come back as a person or an animal, what do you think it would be?
If you could choose an object to come back as, what would you choose?
What is your motto, the words you live by or that mean a lot to you?
Who has been the greatest influence on you?
8 comments:
What is your greatest fear? My children dying.
What is your current state of mind? peaceful
What is your favorite occupation? none that I have worked. Probably a cruise director on a ship.
What historical figure do you most identify with? Jereann Donnelly
Which living person do you most admire? the guards at the unknown soldier.
Who is your favorite fictional hero?
Who are you real-life heroes? My Mother and Mother Theresa
What is your most treasured possession? my children.
When and where were you happiest? When my Mom was alive, in Escondido.
What is your mos obvious characteristic? Humor
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? dislike of people on government aide.
What is the trait you most deplore in others? arrogance
What is your greatest extravagance? Our move to NC
What is your favorite journey? Our move to NC.
What do you most dislike about your appearance? my fat.
What do you consider the most over-rated virtue? physical beauty
On what occasion do you lie? not to hurt someones feelings, or to ease peoples mind.
Which words or phrases do you most over-use? I love you (I say it to much)
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? my weight problem.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? I don't have one.
Where would you like to live? North Carolina.
What is the quality you most admire in a man? humor
What is the quality you most admire in a woman? humor.
What is it you most dislike? cleaning house.
What do you value most in you friends? loyalty
How would you like to die? fast
If you were to die and come back as a person or an animal, what do you think it would be? ???
If you could choose an object to come back as, what would you choose? ????
What is your motto, the words you love by or that mean a lot to you? Be the better person. Treat others as you wish to be treated.
Who has been the greatest influence on you? My Mom
Posted by SRT and LST at 12:33 PM 0 comments
~KARA TAIT
What is your greatest fear? OUTLIVING JASON AND HENRY
What is your current state of mind? ANXIOUS
What is your favorite occupation? MOTHERHOOD
What historical figure do you most identify with? MARTHA STEWART (I WISH)
Which living person do you most admire? MY MOTHER AND FATHER
Who is your favorite fictional hero? I DON'T HAVE ONE
Who are you real-life heroes? ELDERS
What is your most treasured possession? HENRY AND MY KITCHEN AID
When and where were you happiest? THE DAY I GOT MARRIED AND GAVE BIRTH TO HENRY
What is your most obvious characteristic? CREATIVE SKILLS (I THINK)
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? NOT EXPRESSING HOW I FEEL
What is the trait you most deplore in others? LYING
What is your greatest extravagance? PAYING A CRAP LOAD OF MONEY FOR RENT
What is your favorite journey? LIFE
What do you most dislike about your appearance? THE TIRE AROUND MY STOMACH
What do you consider the most over-rated virtue? BODY IMAGE
On what occasion do you lie? THAT'S A HARD ONE.... I DESPISE LIARS. BUT I KNOW WE ALL DO IT. (WHITE LIES)
Which words or phrases do you most over-use? NO
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? NOT TO SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
What do you consider your greatest achievement? SO FAR, MOTHERHOOD
Where would you like to live? ANYWHERE AS LONG AS MY FAMILY IS CLOSE BY
What is the quality you most admire in a man?
RESPECTFUL
What is the quality you most admire in a woman?SELF CONFIDENCE
What is it you most dislike? ABORTION
What do you value most in you friends? HONESTY
How would you like to die? IN MY SLEEP AT AN OLD AGE
If you were to die and come back as a person or an animal, what do you think it would be? THAT'S JUST WEIRD...
If you could choose an object to come back as, what would you choose? ALSO WEIRD....
What is your motto, the words you live by or that mean a lot to you? LIVE BY THE WAY OF THE CROSS
Who has been the greatest influence on you? OF COURSE MY PARENTS AND JESUS
I WOUD LOVE TO SEE STEPHEN AND LINSEY'S ANSWERS
o.k. I thought about my favorite fictional hero and I came up with a combination of, the most obvious for me is: Rachel, Pheobe and Monica.~KT
What is your greatest fear? Not being able to get to my destination
What is your current state of mind? lonely
What is your favorite occupation? nurse or doctor
What historical figure do you most identify with? Martha
Which living person do you most admire?
The parents who care for a child with life threatening illness.
Who is your favorite fictional hero? Superman
Who are you real-life heroes? Survivors of 911
What is your most treasured possession? my memories of my children.
When and where were you happiest? In Clare, when I went on walks with Hank, and the kids would ride their bikes along with us, everyone was happy.
What is your most obvious characteristic? My big nose
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? My lack of organization
What is the trait you most deplore in others? When people are mean and hateful
What is your greatest extravagance? My pedicures I get when I'm doing something with others.
What is your favorite journey? To any state I need to go to visit my children
What do you most dislike about your appearance? nose and fat
What do you consider the most over-rated virtue? big boobs
On what occasion do you lie? Well, hopefully I don't, but, it would be to save face probably. It's our goal to not lie though, ever...
Which words or phrases do you most over-use? "How are you?"
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? inner strength.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Raising my children-but I have many areas I wish I could change about "raising my children"
Where would you like to live? In a warmer climate, with my children no more than 1/2 hour away from us, in any direction...:)
What is the quality you most admire in a man? Kindness
What is the quality you most admire in a woman? Kindness
What is it you most dislike? Braggers
What do you value most in you friends? Moments of quality time, a listening ear
How would you like to die? With my family around me.
If you were to die and come back as a person or an animal, what do you think it would be? King Kong
If you could choose an object to come back as, what would you choose? a writers pen
What is your motto, the words you live by or that mean a lot to you? Forgive 70 times 70.
Who has been the greatest influence on you? My mom and dad
You're funny mom. I love ya... ST
i can't belive you got me doing this...when i saw all these bold people baring their souls, i had to take the challenge -Dani
What is your greatest fear? My loved ones dying without loyalty to God
What is your current state of mind? Blah, give me 4 weeks, I’ll be back (1st trimester)
What is your favorite occupation? Artist
What historical figure do you most identify with? ?????
Which living person do you most admire? Some guy down the road Is over 100 and still drives his 68 mustang (original owner) and donated 60+ acres for use as a riverside park a block away from our house, he used to run a apple farm/cider mill. Mr.Hunter.
Who is your favorite fictional hero? Hiro!!!! (I like that show)
Who are your real-life heroes? Rush? Man, that sounds lame…
What is your most treasured possession? Memories
When and where were you happiest? College, perhaps? Lot’s of friends in town, spunky little bear in tote, cute little apartment.
What is your most obvious characteristic? Creative
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Lack of endurance
What is the trait you most deplore in others? Stinginess
What is your greatest extravagance? Internet connection
What is your favorite journey? I’m stealing Kara’s…life (sorry kara, I could not think if a better one)
What do you most dislike about your appearance? Belly
What do you consider the most over-rated virtue? Multi-tasking?!
On what occasion do you lie? I am not sure, but I know it happens from time to time.
Which words or phrases do you most over-use? Unfortunately….stop! no! quiet please! (mom life,,,,)
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I want to be more independent, in a mountain man-like sort of way…
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Completing college post-baby
Where would you like to live? Lately, Kentucky/Tennessee
What is the quality you most admire in a man? Strength (protective and loving)
What is the quality you most admire in a woman? loyalty
What is it you most dislike? Poison ivy
What do you value most in you friends? Tolerance and spunk
How would you like to die? Either in some way without me noticing, or for some great purpose
If you were to die and come back as a person or an animal, what do you think it would be? Person
If you could choose an object to come back as, what would you choose? Tree, ginko possibly?
What is your motto, the words you live by or that mean a lot to you? Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
Who has been the greatest influence on you? Parents and John
Ya know, this has been kind of fun to see these postings. :)
Mary C Tait
I did not read any of these (even Danielle's) so I couldn't steal their, likely, better answers. Shoot, here's mine (JN)...
What is your greatest fear?
Helplessness. Specifically, illness in my kids and bureaucracy –especially a combination of those.
What is your current state of mind?
Lacking clarity.
What is your favorite occupation?
Making something that’s tangible.
What historical figure do you most identify with?
Some dude you never heard about who lived and died and people stopped talking about a couple decades later. That’s almost every one in history. I have a hard time identifying with famous leaders who had a big cause. I can admire them, but identifying is different.
Which living person do you most admire?
Burton Nelson
Who is your favorite fictional hero?
Superman didn't become Superman. Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red "S", that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears - the glasses, the business suit - that's the costume. That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us. Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent. He's weak... he's unsure of himself... he's a coward. Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race. –Bill, in Kill Bill Volume II.
Who are your real-life heroes?
I’d have to think about that one some more.
What is your most treasured possession?
I don’t know. I can think of nick-knacks that I like but treasure is a pretty strong word.
When and where were you happiest?
Probably right now. But there is a correlation for me between having/needing little and contentedness.
What is your most obvious characteristic?
Boisterousness.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
The nagging need for approval or praise.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
A cocktail of self-centeredness and self-righteousness. Does anyone watch TMZ?
What is your greatest extravagance?
I buy a 12-pack of beer about once a week. At an average of $8 per, that adds up to $416 a year. That’s a lot to spend on something largely for me.
What is your favorite journey?
I want to rough-it in Alaska for a little while.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
My height. Not that I want to be a CEO or donate sperm, but... Did you know that the single most determining factor for the nations CEOs is height? And sperm banks won’t even accept contributions from men under 5’ 10’’.
What do you consider the most over-rated virtue?
Niceness (that’s different than kindness).
On what occasion do you lie?
In praise.
Which words or phrases do you most over-use?
“Awesome.” Which I have noticed a lot of from those raised in midwest, middle-class, conservative homes. We can come up with something better than “awesome” for everything, right?
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would want a stronger drive to follow through.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Finding and marrying Danielle Pasquali.
Where would you like to live?
The Pacific Northwest or some place that looks just like the Pacific Northwest but is cheaper.
What is the quality you most admire in a man?
Sincerity.
What is the quality you most admire in a woman?
Sincerity.
What is it you most dislike?
Injustice. How’s that for a broad answer to a broad question?
What do you value most in your friends?
Support.
How would you like to die?
Whoa, no thanks. Oh, HOW would you like to die, I get it. In some sort of act of extreme heroism where everyone would praise me (oh crap, that was what I detested most in myself, wasn’t it?)
If you were to die and come back as a person or an animal, what do you think it would be?
Statistically, if I were to come back as a person I would be Chinese.
If you could choose an object to come back as, what would you choose?
Water.
What is your motto, the words you live by or that mean a lot to you?
The truth will set you free.
Who has been the greatest influence on you?
Burton Nelson
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