Question:
If you were forced to do one of the following things, which one would it be?
1. dig through sand all the way up to China using a teaspoon... ok, let's make it a bit easier... make that a spoon
2. drain the ocean using a medicine dropper... sorry, no other options here
3. have yourself locked up in a room for a whole week where 'I Will Survive' by Gloria Gaynor is played non-stop... alright, if you insist, it's either 'I Will Survive' or 'Rock Lobster' by B-52
I know this sounds like something that's picked up from E-mode's tests but it's not... at least not totally. And yes, there's a psychological interpretation to your answers in the end. Please respond in the comments link... I will reveal the interpretation after 3 days... it'll be easier for me to give it all in one shot.
I hope you guys realize I've just committed myself to the sacrificial act of not blogging for 3 days... So darn it!... you better respond or !*#)%+&....
After 3 days…
The truth of the matter is, I found this question in one of the many E-mode tests… but it’s only one in a series. At first I found the question funny and believed it was there simply to either shock or amuse. For some reason, it stuck, without the minutest effort to memorize it and having had that, I couldn’t help but run the question over and over in my mind. The more I thought of it, the more it made sense to me. There was something behind it after all.
If you look closely, all options had one common denominator… the unwelcome prospect of bearing up to something humanly impossible. However, the qualifiers, albeit easily missed, implicate clearly how one differs from the others. The first option, digging through sand all the way to China, if undertaken, will get you somewhere. The second option, draining the ocean, will get you nowhere and will, in all probability, take an eternity to accomplish. But damn all neighing horses!… if you manage to drain the ocean… well, even Moses was only able to part it in two. And the third option, getting locked up in a room where ‘I Will Survive’ is played relentlessly, is not as big a feat as the other two, and further, it has a time frame of one week.
With these deductions on hand, I called upon all the observations I’ve made about people in my entire adult life… people of all manner of age, sex, race and orientation… observations I’ve gathered from watching them, hearing their stories, reading about them and experiencing them. Although my 4 years in psychology have gone down to the archive of archives, somehow, I’ve managed to retain the more basic and ‘English-speaking’ theories about the human persona, and these too, have come to aid me. Personally, I do not hold a high regard for the practice of putting people in boxes and labeling them as this or that. However, I’ve promised to come up with an interpretation, so if you will allow me, I’ll use the term ‘reactions’ instead of ‘types.’
The question offered you 3 options to choose from, but there are actually 5 ways you could have reacted to it.
The first reaction is that of the NAMELESS, FACELESS STRANGER TO THE WORLD. I do believe that non-reaction is, in itself, also a reaction. You went to my site, saw the question and chose not to respond in any manner. You probably don’t mingle among people all that much. You stay in the background, watch people make asses of themselves and quietly smirk at human folly. You hardly, if ever, go out with friends on Friday nights, and on weekends, you will probably be found in the woods or on a secluded beach, in close contact with nature and away from anything that is not crawling, swimming, slithering, or running on all fours. Otherwise, you may be found cooped up in your room surfing through websites, safe and silent behind miles and miles of cable and static. The idea of human relationship is, in all possibility, as remote to you as the idea of a moon in Venus. When you die, you would most likely want to be cremated together with all paraphernalia that would have marked your existence, the ashes scattered somewhere to mix with the earth… which, in life, as in death, is the only company you are most comfortable with… no traces left, everything swept clean.
Of course, it could always be because you’re not interested in the question. There is no culpability there so to that, I rest my case.
The second reaction is that of the China-bound diggers, the I AM GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD DREAMER AND ADVENTURER. You don’t mind adversity, hard work and challenge as long as you know, first hand, that it will get you somewhere… or that in the end, there is something worth achieving. You are, in a continuum of greater to lesser dignity, either innovative, resourceful or scheming. You enjoy the company of people and could always be counted upon to put things in the proper perspective. In saying so, you are also disciplined, reflective and to a certain degree, morally restrained. You consider relationships on a second rung degree to the greater achievements in life, and will therefore tend to put career before family. If this should be the case however, you believe that in so doing, you would be rendering, not only to your family, but to a larger part of mankind, a great service. Easily, you might hear yourselves claiming that “all this must be suffered by all who profess the stern order of chivalry.” (Don Quixote de La Mancha)
The third reaction is that of the ocean drainers, the I AM DOING THIS BECAUSE… AHH… UHMMM… To put things into context, let me go through the options one more time. The China-bound diggers have a goal before them, the ‘I Will Survive’ junkie have no goal but their discomfort will only last one week… you, however, will drain the ocean… for what… and for how long? There is absolutely no clear-cut motivation here… it’s just something for you to do, and whether you do it drudgingly or otherwise, is very much beside the point. You carry the weight of the world and nary a word from you. I wouldn’t call you a loser or a pushover… honestly, I don’t believe anybody is. But one thing I can say, you sure got loads and loads of tolerance in you. You are fairly even-tempered, mostly agreeable and pleasant in the company of friends and family, and would say a word or two when asked but will seldom volunteer. Your career, while nowhere in the vicinity of being mediocre, is probably in a state that is not as far reaching as the one who got to China. You keep a low profile, your needs are simple and you’ll probably live to be a hundred years old. In that rare moment when you’re in a pensive mood, you may wonder about life’s biggest questions… but more often than not, the search for answers will be beyond you.
The fourth reaction is, as previously mentioned, the ‘I Will Survive’ junkie… THE FLOWERS OF MARCH… MAKE LOVE NOT WAR. Theirs is a life filled with humanity and ‘humane-ity.’ They are the free spirits; their motto is live and let live. They love well and hurt deeply. The most important aspect of their lives is human relationships, their life’s goals but a means to an end. They are the ones who have time to smell the flowers, ponder about life’s biggest questions and come up with an answer, and will genuinely be concerned with the welfare of the great majority. They will seldom, if ever, ‘reach China,’ and will endure through difficulties and adversity strengthened with the knowledge that whatever it is shall also come to pass. They are often relaxed, smiling and could be depended on to offer comforting words. They seldom claim to be wise in the ways of the world; it is often enough for them to know that they are.
The fifth reaction comes from those who responded to the question by choosing neither one of the options, the DON’T GIVE ME THAT CRAP SKEPTIC. Keep in mind that the question states… ‘If you were forced to do one of the following…’ It doesn’t say that you should… you can still decline even if you were forced. Neither was there any implication that a punishment would be incurred if you did not choose to do anything. All these give you the liberty to say that you choose none of the options, like the skeptic would. You are one who knows your mind well, who holds pretty steadfast views about things, and will not easily budge if offered complements, bribes, sweat, tears and blood. Most likely, you too will not be the one to sell out. You often look for the real meaning behind words and will not readily trust people or situations. Like the ‘nameless, faceless stranger,’ you are probably wanting of human warmth in your life, but not because you refuse to participate in relationships… you are just wary of anything that doesn’t come off your own skin. Although you may volunteer to leave your mark, it may often serve to put people ill at ease. In fact, if there is one thing you could say to those who chose the 1st, 2nd or 3rd options, it would probably be this…’ Gee, you guys scare me. Why would you want to do a thing like that? What are you thinking? Maybe you ought to go see a doctor.’
Mission accomplished. And for those of you who think that all this is crap, might I oblige you to consider, for just a minute, that I, at least, did not ask you 20 questions only to give you a 3-line interpretation in the end. Really, you ought to give me some credit for that.
Lastly, I promise never to do this again. Boy, was it tough! Whew…
If you were forced to do one of the following things, which one would it be?
1. dig through sand all the way up to China using a teaspoon... ok, let's make it a bit easier... make that a spoon
2. drain the ocean using a medicine dropper... sorry, no other options here
3. have yourself locked up in a room for a whole week where 'I Will Survive' by Gloria Gaynor is played non-stop... alright, if you insist, it's either 'I Will Survive' or 'Rock Lobster' by B-52
I know this sounds like something that's picked up from E-mode's tests but it's not... at least not totally. And yes, there's a psychological interpretation to your answers in the end. Please respond in the comments link... I will reveal the interpretation after 3 days... it'll be easier for me to give it all in one shot.
I hope you guys realize I've just committed myself to the sacrificial act of not blogging for 3 days... So darn it!... you better respond or !*#)%+&....
After 3 days…
The truth of the matter is, I found this question in one of the many E-mode tests… but it’s only one in a series. At first I found the question funny and believed it was there simply to either shock or amuse. For some reason, it stuck, without the minutest effort to memorize it and having had that, I couldn’t help but run the question over and over in my mind. The more I thought of it, the more it made sense to me. There was something behind it after all.
If you look closely, all options had one common denominator… the unwelcome prospect of bearing up to something humanly impossible. However, the qualifiers, albeit easily missed, implicate clearly how one differs from the others. The first option, digging through sand all the way to China, if undertaken, will get you somewhere. The second option, draining the ocean, will get you nowhere and will, in all probability, take an eternity to accomplish. But damn all neighing horses!… if you manage to drain the ocean… well, even Moses was only able to part it in two. And the third option, getting locked up in a room where ‘I Will Survive’ is played relentlessly, is not as big a feat as the other two, and further, it has a time frame of one week.
With these deductions on hand, I called upon all the observations I’ve made about people in my entire adult life… people of all manner of age, sex, race and orientation… observations I’ve gathered from watching them, hearing their stories, reading about them and experiencing them. Although my 4 years in psychology have gone down to the archive of archives, somehow, I’ve managed to retain the more basic and ‘English-speaking’ theories about the human persona, and these too, have come to aid me. Personally, I do not hold a high regard for the practice of putting people in boxes and labeling them as this or that. However, I’ve promised to come up with an interpretation, so if you will allow me, I’ll use the term ‘reactions’ instead of ‘types.’
The question offered you 3 options to choose from, but there are actually 5 ways you could have reacted to it.
The first reaction is that of the NAMELESS, FACELESS STRANGER TO THE WORLD. I do believe that non-reaction is, in itself, also a reaction. You went to my site, saw the question and chose not to respond in any manner. You probably don’t mingle among people all that much. You stay in the background, watch people make asses of themselves and quietly smirk at human folly. You hardly, if ever, go out with friends on Friday nights, and on weekends, you will probably be found in the woods or on a secluded beach, in close contact with nature and away from anything that is not crawling, swimming, slithering, or running on all fours. Otherwise, you may be found cooped up in your room surfing through websites, safe and silent behind miles and miles of cable and static. The idea of human relationship is, in all possibility, as remote to you as the idea of a moon in Venus. When you die, you would most likely want to be cremated together with all paraphernalia that would have marked your existence, the ashes scattered somewhere to mix with the earth… which, in life, as in death, is the only company you are most comfortable with… no traces left, everything swept clean.
Of course, it could always be because you’re not interested in the question. There is no culpability there so to that, I rest my case.
The second reaction is that of the China-bound diggers, the I AM GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD DREAMER AND ADVENTURER. You don’t mind adversity, hard work and challenge as long as you know, first hand, that it will get you somewhere… or that in the end, there is something worth achieving. You are, in a continuum of greater to lesser dignity, either innovative, resourceful or scheming. You enjoy the company of people and could always be counted upon to put things in the proper perspective. In saying so, you are also disciplined, reflective and to a certain degree, morally restrained. You consider relationships on a second rung degree to the greater achievements in life, and will therefore tend to put career before family. If this should be the case however, you believe that in so doing, you would be rendering, not only to your family, but to a larger part of mankind, a great service. Easily, you might hear yourselves claiming that “all this must be suffered by all who profess the stern order of chivalry.” (Don Quixote de La Mancha)
The third reaction is that of the ocean drainers, the I AM DOING THIS BECAUSE… AHH… UHMMM… To put things into context, let me go through the options one more time. The China-bound diggers have a goal before them, the ‘I Will Survive’ junkie have no goal but their discomfort will only last one week… you, however, will drain the ocean… for what… and for how long? There is absolutely no clear-cut motivation here… it’s just something for you to do, and whether you do it drudgingly or otherwise, is very much beside the point. You carry the weight of the world and nary a word from you. I wouldn’t call you a loser or a pushover… honestly, I don’t believe anybody is. But one thing I can say, you sure got loads and loads of tolerance in you. You are fairly even-tempered, mostly agreeable and pleasant in the company of friends and family, and would say a word or two when asked but will seldom volunteer. Your career, while nowhere in the vicinity of being mediocre, is probably in a state that is not as far reaching as the one who got to China. You keep a low profile, your needs are simple and you’ll probably live to be a hundred years old. In that rare moment when you’re in a pensive mood, you may wonder about life’s biggest questions… but more often than not, the search for answers will be beyond you.
The fourth reaction is, as previously mentioned, the ‘I Will Survive’ junkie… THE FLOWERS OF MARCH… MAKE LOVE NOT WAR. Theirs is a life filled with humanity and ‘humane-ity.’ They are the free spirits; their motto is live and let live. They love well and hurt deeply. The most important aspect of their lives is human relationships, their life’s goals but a means to an end. They are the ones who have time to smell the flowers, ponder about life’s biggest questions and come up with an answer, and will genuinely be concerned with the welfare of the great majority. They will seldom, if ever, ‘reach China,’ and will endure through difficulties and adversity strengthened with the knowledge that whatever it is shall also come to pass. They are often relaxed, smiling and could be depended on to offer comforting words. They seldom claim to be wise in the ways of the world; it is often enough for them to know that they are.
The fifth reaction comes from those who responded to the question by choosing neither one of the options, the DON’T GIVE ME THAT CRAP SKEPTIC. Keep in mind that the question states… ‘If you were forced to do one of the following…’ It doesn’t say that you should… you can still decline even if you were forced. Neither was there any implication that a punishment would be incurred if you did not choose to do anything. All these give you the liberty to say that you choose none of the options, like the skeptic would. You are one who knows your mind well, who holds pretty steadfast views about things, and will not easily budge if offered complements, bribes, sweat, tears and blood. Most likely, you too will not be the one to sell out. You often look for the real meaning behind words and will not readily trust people or situations. Like the ‘nameless, faceless stranger,’ you are probably wanting of human warmth in your life, but not because you refuse to participate in relationships… you are just wary of anything that doesn’t come off your own skin. Although you may volunteer to leave your mark, it may often serve to put people ill at ease. In fact, if there is one thing you could say to those who chose the 1st, 2nd or 3rd options, it would probably be this…’ Gee, you guys scare me. Why would you want to do a thing like that? What are you thinking? Maybe you ought to go see a doctor.’
Mission accomplished. And for those of you who think that all this is crap, might I oblige you to consider, for just a minute, that I, at least, did not ask you 20 questions only to give you a 3-line interpretation in the end. Really, you ought to give me some credit for that.
Lastly, I promise never to do this again. Boy, was it tough! Whew…
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