Who am I? Plenty of quizzes try to answer that question

Soap operas, which I waxed on about a couple of weeks ago, aren’t my only guilty pleasure. I’m a sucker for any and all quizzes that purport to explain to me who I am. It’s as if I think that my contradictory personality can somehow be made clearer. Aha! That’s why I’m that way!

Most people have heard of Myers-Briggs and the Enneagram, which I am skipping in this writing. Here are more obscure personality-typing tests I’ve taken, in no particular order. Trust me, I’m just scratching the surface here. I’ve taken A LOT of quizzes.

Sparktype: I’m classified as the Maven. “The thing that gets you out of bed in the morning is the desire to learn, to devour knowledge. Fascination and deep learning are your call. You latch onto a topic, field, or industry and devour everything you can know about it. Your Maven’s fascination and yearning to learn might be expressed more generally, as a perpetual curiosity about everything and everyone.” OK, I can see that reflected in my personality if that means I like to go down rabbit holes. 

Fascination Advantage: I’m the Intrigue. “You have a rare ability to switch between taking an analytical view and emotionally connecting. You don’t always show what’s on your mind. Your character is complex and rich. You’re not superficial, and it takes time to get to know you well. You’re capable of finding the most effective method to persuade an audience. You are the most complex of all the Archetypes.” That’s me — complex, which is a much more flattering word than odd. 

Passion Profile: I’m the Firestarter. “You have a natural tendency to question ‘the way things are.’ You feel stifled by rules and have a hard time committing to a project or assignment unless you’re fully bought into the mission and purpose (which makes it hard to feel satisfied working for other people). You thrive in an environment that encourages innovation, unbounded creativity, and rapid evolution. You like to color outside the lines.” I do like to ask questions (ask the hubby), which brings me to the next personality quiz. 

The Four Tendencies: I’m the Questioner. “‘I do what I think is best, according to my judgment. If it doesn’t make sense, I won’t do it.’ Questioners question all expectations, and they respond to an expectation only if they conclude that it makes sense — in essence, they meet only inner expectations. They’re motivated by reason, logic, and fairness. They wake up and think, ‘What needs to get done today, and why?’” “Why” is my favorite question of all. If there is no why behind it, why bother?

Human Design: I’m the Manifestor. (No, not the manifesting featured in popular books like “The Secret.”) This isn’t so much a quiz as it is based on birthplace and time, similar to astrological signs. “Manifestors make up roughly 8% of the population and have a powerful, impactful energy that people can feel. They are naturally innovative and future-oriented and can start big movements. Manifestors thrive with freedom and autonomy. One of the worst things for Manifestors is to be in an overly controlled, micro-managed environment. Too much unnecessary structure will cripple their gifts and creativity.” I wonder how this jibes with my Taurus Sun, Gemini Rising, Virgo Moon self? Maybe there’s a quiz for that. 

CliftonStrengths: Unlike the others, this quiz determines your top five strengths from 36 possibilities. No strength is better than another. My top five, in order from first to fifth, are Futuristic (inspired by the future and what could be); Learner (great desire to learn and want to continuously improve); Intellection (characterized by their intellectual activity); Connectedness (believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has meaning); and Deliberative (best described by the serious care they take in making decisions or choices). Those all seem about right, but not sure what to do with that information. 

Holland Career Code Test: I’m an AIE. My career interest profile is highest in Creating and Thinking. My top job tasks are creating art, writing, interpreting, designing, and expressing ideas (CREATING) and researching, experimenting, theorizing, analyzing, and problem-solving (THINKING). My lowest score is Organizing, so low it doesn’t even register. A big fat 0%. Don’t tell my boss. 

When I confessed my love of watching “Days of Our Lives,” I was surprised by the number of people who reached out to me with a similar guilty pleasure. I know I’m not the only one who loves personality quizzes. Tell me which one I have missed. I’m itching to take another. This next one will help me. I’m certain of it. 

Angela Kuper Copeland is editor of The Paper. She may be reached at 828-445-8595 or angela@thepaper.media.