6个问题，达到你是谁的核心

On the surface, the questions here are mostly light and fun, but they tap into fundamental aspects of human temperament on a deeper level.

They go beyond some of the individual differences you've already heard of, like introverts vs. extroverts or night owls vs. early birds.

Get to know your fundamental self better with these (mostly) fun questions.

1. Do you like to follow a recipe exactly or tweak it?

What it says about you: Some people like following instructions; others like doing everything their own way. To the latter, the idea of following instructions exactly can feel claustrophobic.

2. When you're on vacation, do you like a full schedule of activities or lazy days poolside?

What it says about you: The activity level people prefer is part of temperament. Some people like to be on the go. Others like to do a lot less. This individual difference is as fundamental as whether you're an introvert vs. extrovert or lark vs. owl. Pick travel companions who share your activity-level preference!

3. If you were able to spend a year overseas, 30 days in each country, would you (A) plan the whole year now, or (B) plan only the first month?

What it says about you: For some people, plans make them feel secure. Other people like to act based on the whims of their emotions. They don't know how they'll feel next month, so how could they possibly know what they'd like to do?

4. How much consistency in your routines do you prefer? Do you like your days stacked with your good habits or more spontaneity and variety?

What it says about you: Some people thrive on consistent routines. For example, if every Wednesday is leg day at the gym, that works for them. Other people find this mind-numbing and soul-crushing. They need variety in their routines to fuel their creativity (More about how this works, and the downsides of consistent habits, can be found in my book Stress-Free Productivity).

5. When something ambiguous happens, do you assume the worst, the best, or think about all the possible explanations? Imagine, for example, that you return to your car in a parking lot and notice a small dent.

What this says about you: Some people tend to believe other people are trustworthy and the world is safe. They might assume someone dented their car without realizing it, instead of assuming that they knew but took off. Other people have a hostility bias and quickly jump to feelings of anger or anxiety.

If you tend to think about several possible explanations (good and bad) for ambiguous events, you probably have high cognitive complexity. This can be good, but it can also be associated with overthinking and rumination (doing a lot of asking "why").

In general, leaning toward seeing the world as safe and others as trustworthy is associated with better psychological well-being. Of all the questions here, this one may be the most dependent on the experiences you had growing up (and the messages you were given about the world) vs. your wiring. It's more changeable.

6. Do you like to plan for bad possible outcomes before they happen, or do you not start to worry until bad news is confirmed?

What this says about you: Some people are defensive pessimists. They believe that anticipating problems will help them cope with them better. If this is you, you probably detest toxic positivity. A negative of this style is that you likely underestimate your capacity to cope with problems you hadn't anticipated.

Sometimes people in this camp become very fearful of hope. They assume that having had hope for a good outcome will make coping with another outcome unbearable. (This post dives deep into this.)

Other people don't see the point of worrying about outcomes that may not ever occur. While this seems healthy on the surface, sometimes it can be associated with a coping style of avoiding problems and trying to pretend they don't exist vs. tackling them.

What's ideal? You can respect your natural style and aim for some flexibility in specific situations in which your overthinking is too intense or when preparing for possible problems would be helpful.

What Did You Learn About Yourself?

In recent years, introversion vs. extroversion has been overblown as the most fundamental individual difference. In reality, there are many other important ones. Understanding these will help you manage yourself better and give you more insight into other people who have styles that differ from your own.