Strange Doctor

I really like taking personality tests. I especially like the ones which tell me that I like taking personality tests. There's nothing better than getting a few people together who have all sat the same test. You can compare strengths and weaknesses, and then those of you who are similar can band together and ridicule those who are different and alone. Great fun.

Because my Aged Mother was visiting this weekend and we needed some conversation bait, we all sat the VIA Signature Strengths test available on the Authentic Happiness website care of Dr Martin Seligman and U.Penn (you need to create a free account to access the questionnaire, which is 240 questions - takes about 15 minutes to do). It gives you a personal ranking of the 24 different personality strengths, with a brief explanation of what they mean. While I did the quiz I was lucky enough to have my Aged Mother looking over my shoulder and heckling me, telling me that I didn't know what I was talking about or that I was cheating or lying. Great fun.

Anyway, for interest's sake, here are my top 5 strengths:

1. Love Of Learning. You love learning new things, whether in a class or on your own. You have always loved school, reading and museums - anywhere and everywhere there is an opportunity to learn.

Okay, I probably didn't need to answer 240 questions to find out that I'm a nerd. I knew that already.

2. Humor And Playfulness. You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.

On careful reading I note that it doesn't actually say that I'm any good at it. Perhaps this is why my grade 5 teacher used to say things to me like, "Okay Mister Funnyman, maybe you'd like to spend all of lunchtime picking up rubbish in the playground. Who's laughing now?"

3. Appreciation Of Beauty And Excellence. You notice and appreciate beauty and excellence and skilled performance in all domains of life from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.

This is more like it. Art, nature, sounds pretty romantic - just like me. Hey, what's with the mathematics and science again? I got the nerd message already, Seligman!

4. Fairness, Equity And Justice. Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.

Promising stuff. I wonder if my Public Health lecturer will give me a pass if I show this to him? Hopefully I'll be able to get out doing that presentation on Health Equity and catch up on some zees.

5. Master Of The Mystic Arts. As the Sorceror Supreme of Earth's universe, charged with defending it from otherworldy threats, you can channel the virtually unlimited extra-dimensional energy of nigh-omnipotent beings in multiple realms to empower your spells.

Oh - now that's new! To be honest I've never thought of myself in this way. Hooray for personality tests!

So I encourage you to embark on this journey of self-discovery. Why not sit a personality test today and post your result here under a thinly transparent alias for the world to see? You never know what you'll learn.