Psychological tests must be reliable that they produce the same results when taken at different

times
also must be valid that they really measure what they say they do and not
some other thing.

Self-reports
Asking the person him/herself to describe some of their behaviors
Projective personality tests include presenting vague stimuli such as inkblot
tests or a series of pictures and asking the person to describe what he/she
sees or create a story out of them.

Behavioral assessment invovles observing the person's behaviors and taking

note of specific things like how many times he/she has initiated contact, how
many questions he/she asked, how many times he/she has been aggerssive,
how long his/her conversations with others take, amount of time spent
working alone and working with others, etc.

The 15 Best* Getting-to-Know-You Questions

*The Best = Erins Favorite ;)

In no particular order

#1. What are the 5 words that best describe you?

Reveals: This IS sort of a cheaters getting to know you question, but I feel
like the list wouldnt be complete without something like it. I like 5 because
it's few enough that it forces them to think carefully and be choosy. It is
interesting to see if a person decides to use their 5 words on 5 adjectives or
to sum themselves up in a 5 word sentence. Its also interesting to see
whether they choose all positive words or not.
#2. What are your 3 biggest character flaws?
Reveals: I couldnt have the previous question without having a question on
flaws. Once again, its kind of a cheaters question, but if you only have 15
questions to really get to know someone, it seems like a waste to avoid it.
What is it that they think is wrong with them? Do they choose to pick flaws
that could be perceived as strengths? Does their answer seem genuine or
guarded? Do they seem ashamed or proud as they list them?
#3. What are you most proud of?
Reveals: This one is mostly getting at the persons values/interests. Do they
name an accomplishment, a character trait, a skill? Do they name something
completely unrelated to them? Im most proud of my son for example?
#4. What is the biggest character turn-off for you?
Reveals: Values. What they dislike about others says something about what
they value in themselves and the people they care about.
#5. Whats your favorite movie genre? What are your 3 favorite movies?
Reveals: I'm not the biggest fan of favorites questions, but as someone
that loves movies, I had to include it. The movie genres people tend to
gravitate toward do say something about their personality and taste.
Favorite movies say something about a persons taste level and intelligence.
"Comedy" people are definitely different than "drama" people. I like 3 for
this because their variety or lack of variety says something (and if a persons
favorite movie is a dud, they get at least two more chances to impress me.
haha)
#6.What do you dream about most often?
Reveals: Values and challenges. Im a big believer in the value of
interpreting dreams, though I dont think dream interpretation books are

always true. Our mind uses symbols were familiar with and does so in a way
that makes sense with our feelings. For example for a dog lover, a dog
might symbolize love and friendship, while for someone thats been attacked
by a dog, a dog might symbolize danger. When we dream, were totally
honest. Symbols that pop up frequently in our dreams speak to our
concerns, challenges, and, ultimately, our values. Of course, if you dont
know much about dream interpretation, the answer to this question will
probably be less revealing than interesting but what the heck? People love
to talk about their dreams.
#7. What are 5 things you want more of right now? (Could be physical
things, characteristics, ideas, anything.)
Reveals: Current struggles, values, and mood. This is a question I have
personally asked my friends quite frequently to just check in with them since
I thought it up. It could work just as well with a stranger. The rule is that
since I specify more, they must have some amount of the things they list
already. Are there more physical or immaterial things? Are their answers
more light-hearted or serious? How creative/personal are their answers?
#8. What are 5 things you want to do before you die?
Reveals: Taste, personality, values. Are their answers more accomplishments
or experiences? What do they value?
History Questions

#9. Whats the craziest thing youve ever done?

Reveals: Self-confidence, sense of adventure, and how much they have of
each. It takes guts to do something others would perceive as abnormal. Is
the craziest thing they say theyve ever done really that crazy? Do they
seem proud or ashamed of it? Do they, like question 2, seem genuine or
guarded in their answer?
#10. Whats the hardest thing youve ever done?
Reveals: The persons level of life experience as well as what they find
personally challenging. Does the hardest thing theyve ever done really

sound that hard? In what way was it challenging? Mentally? Physically?

Emotionally?
#11. What music did you listen to in elementary school, middle school, high
school and college? What do you listen to now?
Reveals: Okay, Im not a big fan of favorites questions because, while I
think they are interesting, they dont really say all that much about a
person. However, I do think the music you listen to says something about
you, and answers to this question reveal both history and character
progression. In general, elementary school taste in music has a lot to do
with a persons guardians, middle school music has a lot to do with their
peers, high school and college has to do with self-exploration, and thats
typically when we begin coming into our own. Its interesting to hear what
influences a person had in their youth and how much their musical tastes
have changed throughout their life. I think that, besides the types and
diversity of music they like saying something about their personality, the
progression of taste says something about how much self-exploration
theyve really done.
If Questions

#12. If you could have any superpower, what power would it be and why?
Reveals: Personality. This question was actually the basis for one of my
favorite episodes of This American Life (and as a side note Ive thought a
lot about it, and I think I have the ultimate "power answer" figured out). Is
the power they choose a showy power or one they could keep secret? Is
their power a common or creative one? Did they choose it for selfish or
humanitarian reasons? Its probably not the MOST character-revealing
question listed here, but its too much fun not to include.
#13. If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be? Would you
consider living there?
Reveals: Taste, personality. People who name Paris or Ireland are very
different from South Africa or Tibet people. Are they more interested in cities
or scenery? Sites or cultures? Relaxation or adventure? Would they
consider living in an ideal vacation place? What is their willingness to
change?

#14. If you could have any job, what would it be and why?
Reveals: Values, interest, and personality. Is their dream job prestigious or
low-key? Are they more interested in the money, lifestyle, prestige, or
fulfillment associated with it?
#15. Would you rather lose all of your memories or never be able to make a
new one?
Reveals: Life satisfaction? Willingness to change? Its just a really fascinating
question.

-1) How quickly does the person respond to a question? (Introversion vs

Extraversion)

When you ask a question, does the person start talking immediately and
sound like they are almost thinking out loud? Or do they take a second or
two to compose a response, and then give a complete and well thought out
answer? People who prefer Introversion need to consider things internally
before responding, while people who prefer Extraversion truly NEED to think
out loud.

A discussion between Extraverts seems like chaos to an Introvert people

talking over one another in a jumble of excited speech that rambles all over
the place. A discussion between Introverts seems way too calm and dare I
say it boring to an Extravert. Calm, reasonable discussion with time
enough between responses to drive a train through.

And pair an Extravert with an Introvert? That's where Introverts often get
short-changed because the Extravert will blurt all their thoughts out and
keep on going, while the Introvert seldom gets enough conversational white
space to craft a reply, much less say it out loud.

An instructor in a type training class once told us, If you are an Extravert
talking with an Introvert, ask a question and then STOP TALKING for a count
of 10. You'll be surprised at what you will learn. I've found this to be very
true and I've used it often enough that my husband, delightful Introvert that
he is, will sometimes ask me, Are you counting? after I ask him a question
and am uncharacteristically quiet afterward.

2) Do they talk and think about what's happening now or in the past, or do
they talk and think about what's going to happen next? (Sensing vs
iNtuition)

People who prefer Sensing are all about what's going on in the situation
NOW. Not the future impacts or possibilities, but what is real at this moment.

Ever watch the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan? In my opinion, he could be the
poster child for Sensing he's always reminding dog owners to live in the
present instead of thinking about what might happen or what has happened
before.

That's not to say that the owners on the show are not Sensors Sensors
often base their opinions of what is happening now on their experiences in
the past. Again, the key is that they base their behavior on experiences and
not on visions of what could be. Those who prefer iNtuition, on the other
hand, are often accused of looking at the world through rose colored glasses
or living in their head.

Ask a person to describe a common household object like an apple, and the
Sensor is likely to describe what is This apple is red, it has a long stem,
there's a little soft spot here on the top Ask someone with a dominant
iNtuitive preference and the response is likely to be something like, Oh, this
apple is just like the one my Grandma used to use to make pies. I remember

those apples, sweet and crisp, and how my Grandma used to peel for hours
in the kitchen while and so on.

3) How mindful are they of how others will be affected by a decision?

(Thinking vs Feeling)

People who prefer Feeling run everything through a filter of How will this
affect others? in their heads before taking any sort of action. Even
Extraverts, who usually act or speak immediately, will choose their words
based on the impact to other people if they have an iNtuitive preference.
And if an Extravert who prefers Feeling let's his mouth get ahead of his
head, he's usually mortified to have caused hurt or embarrassment to
others.

Those who prefer Thinking, on the other hand, believe you should just Parla
come magni or Say it like you eat it. Thinkers are objective by nature, and
believe everyone else should be too. They believe in calling a spade a spade
and speaking the truth even if it isn't so pretty.

That doesn't mean that Thinkers aren't considerate of others, but tact is
something they learn as they grow and develop and sometimes the lessons
come hard. My son, as a 5 year old exhibiting Thinking behavior, strode right
up to a preschool classmate and said her new haircut made her look like a
boy. The teacher, while trying to comfort the girl in tears, cautioned him to
not say things that would hurt someone's feelings. While discussing this at
home, it was clear that my son still wasn't getting it. But Mom, he
objected, it was TRUE! This is the way with young Thinkers before they
take a few hard lessons in forming tact, a lesson that is tough for them to
learn because for them truth is the bedrock of understanding.

4) Does a change in plans rock their world or enhance it? (Judging vs

Perceiving)

So, here's the situation. It's late afternoon and everyone is hungry. Person A
says, Let's go out to dinner tonight. I feel like eating seafood. Would you
like to go to Red Lobster or Joe's Crab Shack? Person B says, Oh, okay.
Let's go to Red Lobster. Want to leave now? Person A says, Great! Let me
get my shoes/jacket/whatever and I'll be ready. A minute passes and
Person A comes back ready to leave and saying, We could also go eat tacos
tonight. A friend of mine was telling me today about this great tex-mex place
down the road

Wait! person B says, I thought we had decided on Red Lobster! Let's just
go there and be done with it. I'm hungry. Person A, rebuffed, says
resentfully I was just giving you another option. You don't have to get huffy
about it.

Are you person A or person B in this scenario?

If you said person A, you are showing a Perceiving tendency (you are also a
lot like me, and might want to read more about building a relationship with
your opposite type ). To Perceivers, the world is in a constant state of flux
and they like it that way. They feel constricted if they are locked into a plan,
unable to incorporate new ideas or experiences into the way forward. These
are people who roll with the punches, who seem able to adjust to anything
life throws their way. Seen through the lens of Judging types, Perceivers also
hate to commit to anything and get to a happy ending out of a combination
of luck and chance rather than by design.

Are you more like person B? You likely prefer Judging, a behavior of deciding
on a clear plan of action and following through on every step. Judging folks
are willing to consider options for doing something, but once a plan is in
place they persevere through any obstacles and stay on target. They feel
flustered when life throws a curveball at them, frustrated if it means

changing the way they intended to do something even if it all ends up okay
anyway.

5) Putting it all together into temperament (Golds, Reds, Greens and Blues)

Here's where you start combining the behaviors above into a personality
profile or temperament. Temperament looks at two of a person's preferred
behaviors as an explanation for why they might act the way they do. Full
personality profiles are based on all four preferences, including those that
aren't apparent to the casual observer. That is why the broad brush of
temperament proves so useful when dealing with the people in your life.

Does your significant other tend to deal with what is happening now in your
lives and the nuts and bolts of what needs to happen today to create a
happy future? Get stressed when things happen that change plans at the last
minute? Feel that it is their duty to stay the course to make sure things turn
out right? Your partner is likely a Gold , also referred to as an SJ (Sensing,
Judging) or a Guardian temperament.

Does your boss seem to thrive on putting out fires, hurrying around the
office like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland muttering Oh dear! Oh
dear! I shall be too late!? Does she react to every situation as it arises,
trying to resolve it NOW? Talk in terms of striving toward a target or goal
rather than laying out a specific plan of tasks to be done? Your boss is likely
a Red , also referred to as an SP (Sensing, Perceiving) or an Artisan
temperament.

Keep in mind that we're talking about OBSERVABLE behavior here. Due to
how preference combinations affect behavior, you probably won't be able to
guess a person's whole type by observing a few behaviors. However, noticing
patterns like those above will help you interpret how a behavior fits into that

person's personality type and therefore help you relate better to others in
your life.

---

10 Behavioral Interview Questions to Help You Choose Employees Wisely

HR + Recruiting, Leadership, Management Tips January 24, 2014 11 Guest
Author
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Interview Questions to Help You Choose Employees Wisely
Screening applicants properly to ensure that they are fit for the job and for
the work environment is part of your duty as a manager. However, asking
them common questions that sometimes only result in clich and rehearsed
answers is not enough. You need to ask them questions that will examine
even the littlest detail that will reveal their personality. Those questions are
called behavioral questions.

Behavioral interview questions are asked to determine how an applicant

dealt with past situations. These are answered by actual experiences that
give you an idea how the said applicant will react on future circumstances.

Why ask behavior-based questions during an interview?

It tells a lot about a persons character.

The manner of telling the story itself reveals about how honest and confident
a person is.
These are questions the interviewee is not prepared for. You can expect
answers that are dynamic and not by-the-book.
Being intelligent is not enough to be hired. Personality matters.
It gauges how a person will perform on assigned tasks and among
colleagues.

Behavior-based Questions

Here are 10 examples of behavioral-based questions you can ask your future
employees:

1. Describe your former boss.

Letting an applicant describe his former boss is not about knowing the true
character of his superior. It will, however, reveal how he talks about his
superiors behind their backs. The amount and kind of information he
discloses will show if he only wants to get back at his boss or if he just wants
to genuinely answer the question.

2. Take me back to a moment wherein you had to say whats on your mind
to let your colleagues know what you felt or thought.
The answer to this question explains how open he is to expressing his
thoughts. Let the interviewee reenact how he said whats on his mind that
time so you can get a glimpse of the way he verbalize things- if its
straightforward, beating around the bush, or offensive.

3. We all have people we dont hate but we dislike. Why did you dislike a
former coworker and how did you deal with him/her?
Team dynamics is key to a positive and productive work environment.
However, you cannot expect everyone to like each other when they have
different personalities. Asking about how he deals with a person he doesnt
like but needs to interact with will give you a glimpse of how he will behave
with your existing team.

4. Was there a time when you had to agree to a decision even if it was
against your will? Why did you agree?
This question will give you an idea of how much a follower the applicant is.
Agreeing to a decision even if it was against what was planned, if it is for the
common good, is a sign that he values not only his opinion but others as
well. If he still stood firm with what he believes is right and proper and didnt
conform with the majority, it shows his confidence in himself and his choices.

5. Lets say we hired you, and you got fired after a couple of months. What
do you think would be the reason?
A person who admits his faults is humble enough to acknowledge the fact
that he is not all good. During interviews, people sell themselves. All they
talk about are things that they are proud of and asking them a question that
will uncover their imperfections will balance things out.

6. Tell me how you faced a personal problem while at work.

This will test how professional a person is. Separating personal life from
work is a skill everyone should know because they are too different worlds
that shouldnt mix together. Problems at home shouldnt be brought to work
and vice versa.

7. If I assign work that isnt part of your job description, what will you do?

Some employees are not comfortable doing something that isnt part of what
was agreed upon and you must know about it as early as now. If the
applicant gives a positive answer such as learning how to do it, it leaves a
good impression that hes willing to learn something new.

8. Give me an unexpected situation you encountered in the past. How did

you face it?
Every day is a surprise and it is not always pleasant. Unexpected situations
bring out the best and worst in a person. It is vital to know how he reacts to
it because working under a pressurized environment entails unplanned
events and good decision-making skills.

9. Tell me a story about how you solved a conflict or disagreement between

you and a former colleague.
Disputes are unavoidable in the workplace. It all boils down to how a person
solves a situation between him and his colleagues. Catfights and violence are
major turn-offs but being able to solve it amicably is one factor to consider
why you should hire him.

10. If I call your references now, what would they say about you?
Character references validate everything that is stated in a persons resume
but it can also contradict them. An applicant whos confident that everything
that is stated in his credentials are true and that he only gives honest
answers during the interview doesnt need to worry about this question.

The following five questions, in stark contrast, do. Theyre designed to not
only give you more direct information about the stranger or acquaintance
youre talking with, but also suggest profound insights about these people's
personalities as a whole:

1. How would you describe yourself?

At first glance, this question might seem like cheating. The goal is to get a
person to reveal his/her personality through secondary means, so isnt
asking this question a kind of shortcut?

Well, yes and no -- its all about the ambiguous phrasing, How would you
describe yourself? rather than, Whats your personality like? or, What do
most people think of you? Notice that theres no cue here. Youre not asking
a person to describe himself/herself physically, professionally, emotionally or
any other specific way.

Instead, pay attention to the attributes your interviewee chooses to use to

disclose first, and how extreme his or her word choices seem to be. Shy or
meek people tend to choose humbler words like observant or
recreational, while exuberant or extroverted people choose more powerful
words like smart or athletic.

2. What is your biggest accomplishment?

This one gives you one critical piece of insight into a persons past, but also
tells you two subtle things about his or her personality. First, it shows where
this individual's biggest interests lie; again, the question is ambiguous, so
does he or she respond with a professional accomplishment or a personal
one?

Also, how long ago did this accomplishment happen? How does he/she act in
bringing it up? Next, how long did it take to think of it? If this

"accomplishment" comes only after a long hesitation, that could be a sign of

either many or few past accomplishments. Youll have to probe deeper to
find out.

Related: 6 Personality Traits That Can Make You a More Trusted Entrepreneur

3. Have you read any good books lately?

The answers youll get here vary wildly. First, note the difference between
readers and non-readers. Youll get the occasional person who'll admit, I
dont read books, but more often, among non-readers, youll find people
hesitating a long time before coming up with a book, or reverting to a classic
high school or college text.

Among actual readers, youll find popular novel consumers, business and
self-help readers, literature fans, pop science adherents and several other
types.

4. What is your dream job?

The more ambiguous the question, the better it is. The question isnt, What
do you want in your next job? or, Where do you see yourself in five years?
but, What is your dream job? A sycophant in a job interview might simply
describe the job he or she is applying for. Others may highlight creative
pursuits. Still others will describe jobs that dont exist (or are extremely
rare), like beer taster or puppy cuddler.

Whatever the response, it will tell you whether someones given this a lot of
thought or has never thought about it before.

5. Who is your personal hero?

This question gets you information that's a little more specific and more
insightful -- through an obvious route. But Ive found it a meaningful
question to ask. Youll find people who describe a family member or
someone they knew in life; people who admire an athlete or pop culture
celebrity; and people who look up to successful entrepreneurs or
businesspeople.

You might be able to discern something about the intelligence or age of the
person youre talking to here, but more importantly, youll learn about his or
her values. What is it that makes this "hero" stand out above anyone else
who ever lived?

Overall, some of these questions are a little too forward to ask random
strangers on the street, but once youve warmed up a new contact, feel free
to break these out. How such people react, how they answer and how they
phrase their answers will speak volumes about the type of person standing
in front of you.

Related: 7 Personality Types That Can Make or Break Your Meeting

Those volumes of information are indispensable for any social interaction, be

it a job interview, sales meeting or coincidental interaction. So, get out there
and get to know people well. If you do, youll have far more opportunities in
life.

--10 Proven Ways to Judge a Persons Character

COMMUNICATION MOTIVATIONBY ROBERT LOCKE
We all fall into the trap of judging a persons character by their appearance.
How wrong we are! All too often, the real character of the person only

appears when some negative event hits them or you. Then you may see a
toxic person emerging from the ruins and it is often a shock.

A truly frightening example is revealed in the book by OToole in Bowman

called Dangerous Instincts: How Gut Instincts Betray Us. A perfectly
respectable, charming, well dressed neighbor was found to have installed a
torture chamber in his garage where he was systematically abusing
kidnapped women. This is an extreme example, but it does show how we
can be totally deceived by a persons physical appearance, manners and
behavior.

So, what can you do? You want to be able to assess personal qualities when
you come into contact with colleagues, fresh acquaintances and new friends
who might even become lifelong partners. You want to know if they are:

honest
reliable
competent
kind and compassionate
capable of taking the blame
able to persevere
modest and humble
pacific and can control anger.
The secret is to reserve judgment and take your time. Observe them in
certain situations; look at how they react. Listen to them talking, joking,
laughing, explaining, complaining, blaming, praising, ranting, and preaching.
Only then will you be able to judge their character. This is not foolproof, but

if you follow the 10 ways below, you have a pretty good chance of not
ending up in an abusive relationship.

1. Is anger a frequent occurrence?

All too often, angry reactions which may seem to be excessive are a sign
that there are underlying issues. Do not think that every person who just
snaps and throws his/her weight around mentally and physically is just
reacting normally. Everyone has an occasional angry outburst when driving
or when things go pear-shaped.

But if this is almost a daily occurrence, then you need to discover why and
maybe avoid that person. Too often, anger will escalate to violent and
aggressive behavior. You do not want to be near someone who thinks
violence can solve personal or global problems.

2. Can you witness acts of kindness?

How often do you see this person being kind and considerate? Do they give
money to beggars, donate to charity, do voluntary work or in some simple
way show that they are willing to share the planet with about 7 billion other
people?

I was shocked when a guest of mine never showed any kindness to the weak
and disadvantaged people in our town. She was ostensibly a religious
person, but I began to doubt the sincerity of her beliefs.

The best index to a persons character is how he treats people who cant do
him any good, and how he treats people who cant fight back.

Abigail Van Buren

3. How does this person take the blame?

Maybe you know that s/he is responsible for a screw-up in the office or even
in not turning up on time for a date. Look at their reaction. If they start
blaming other colleagues or the traffic, well, this is an indication that they
are not willing to take responsibility for their mistakes.

4. Dont use Facebook as an indicator.

You will be relieved to know that graphology (the study of that forgotten skill
of handwriting) is no longer considered a reliable test of a persons character.
Neither is Facebook stalking, fortunately. A study showed that Facebook use
of foul language, sexual innuendo and gossip were not reliable indicators of
a candidates character or future performance in the workplace.

5. Read their emails.

Now a much better idea is to read the persons emails. Studies show that the
use of the following can indicate certain personality traits:

Too many exclamation points may reveal a sunny disposition

Frequent errors may indicate apathy
Use of smileys is the only way a person can smile at you
Use of the third person may reveal a certain formality
Too many question marks can show anger
Overuse of capital letters is regarded as shouting. They are a definite no-no
in netiquette, yet a surprising number of people still use them.

6. Watch out for the show offs.

Listen to people as they talk. How often do they mention their achievements,
promotions, awards and successes? If this happens a lot, it is a sure
indication that this person has an over-inflated view of his/her
achievements. They are unlikely to be modest or show humility. What a pity!
Another person to avoid.

7. Look for evidence of perseverance.

A powerful indicator of grit and tenacity is when a person persists and never
gives up when they really want to achieve a life goal. Look for evidence of
them keeping going in spite of enormous difficulties.

Great achievements by scientists and inventors all bear the hallmark of

perseverance. We only have to think of Einstein, Edison (who failed
thousands of times) and Nelson Mandela to get inspiration. The US
Department of Education is in no doubt about how grit, tenacity and
perseverance will be key success factors for youth in the 21st century.

8. Their empathy score is high.

Listen to how they talk about the less fortunate members of our society such
as the poor, immigrants and the disabled. Do you notice that they talk in a
compassionate way about these people? The fact that they even mention
them is a strong indicator of empathy.

People with zero empathy will never talk about the disadvantaged. They will
rarely ask you a question about a difficult time or relationship. They will
usually steer the conversation back to themselves. These people have zero
empathy and in extreme cases, they are psychopaths who never show any
feelings towards their victims.

9. Learn how to be socially interactive.

We are social animals and this is what makes us so uniquely human. If a

person is isolated or a loner, this may be a negative indicator of their
character. You want to meet a person who knows about trust, honesty and
loyalty. The only way to practice these great qualities is to actually interact
socially. The great advantage is that you can share problems and celebrate
success and joy together.

One can acquire everything in solitude, except character.

Stendhal

10. Avoid toxic people.

These people are trying to control others and often are failing to come to
terms with their own failures. Typical behavior and conversations may
concern:

Envy or jealousy
Criticism of partners, colleagues and friends
Complaining about their own lack of success
Blaming others for their own bad luck or failure
Obsession with themselves and their problems
Listen to these people talk and you will quickly discover that you need to
avoid them at all costs because their negativity will drag you down. In
addition, as much as you would like to help them, you are not qualified to do
so.

----

8 Stealth Interview Questions That Reveal True Character

Finding a real star requires going beyond "Tell me about yourself." Here are
the questions that will tell you what you really want to know.

BY ZO HENRY
Reporter, Inc.@ZoeLaHenry

12 COMMENTS

IMAGE: Getty Images

If you want to hire a great candidate, you'd better ask the right questions.
And sometimes, the questions that tell you the most about a person are the
ones that seem the least likely to yield anything relevant.

From hypothetical elephants to athletic experience and more, Inc. has

parsed some of the wackier things that employers might ask about in an
interview. Here are eight examples of stealth questions that will help you get
closer to discovering your candidate's true character:

1. What's your favorite restaurant?

What does food have to do with fit, you ask? Plenty, according to
Refinery29's Justin Stefano: "It's a very telling question. Food is a pretty
important part of our culture," he told Inc.'s Diana Ransom in an Inc. Live
video session.

Beyond relevant prior experience and skills, the fashion platform wants to
know that someone would jibe with other employees on a personal level:
"You want to bring people in that are going to be really connected to the
culture and get it," Stefano continued.

Refinery29 notices candidates who say they're passionate about artisanal

foods. Does your company have (unique) core values? If so, to determine
whether your potential hire shares them, make sure you ask the right
questions.

2. What's your spirit animal?

Here you're looking for a killer sense of imagination.

Ryan Holmes, the CEO of social media management company Hootsuite,

gave Inc. columnist Jeff Haden an example of what he considers to be a
great response: His executive assistant told him that her spirit animal was a
duck, "because ducks are calm on the surface and hustling like crazy getting
things done under the surface."

Holmes said that this was a terrific assessment of the role that an executive
assistant performs. The ideal candidate's spirit animal (bear? kitten?
unicorn?) will represent the same character traits that the job in question
requires.

Along those lines:

3. So, (insert name here,) what's your story?

Open-ended questions like these can be intimidating for both managers and
job seekers. Once again, you're looking for someone to showcase his or her
creativity.

That's according to Richard Funess, a managing partner at PR firm Finn

Partners, who explained this question to Haden as "an invitation to the
candidate to play the game and see where it goes without worrying about
the right answer. By playing along, it tells me a lot about the character,
imagination, and inventiveness of the person."

The ideal candidate will also slip in colorful details about him- or herself that
didn't appear on the resume or cover letter.

4. Tell me a joke.
As Richard Branson wrote in his recent book The Virgin Way: Everything I
Know About Leadership, it's important for everyone--from job candidates to
business moguls--to have a sense of humor. After all, "Don't enjoy it? Don't
do it!" he quipped in the book's prologue.

To that end, Branson likes to break the ice by having the candidate tell him a
joke. He readily admits to being "one of the world's worst tellers of jokes,"
but says that this tactic really encourages people to be themselves.

After all, you don't want to hire someone who doesn't know how to be
authentic.

5. What would you do if you woke up and found an elephant in your

backyard?
Melissa Gordon, a project manager at advertising agency Moxie, emphasized
to Inc. columnist Suzanne Lucas that the best candidates show off their
innovative chops when answering weird questions: "Their answer provides
an interesting insight as to how they view themselves within seemingly safe
parameters and gives you an idea of how creative they are," she said.

The possibilities are endless, and will give you a great sense of how quickly
(and effectively) applicants can think on their feet.

6. Have you ever played a sport? If so, which one and what position?
Vanessa Nornberg, founder of the jewelry company Metal Mafia, explained
that she has all job candidates answer three questions ahead of formal, inperson interviews.

Here's why she likes to ask them about sports: "I'm looking for people who
don't want to be goalies. I want people who want to be in the action and do
everything they can to get in front of the ball," she said in an Inc. Live video
session.

Competitive sports players will often have a great work ethic--a must-have
quality for any role, but especially for a position at a startup.

7. If you opened your own business, what type of company would it be and
why?
Nornberg warns candidates not to say that they'd start up the same type of
company as the one they're applying to. "Then I know that they're just
telling me what I want to hear," she explained.

Rather, Nornberg wants applicants to give a thoughtful, detailed answer. She

cited one candidate who wrote that he wanted to start a bar with pets,
because pets help people interact and get to know one another in an
otherwise awkward setting.

His was a good example of a creative (and unique) answer that will set a
candidate apart from the rest, she said.

8. "I'm sorry, but I just don't think this is the right fit for you."
While not a question, this statement is Tejune Kang's go-to move when
hiring people to work at his company, IT consulting service Six Dimensions.
Here's why:

"The world is full of mediocrity," Kang told Jeff Haden. "I don't just want to
compete. I want to hire superstars, because I want to win the Super Bowl."

Telling applicants that they didn't get the job--even when Kang thinks they
are actually a great fit--will motivate superstar employees to go the extra
mile and prove that they're worth it.

The rest, he says, will fold under pressure.

--nterview questions: Everyone has them.

And everyone wishes they had better ones.

So I asked smart people from a variety of fields for their favorite interview
question, and more important, why it's their favorite, and what it tells them
about the candidate.

1. If we're sitting here a year from now celebrating what a great year it's
been for you in this role, what did we achieve together?

"For me, the most important thing about interviews is that the interviewee
interviews us. I need to know someone's done his or her homework, truly
understands our company and the role, and really wants it.

"The candidate should have enough strategic vision to not only talk about
how good the year has been but also to answer with an eye toward that
bigger-picture understanding of the company--and why he or she wants to
be here."

Randy Garutti, Shake Shack CEO

2. When have you been most satisfied in your life?

"Except with entry-level candidates, I presume reasonable job skill and

intellect. Plus, I believe smart people with relevant experience adapt quickly
and excel in new environments where the culture fits and inspires them.

"So, I concentrate on character and how well someone's matches that of my

organization.

"This question opens the door for a different kind of conversation, in which I
push to see the match between life in my company and what people need to
be their best and better in my company than they could be anywhere else."

Dick Cross, Cross Partnership founder and CEO

3. If you got hired, loved everything about this job, and were paid the salary
you asked for, what kind of offer from another company would you consider?

"I like to find out how much the candidates are driven by money versus
working at a place they love.

"Can the person be bought?

"You'd be surprised by some of the answers."

Ilya Pozin, Ciplex founder

4. Who is your role model, and why?

"The question can reveal how introspective the candidate is about personal
and professional development, which is a quality I have found to be highly
correlated with success and ambition.

"Plus, it can show what attributes and behaviors the candidate aspires to."

Clara Shih, Hearsay Social co-founder and CEO

5. What things do you not like to do?

"We tend to assume people who have held a role enjoy all aspects of that
role, but I've found that is seldom the case.

"Getting an honest answer to the question requires persistence, though. I

usually have to ask it a few times in different ways, but the answers are
always worth the effort. For instance, I interviewed a sales candidate who
said she didn't enjoy meeting new people.

"My favorite was the finance candidate who told me he hated dealing with
mundane details and checking his work. Next!"

Art Papas, Bullhorn founder and CEO

6. Tell me about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the

most significant in your career.

"I find that this question opens the door to further questions and enables
someone to highlight him- or herself in a specific, nongeneric way.

"Plus, additional questions can easily follow: What position did you hold
when you achieved this accomplishment? How did it impact your growth at
the company? Who else was involved, and how did the accomplishment
impact your team?

"Discussing a single accomplishment is an easy way to open doors to

additional information and insight about the person, his or her work habits,
and how the person works with others."

Deborah Sweeney, MyCorporation owner and CEO

7. Tell me how...

"I don't have one favorite question, because I believe a great interview takes
on a life of its own, becoming more of a conversation than a formal process.

"Ultimately, we're looking for people who are motivated, disciplined, and
good spirited, possessing skills and passion, so I ask indirect questions about
the creative process, about articulating and demystifying the process of
creating great food and great service.

"Then I trust my instincts. Reading the eyes of the candidate is a final test
I've come to rely on--because the eyes never lie."

Eric Ripert, Le Bernardin chef and co-owner

8. What's your superpower, or what's your spirit animal?

"During her interview I asked my current executive assistant what was her
favorite animal. She told me it was a duck, because ducks are calm on the
surface and hustling like crazy getting things done under the surface.

"I think this was an amazing response and a perfect description for the role
of an EA. For the record, she's been working with us for more than a year
now and is amazing at her job."

Ryan Holmes, HootSuite CEO

9. Why have you had x amount of jobs in y years?

"This question helps me get a full picture of the candidate's work history.
What keeps the person motivated? Why, if the person has, did the person
jump from job to job? And what is the key factor when he or she leaves?

"The answer shows me the person's loyalty and reasoning process. Does the
person believe someone always keeps him or her down (managers, bosses,
etc.)? Does the person get bored easily?

"There is nothing inherently wrong with moving from job to job--the reasons
are what matters."

Shama Kabani, The Marketing Zen Group founder and CEO

10. We're constantly making things better, faster, smarter, or less expensive.
We leverage technology or improve processes. In other words, we strive to
do more--with less. Tell me about a recent project or solution to a problem
that you made better, faster, smarter, more efficient, or less expensive.

"Good candidates will have lots of answers to this question. Great candidates
will get excited as they share their answers.

"In 13 years we've only passed along one price increase to our customers.
That's not because our costs have decreased--quite the contrary. We've been
able to maintain our prices because we've gotten better at what we do. Our
team, at every level, has their ears to the ground looking for problems to
solve.

"Every new employee needs to do that too."

Edward Wimmer, RoadID co-founder and co-owner

11. Discuss a specific accomplishment of yours in a previous position that

indicates you will thrive in this position.

"Past performance is usually the best indicator of future success.

"When candidates can't point to a prior accomplishment, they are unlikely to

be able to accomplish much at our organization--or yours."

Dave Lavinsky, Growthink co-founder and president

12. So, (insert name), what's your story?

"This inane question immediately puts an interviewee on the defensive,

because there is no right answer or wrong answer. But there is an answer.

"It's a question that asks for a creative response. It's an invitation to the
candidate to play the game and see where it goes without worrying about
the right answer. By playing along, it tells me a lot about the character,
imagination, and inventiveness of the person.

"The question, as obtuse as it might sound to the interviewee, is the

beginning of a story, and in today's world of selling oneself, or one's
company, it's the ability to tell a story and create a feeling that sells the
brand--whether it's a product or a person.

"The way the candidate looks at me when the question is asked also tells me
something about the person's likability. If someone acts defensive, looks
uncomfortable, and pauses longer than a few seconds, it tells me the person
probably takes things too literally and is not a broad thinker. In our business
we need broad thinkers."

Richard Funess, Finn Partners managing partner

13. What questions do you have for me?

"I love asking this question really early in the interview--it shows me
whether the candidate can think quickly on his or her feet, and also reveals
the person's level of preparation and strategic thinking.

"I often find you can learn more about people from the questions they ask
versus the answers they give."

Scott Dorsey, ExactTarget co-founder and CEO

14. Tell us about a time when things didn't go the way you wanted--like a
promotion you wanted and didn't get, or a project that didn't turn out how
you had hoped.

"It's a simple question that says so much. Candidates may say they
understand the importance of working as a team, but that doesn't mean
they actually know how to work as a team. We need self-starters that will
view their position as a partnership.

"Answers tend to fall into three basic categories: 1) blame, 2) selfdeprecation, or 3) opportunity for growth.

"Our company requires focused employees willing to wear many hats and
sometimes go above and beyond the job description, so I want team players
with the right attitude and approach. When candidates point fingers, blame,
go negative on former employers, communicate with a sense of entitlement,
or speak in terms of their role as an individual as opposed to their position
as a partnership, they won't do well here.

"But if someone takes responsibility and is eager to put what he or she has
learned to work, the person will thrive in our meritocracy."

-----

20 Random Questions to Get to Know Someone

By Carmen Anderson on December 7, 2013

471
Meeting and getting to know someone new can be a daunting and nervewracking experience. You want to find out important things about them,
without turning a casual conversation into an interrogation with lots of
serious questions. You also dont want to be caught in an awkward silence,
desperately thinking of something witty to say. When the small talk has run
try, try asking some random questions to spice things up. Although some of
them may sound silly, random questions can give you a unique insight into
the personality and preferences of another person. Below weve chosen 20
Random Questions to Get to Know Someone that you can work into your
conversation when speaking to someone new.

1. Where would your dream holiday be?

The answer to this question can tell you how adventurous someone is
maybe their dream holiday would be backpacking and hiking in Peru,
relaxing in an island paradise, or living it up in a bustling, exciting city like
New York. You can also share stories about your travels, and places youd
like to visit before you die.

question1

2. What sound do you love?

This question requires a bit of thinking, and you may be surprised at the
answer. Maybe your new acquaintance loves the sound of a Ferrari engine,
or acoustic guitar music, or even the theme song to their favourite TV series.
Whatever the answer, youll have a new and interesting topic to discuss.

question2

3. If you were a dinosaur, what kind of dinosaur would you be?

This quirky question is bound to get a smile, if not a confused face or a

nervous giggle. Break the ice with a silly, funny question that shows your
sense of humour, and youll put the other person at ease.

Advertisement

question3

4. If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose?

Katniss, Bella Swan, Harry Potter? This question gets you talking about your
favourite books and movies, and you can find out a lot about the other
persons preferences. You might even reveal a secret passion or pastime!

question 4

5. If you were a super hero or super villain, what powers would you have?

This is a sneaky way to assess the morals and secret fantasies of your new
friend. Do they want powers to help humanity? Would they use their powers
to play practical jokes or punish their enemies?

question5

6. If you could breed two totally different animals together, what new animal
would you create?

This question is great for finding out if your acquaintance like animals and,
how creative they are! Prepare yourself for some hilarious and bizarre
answers, and interesting conversations about weird creatures.

7. What other languages can you speak?

This is a fact that people dont usually share for fear of sounding arrogant.
However, if you ask this question when speaking about travel, you may find
out about your new friends family background, education, and whether they
enjoy travelling.

question7

8. Do you love or hate rollercoasters?

The answer to this question can tell you how adventurous someone is if
theyre terrified of rollercoasters, chances are they wont be up for adventure
sports or a day out at a theme park!

9. Whats the weirdest thing youve ever eaten?

Find out how adventurous (or brave!) someone is by asking them about the
most unusual thing theyve ever eaten. You can also talk about food you like
and dont like, and let the conversation flow naturally from there.

question9

10. Do you collect anything?

This question helps you to find out if your acquaintance has an interesting
hobby or passion maybe they collect stamps, or bottle caps, or football
paraphernalia. You may even be able to bond over a shared interest!

question10

11. What would be in your dream sandwich?

Everyone loves talking about food, and describing your ideal sandwich is a
great way to get the conversation started. Keep in mind what they food they
like so that if things go well, you can suggest somewhere nice for your next
meeting.

question11

12. If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet?

Alternatively, you could ask who theyd invite to a dinner party if they could
invite anyone, living or dead. You might find out who their role-models are,
who they admire, and why theyd like to meet them valuable information if
youre trying to get to know someone better.

question12

13. What was your favorite cartoon growing up?

Bugs Bunny, Dexters Laboratory, The Animaniacs? Chat about things that
you miss from your childhood, your favourite Disney movies, and cartoons

that you loved watching on TV. Who knows, you might share a love for Tom
and Jerry!

question13

14. Whats the coolest thing youve ever been for Halloween?

This is a fun and lighthearted question to keep the conversation interesting

and topical. You may just be surprised by the answer!

question14

15. Whats the best gift youve ever received?

This is a great question to ask if youre curious to know what really matters
to someone. Was their best gift something personal and sentimental, or
something expensive and flashy?

16. What ice-cream flavours do you love/hate?

This is a simple question to see if you have similar likes and dislikes. The
answer doesnt matter all that much, but debating the best ice-cream flavour
can be fun!

question16

17. Are you a dog person or a cat person?

Instead of asking, Do you have pets?, ask if they prefer dogs or cats, and
why. Their reasoning can reveal a little bit about their personality maybe
they prefer cats because they are independent and aloof qualities they
may admire.

18. Whats your fondest childhood memory?

Lighten the mood by speaking about happy memories from your childhoods.
This way you can learn about his or her background without prying.

question18

19. Would you rather be poor and happy, or rich and miserable?

The answer to this question will reveal a lot about someones priorities
whether they value happiness over money, and whether theyd compromise
their happiness to be rich. Something worth thinking about.
confused

20. What would be your ideal first date?

If youre thinking about starting a romantic relationship with someone youre

getting to know, asking them about their ideal first date make them think
about what itd be like to date you!

226ab0e9a296361364de3e46eb830c2c

Hopefully youll be able to have a great conversation with your acquaintance,

and through using these questions, learn a lot more about them whilst
creating a closer bond between the two of you.

Lovely images sourced from http://www.pinterest.com and

http://www.weheartit.com

---19 Tiny Hints That Reveal A Persons True Character

Chrissy Stockton 69 Comments
13.1k

The Bachelor
1. They treat a waitress poorly.

2. General rule: if they trash talk and gossip about other people, they are
doing the same thing to when youre not around.

3. If they hurt someones feelings, they defend themselves by saying Im

just being honest or worse, do you want me to lie?

4. Youve seen them argue with someone they love (a parent, child, or
significant other) in which they say something that shows a total lack of
respect for that person and the relationship theyve built with them. It may
be the heat of the moment, but good people fight to solve problems, not to
make the other person feel like the bad guy.

5. Theyre obsessed with new people. Every 4 months they become

obsessed with a new friend or love interest and their long term friends take
a backseat.

6. They accuse people of bullying them and they are no longer in school.

7. They often utter sentences that begin Lets invite X because they will Y
buy us drinks, drive us around, get us in for free, etc. Someone who is
comfortable enough to casually mention they are only friends with certain
people for the perks are just gross inside.

8. At any point they become a Debbie Downer. For instance, they tell a story
about striking out with someone in their love life and they say this always
happens to me or I always have the worst luck. It might seem like they
are just currently down on their luck but this kind of negativity is
manipulative of the other people in their lives, they are looking for constant
reassurance, which is unhealthy.

9. Youve witnessed them taking advantage of a drunk person.

10. They cheat on their significant other. They may make a compelling case
and justify it in all sorts of ways, but a good person fixes a relationship or
moves on.

11. I hate drama.

12. They act like a completely different person depending on who they are
hanging out with. Different people bring out different aspects of each
persons personality, but no one should change dramatically.

13. They are extremely grossed out by regular human phenomena like body
hair. If theyre so out of touch with reality that just being reminded of their
humanity makes them so uncomfortable, they arent likely to be rational
about other realities either.

14. Your dog hates them (and they usually are people friendly).

15. They have no friends theyve known for longer than a year or two and
dont speak to anyone in their entire family. Cultivating relationships is an
essential skill and when no one in your life can stick around longer than a
few months, chances are the common denominator is the problem.

16. Anytime someone disagrees with them they make straw person
caricatures of the other persons argument in order to shoot them down.
They cannot and will not perceive of valid reasons why someone might not
take the same view as them.

17. Alternatively, when they disagree with someone, they call them crazy.

18. All their exes are obsessed with them still. Or, they still harbor vitriolic
hate for people they havent seen or spoken to in years.

19. They say something along the lines of Im real a lot. Normal people
dont hang around with fake people, so they wouldnt feel the need to
specify. TC mark

Want to get to know me better (or anyone really)? Just ask one of the below
get to know you questions theyre meant to be fun, interesting questions
that can help you learn more about the person you are talking to. These
questions can be great for team-building, learning more about your fellow
co-workers, and for spicing up your standard introductions.

A quick caveat: there are thousands of interesting questions to get to know

someone, but Ive found that the below questions (pulled from games like
Table Topics, shows like Inside the Actors Studio, and from my own brain)
are unique or interesting enough to force a person to think. If theyve been
asked the same question a thousand times before, its not as effective in
engaging the person in your conversation. And these are just a starting
point; take these team-building questions and modify them to meet your
needs and situation.

WHATS YOUR FAVORITE QUESTIONS

Asking someone about their favorite blank is a great way to get know them
better and learn about their preferences and opinions. These questions are
good for when you are first meeting someone and are easy to incorporate as
part of introductions in a larger group, such as asking each person to say
their name, role, and favorite food as a child.

What was your favorite food when you were a child?

Whats the #1 most played song on your iPod?
What is one of your favorite quotes?
Whats your favorite indoor/outdoor activity?
What chore do you absolutely hate doing?
What is your favorite form of exercise?
What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year?
Whats your least favorite mode of transportation?
What is your favorite body part?
What sound do you love?
WHAT IF QUESTIONS

Hypothetical questions help you learn more about another persons

personality, as well as their ideal state of the world. Since many of these
questions might evoke longer responses, they are better suited for one-onone conversations or smaller group discussions.

If you could throw any kind of party, what would it be like and what would it
be for?
If you could paint a picture of any scenery youve seen before, what would
you paint?
If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?
If you knew the world was ending in 2012, what would you do differently?
If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?
If you could witness any event past, present or future, what would it be?
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

If you had to work on only one project for the next year, what would it be?
If you were immortal for a day, what would you do?
If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to?
If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet?
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?
If you were reincarnated as an animal/drink/ice cream flavor, what would it
be?
If you could know the answer to any question, besides What is the meaning
of life?, what would it be?
If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose?
PERSONAL QUESTIONS

Asking personal questions gets right to the purpose of getting to know

someone and can be used in smaller groups with elaborate answers or larger
groups with quick responses.

Which celebrity do you get mistaken for?

What do you want to be when you grow up?
When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time?
What would you name the autobiography of your life?
What songs are included on the soundtrack to your life?
PERSONAL HISTORY QUESTIONS

Questions involving peoples past help give you insight into their character
and background by revealing memorable moments from the persons life.
These are great for one-on-one interactions or for smaller, more intimate

groups. These questions help build trust as they are more personal than
some of the other types of questions.

Have you ever had something happen to you that you thought was bad but it
turned out to be for the best?
What was one of the best parties youve ever been to?
What was the last movie, TV show or book that made you cry or tear up?
Whats the hardest thing youve ever done?
What was the last experience that made you a stronger person?
What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?
When was the last time you had an amazing meal?
Whats the best/worst gift youve ever given/received?
What do you miss most about being a kid?
What is your first memory of being really excited?
What was the first thing you bought with your own money?
When was the last time you were nervous?
What is something you learned in the last week?
What story does your family always tell about you?
At what age did you become an adult?
RANDOM QUESTIONS

Random questions can be a great way to add some quirkiness to

introductions or a conversation. These are best used when each person gets
a different question because they intentionally break peoples expectations
with an abstract question in the midst of a variety of other questions.

Is a picture worth a thousand words? Elaborate.

Wheres Waldo?
The best part of waking up is?
How now brown cow?
Whasssssuuuupppppp?

----

Six Clues to Character

The traits that shape us remain fairly stable over time, making them the
closest thing we have to a crystal ball. Whether you wish to take an
inventory of yourself, gauge the suitability of a partner, glimpse what a
friendship might hold, or preview a child's trajectory, here are six key
candidates for your attention.
By Hara Estroff Marano, published on May 3, 2011 - last reviewed on
November 20, 2015
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Image of a young woman's face
Seconds after Tamara was ushered into his office, Michael knew she was
right for the creative staff of the advertising team he ran. Within a year, they
were not only a productive duo professionally, they were dating. She soon
jumped to another agency largely so they could live together openly. A year
later, they were married and enacting their plan to start a boutique agency
together. Business grew comfortably although not spectacularlyuntil the
recession hit. Having observed from a master how to initiate client contact,

Tamara went into overdrive. Michael, unflappable as ever, admired her

indefatigability.

The harder she worked, the more Michael's praise got under Tamara's skin;
she grew to hate being viewed as indefatigable. Over the last half of 2008,
she says, "anxiety began shredding me." Good as he was as a life partner,
she came to realize, Michael lacked "the gut-fire" for business; a downturn
was the clearest time to see it but the worst time to accept it. Desperate to
keep her whole life from falling apart, she quietly contacted a consultant.
The plan: Close the agency, look for separate jobs or freelance
arrangements, and keep the marriage. Could she live with that?

It's taken over two rocky years for the shame, the anger, and the
disappointment to subside. Tamara would happily erase the entire
entrepreneurial episode. "I should have paid more attention to Michael's
approach to work," she now says. "Yes, he has a great reputation, but there
were signs he just wasn't driven. He's very confident, but he doesn't have
that competitive edge. He never hid his nature. I partly blame myself; we
could have avoided a few nasty years."

Does any one of us know who our lovers, our friends, our business partners,
our childrenand even we ourselves will become, especially when tossed
into a new set of circumstances? Most future forecasting is stunningly off the
mark. Typically, it assumes too many discontinuities from the present. But
psychology knows that the future grows out of the past, and both tend to be
built on observable aspects of character and behavior. It's possible to
extrapolate from today to tomorrowif you know what to pay attention to.

Even with children, development is not a mystery, says Susan Engel, a

psychologist at Williams College. "It's a crystal ball. You just have to know
how to read it." The trickiest part may be findingor deliberately creating
situations most likely to elicit the traits you want to observe in action.

The important signs of a person's path into the future inhabit six broad
domains, says Engel: intelligence, drive, sociability, capacity for intimacy,
happiness, and goodness. All six elements show up early in life and don't
change much over its course. As outlined in her recent book, Red Flags or
Red Herrings? Predicting Who Your Child Will Become, the six can be seen as
an index of what really matters in life.

Some are traits, more or less wired into personalitysuch as basic level of
interest in others. But some have a considerable skills componentfor
example, how we explain the events of our lives. A small shift in attributional
style, for example, will have an outsize effect on a person's motivation and
propensity to happiness. Sociability may be a basic component of
personality, but it's still possible to influence its expression by learning how
to approach others.

Much as we may recognize the importance of each domain for foretelling the
future, still we have trouble knowing exactly what to look for. Tone is one of
the big distracters. Being low-key, for example, does not preclude happiness,
as some people assume. Nor does winning prizes in school predict later
success. But it turns out that many of the attributes that most influence us,
that create that je ne sais quoi known as character, are fairly stable over
time. As a result, we can scrutinize them at any one point and project them
into the future.

image of a young woman with a white painted face

Intelligence: The Biggest Boon

Of all the attributes to consider in another person, intelligence is probably at

the top of the list. Since it is the most stable quality over time, and primarily
a product of genetic endowmentalthough stimulating environments allow it
to blossomit is almost as reliable a guide in children as it is in adults. More
than any other trait, it is the great declarer of possibility, an indicator of the
likelihood of doing well in life.

Try to define intelligence and you'll have one of psychology's longest-running

fights on your hands. This much can be said with impunity: It encompasses
the ability and speed of processing information.

It allows for, although makes no guarantee of, deeper understanding of life,

experiences, and other people. It underlies the ability to deal with
complexity.

As cognitive psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman sees it, there are two major
types of intelligencecontrolled and spontaneous. They operate differently
and confer distinct advantages. At the top of the hierarchy is the capacity for
conscious, deliberate, abstract thinking, which is what is generally measured
on intelligence tests. "Conscious intelligence reflects the capacity of working
memory and executive functioning, skills requiring focus and related to
cognitive control," he explains. It is goal-directed and draws on a limited
pool of attentional resources.

Sharing equal billing with general understanding, argues Kaufman, is

spontaneous intelligence, which provides mental dexterity. Spontaneous
cognitive processes involve the ability to acquire information automatically.
They are associated with implicit learning, the incidental acquisition of a
complex pattern, says Kaufman, a visiting scholar at New York University
and coauthor of the forthcoming Cambridge Handbook of Intelligence. Call it
the cognitive unconscious. "It's the ability to be open to possibilities that
may not be obviously relevant to the task at hand"like having a sudden
creative insight without deliberately working on a problem.

Neither component of intelligence is more important than the other, but what
is crucial is the ability to flexibly switch between modes of cognition as a
task demands. "It is important sometimes to defocus. It allows for novel onthe-spot problem-solving," says Kaufman. Cognitive flexibility is knowing
when to completely deactivate focused intelligence. He notes that the

highest levels of creativity most likely require the ability for both modes of
intelligence and the flexibility to switch thought strategies.

Clues to Intelligence:

"Pay attention to how a person thinks," advises Engel. "Listen to how he or

she develops an argument." Barry Lubetkin, a clinical psychologist in New
York, advises noting how systematically someone weighs pros and cons of a
dilemma and how clearly the person can define and state a problem. "Look
for someone who has clarity, whosethoughts have edges."

Also, make sure a person knows the difference between how he feels about
something and what he thinks about it. "Confusing feeling and reason is a
huge problem," Engel finds. Another measure of intelligence is how quickly a
person takes in new information and especially how fully and quickly they
grasp complex situations. The ability to generate multiple solutions to a
problem through brainstorming, Lubetkin says, is another marker of
intelligence, especially the spontaneous variety. Closely related is the ability
to discard calcified ways of doing things.

Evolutionary psychologists, in particular, regard the ability to generate

humor as a robust sign of intelligence, as it reflects a complex array of
cognitive skills, from language use to abstract thinking, involving the
capacity to take a novel perspective on information.

Drive: The Goals You Set

Everyone defines it differently, but is there a person alive who doesn't want
to succeed? Engel emphasizes doing well at something you love. That's a
nice ideal; for some people, it's more a financial calculation. And still others
want public attention or recognition, even celebrity in the mix. Two key

variables to focus on, then, are how a person defines it and howor even
whethersomeone is willing to work for it.

There's effort and there's effort, says Engel. There is a quality beyond
working doggedlysome call it surgencyin which the energy of hard work
is accompanied by vibrancy and a sense of pleasure. Others call it passion;
either way, it fuels perseverance. It's the fire at the heart of motivation.
"Drive," Lubetkin says, "is the engine of accomplishment. It allows a person
to achieve whatever goals they set in life." And yet, persistence also begets
passion. Further, both of them are made possible only by a sense of
optimism.

It was on the perseverance-passion spectrum that Michael and Tamara

encountered the difference that undid their work partnership. Tamara says
she still doesn't understand Michael's failure to be energized by difficulty. But
she knows she'd never put herself again in a situation that might require it.

Researchers find that the drive that leads to success maps closely with the
Big Five personality trait of conscientiousnessbeing prepared, organized,
and able to control impulses. There are additional markers of the capacity
for success. And some underpin the ability to take risks that result in that
special off-the-grid brand of accomplishment, innovation.

Going beyond routine paths, Lubetkin points out, requires a certain

independence of thought and the capacity to operate independent of others'
opinions. There's no time frame for what he calls "building a bank of selftrust." But its most noticeable feature might be the ability to put faith in
one's own decisions. Intelligence, he notes, should not be taken as an
indicator of such an ability.

Clues to Drive:

"how does a person talk about the problems in his or her life?" asks
Lubetkin. "What do they say when they are met with a barrier? You want to
hear they believe in the importance of effort and that they are worthy of it.
You want to see that they assess themselves in a healthy way. That includes
recognizing the randomness of life. An unhealthy person rages against ill
luck."

Happiness: The Capacity For Finding Satisfaction

There's a great deal of cultural confusion about what happiness is and how
to achieve it. Psychologists and philosophers find that happiness derives
from having a sense of purpose and feeling useful. But a culture of
consumption like ours puts forth highly seductive messages suggesting
happiness comes from enjoying a string of positive events or a life of ease or
acquiring things, known as hedonic happiness. Exploring a person's beliefs
about happiness is likely to reveal not only how they might approach it but
how likely they are to find it. Anyone who seeks it in acquisitions will be
doomed to disappointment; hedonic pleasures have limited staying power.

Neuroscience has something important to say on the matterprimarily that

happiness isn't something you can pursue directly. It's a byproduct of other
things, most notably working toward meaningful goals. In the brain,
maximum positive feelings are generated, and negative feelings turned off,
not after reaching a goal but in the approach to a challenging goal, one
you're not 100 percent certain you can reach, one where you have to muster
all your resources and stretch. It's in that last final sprint toward it that
people feel most happy. There is no happiness without challenge, risk, and
growth.

Happiness may be a feeling but, over the past 50 years, psychologists have
come to see that in large measure it is a reflection of how we think.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is founded on the fact that we consistently

engage in automatic patterns of thinking about experience, of which we are

generally unaware, that pitch us into positive or negative mood states.
Underlying a propensity to depression are not merely encounters with
adversity but assumptions about the experience and beliefs about oneself
that are in fact distortions of reality.

Further, the beliefs are typically expressed in the attributions we all make
about the causes of events. Among the most common, says Lubetkin, is the
tendency to selectively filter informationto focus exclusively on negative
details of a situation while ignoring or minimizing its positive aspects.
Equally destructive is catastrophizing, assuming the direst outcome from one
negative event. The conclusions people draw from their everyday
experiences often find their way into expression and are a major indicator of
the degree to which they are unwittingly erecting barriers to their own
happiness.

Clues to Happiness:

How realistic is someone about personal weaknesses? And just how willing is
someone to act in ways aligned with his or her beliefs and values, even at
the risk of criticism?

Happiness comes not from a magical power to escape setbacks but the
ability to rebound from them, also known as resilience. How does someone
interpret experience? A tendency to attribute all setbacks to fate can cripple
will. Believing everything is under one's control likewise distorts reality and
is a setup for misery.

glass mosaic of a young woman's face

Goodness: The Legacy Of Mama Madoff

Engel wants you to know about Bernie Madoff's mother. "Goodness comes
from somewhere," says the Williams psychologist, "and so does badness.
People model themselves on those around them." The greatest swindler in
history wasn't the only cheat in his family. When he was growing up, his
mother had her own financial brokerage firm. Eventually, she was
investigated by the SEC for failing to file financial reports. Before they could
revoke her registration, Engel recounts, she withdrew it. "She might have
been defrauding customers, sneaking past the regulatory commission, or
cheating the government, and if so, there would be a good chance it was
rubbing off on Bernie."

Some aspects of morality are generated from within, and some from without
for example, the degree to which a person believes that ends justify any
means. "I am certain that Bernie Madoff did not get the kind of influence in
his childhood that how you do things is more important than whether you
succeed," Engel says.

Empathy shows up early in life and it endures. How motivated is someone to

care when you are hurt? How mindful is a person toward your goals?
Empathy is laudable by itself, but it has enormous social utility. It is a source
of restraint against the abuse and exploitation of others yes, you.

There are peopleoften, leaders who get good at faking empathy although
they are at heart ruthless, Lubetkin warns. "Internally they feel little
concern. But they can charm enough so that there are few consequences to
their ruthless behavior."

The capacity for empathy is necessary for goodness but not sufficient.
Another sign of morality is the willingness to help another. The capacity for
moral reasoning is distinct from moral behavior. Brain imaging studies show
that moral reasoning is influenced by how "hot" a situation is, Engel
explains. "What we think of as right depends to some extent on how
involved our feelings are."

It's accessing the ability to think about the perspective of anotheras

distinct from feeling what another is feelingthat is linked to benevolent
actions. Like so much in life, thinking about the feelings of others hinges on
emotion regulation. A person who can control his own emotions (especially
negative ones like anger and anxiety) without denying them will be able to
tolerate others' upsets, not prompted to run from themand able to help.

Clues to Goodness:

Knowing how someone thinks about moral issues is useful, but it's not
always enough to indicate how they will behave in difficult circumstances.
And for that, says Engel, you have to know how someone calms him or
herselfindeed, whether they can. The ability underlies more than moral
capacity. It's a prerequisite for good decision-making in every domain of
experience.

Friendship: The Capacity For Reciprocity

Friendship is both an arena with its own intrinsic rewardshappiness is

prime among themand a proving ground for intimacy. Relationships with
peers hinge on equality and reciprocityone reason, researchers believe,
they are so inherently satisfying. And a perfect window into character. Says
Lubetkin: "Friendship allows you to grow. Knowing there is a support system
encourages you to take more chances and move toward greater success."

An enormous body of literature on children and adults attests that what

people like in others is kindness and assertivenessthe sense that someone
will be available to help in a time of need and has the ability to stand up for
oneself. An adult who has few peer relationships may be unkind, unable to
relate to others, or too self-involved.

Endurance is an important measure of friendship quality. "The ability to build

a history with someone tells me about the value they place on loyalty, and
how sustainable they are through the ups and downs of experience," says
Lubetkin. "A long-term friendship signals a person is able to tolerate human
foiblesincluding yours. Having been accepted fully by someone besides
parents registers deep inside a person."

Signs of sociability are readily observablethe existence of a broad circle of

associates one calls on from time to time and a smaller circle of one or two
close friends one can call on at any time and to whom one can reveal one's
inner landscape. Having at least one good friend, research shows, is a buffer
against many of life's ills.

The capacity for friendship has two broad aspects. One is a level of
sociability, mostly a matter of temperament. Level of interest in others is one
thing; knowing how to interact with them is another, more in the domain of
skills. Social skillshow to read signals, understanding the intentions of
others, how to approach otherscan to some degree be acquired by way of
coaching, especially among children.

Not every person has the same level of sociability. Some people are very
comfortable spending time alone and frequently prefer to. One measure of a
person's character is how much solitude they desirebut it's just as
important to know whether they can create a social life when they want it.

Interaction style tends to be stable over the lifetime, says Engel. A peek into
the past is likely to reveal something about the future. A person who comes
from a family where everyone was heard and each child had some say, is
likely to be attuned to what others are thinking, while knowing how to assert
his own needs.

Clues to Friendship:

Here's what the capacity for friendship looks like in action: asking about
others, making someone feel welcome, making suggestions for joint
activities, sharing (but not dumping) information about oneself.

It's important to assess the nature of a person's friendships. Are they purely
voluntary or are they based on exchange of some kind, such as money, or
consistently marked by inequality such as dominance or submission?

Perhaps the strongest signal of problems in the friendship realm is the

existence of cutoffs. A string of ex-friendships is a sign of rigidity, indicator
of an inability to tolerate conflict or stress in relationships or work out their
complexities.

Intimacy: The Capacity for Vulnerability and Trust

Consider intimacy an important source of balance, the ultimate leavening in

life, the deepest source of comfort. And because it is the root of psychic
security, it is a firm foundation for approaching the new and a wellspring of
willingness to engage in exploration of life. Gauge someone's capacity for
intimacy and you will understand something about their ability to trust
another human being, reveal vulnerability, make a commitment of any kind,
and regulate distress as well.

On this psychologists agree: The first relationship is the basis for all others.
The nature of one's emotional attachment in the family of origin establishes
not only the ability to achieve a sense of connection but the degree of
security in later relationships. Attachment to a consistently responsive
caregiver in infancy is nature's first coping system.

The desire and ability to listen to anothersometimes the most essential

need in a close relationship, particularly during times of distressis a quality
easy to discern. Its equally importantbut often overlookedcompanion
skill is the ability to communicate that one's partner is being heard. "By itself
it's a key social intelligence skill," observes Lubetkin. And the better the
communication, the more satisfaction people feel.

There's an ineluctable mix of vulnerability and reciprocity at the heart of

intimacy, and it declares itself. You can openly observe whether a person
runs for emotional distance or disengages during difficult moments.

Given the depth of vulnerability that distinguishes intimate relationships, the

capacity for intimacy couldn't exist without the willingness to trust another
human being. In fact, no human enterprise can operate soundly in the
absence of trust; the alternative of constant wariness creates an atmosphere
of unceasing suspicion. Trust, of course, rests on the very foundation of
predictability. Isn't this where we came in?

Clues to Intimacy:

"No matter how much you need to know it, you can't ask a person head-on
whether he feels loved," says Lubetkin. "You need the details."

His recommendation to people on the verge of commitment: Make a driveby visit to the old family manse. It's virtually guaranteed to stimulate recall
of early relationships with great emotional immediacy. Ask your prospective
partner to take you on a tour of her childhood home, and ask a few
questions. "Tell me about the kitchen. What kinds of conversation went on?
What was the family room like? Tell me about where you slept; what was
your bedroom like? Was it yours? Could you take your private thoughts into
it? Did you have comforting bedtime rituals?"

Even a person whose early experience was less than ideal will reveal in tone
and attitudeanger, wistfulness, regretwhether they've declared a truce
with history.
--Have you gotten annoyed at your colleague for being too loud or
rambunctious? Or impatient at your employee for not getting to the point
quick enough? How about thinking that your boss is a lunatic for wanting
everything to be exactly the way he/she wants it (even if it makes no
sense)?

I certainly get annoyed at my employees when they talk too slow, or when
they dont get a task done exactly the way I want it. And Im sure I agitate
them when I talk too fast, expect too much, and for being anal about the
tiniest details :)

Understanding People

People are inherently and genetically different. When we truly understand

the people around us, we will become successful entrepreneurs, dedicated
employees & friendlier colleagues. Its when we try to make people think like
we think and act like we act, that we end up firing employees, quitting jobs
(and probably getting divorced).

About a month ago I was lucky to hear inspirational speaker Allison Mooney
talk to a room full of entrepreneurs at an EO event. She divided all human
beings into 4 personality types:

The Playfuls
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The Peacefuls
The Powerfuls
The Precises
The Playfuls

These folks are enthusiastic, funny and loud; They are extroverts who love
talking; they speak before they think. They are best at networking,
socializing & having fun. They are forgiving, unorganized and easily
distracted. In business, they are the innovators, the idea-people & very
creative. They tend to work fast (or not at all), so they can focus on doing
what they enjoy most having fun.

The Powerfuls

I put myself in this category. Us Powerfuls are assertive, decisive and

productive; we are the do-ers, the human machine and the ones always
taking control. We are the risk-takers who never give up on our goals.
Powerfuls are internally strong and definitely need things done our way. We

are all about working hard, getting to the point and accomplishing goals. For
the Powerfuls, now is never soon enough. Our goals are never-ending.

The Precises

These people are meticulous. They think before they talk. They create
structure, order and compliance. They are organized, neat, graceful and
procedurally strong. They are perfectionists who hate making mistakes.
Their shirts are ironed, their socks always match, and they love making lists.
Without the Precise, our businesses would be chaotic and unorganized; our
homes would be messy. They put work before play, and usually wont stop
until they get it done right. I see some elements of Precise in myself too,
particularly in how I run my business.

The Peacefuls

These are the most calming of us all. Peacefuls are easy-going, diplomatic
and patient. They hate conflict & do everything in their power to avoid
confrontation. They are steady, comfortable in their own skin and grounded.
They dont have highs or lows, and are often-time hard to read. Happy, sad,
angry, frustrated, excited it all looks the same on them. You certainly
wont see them get as excited as the Playfuls or Powerfuls do. My business
partner and husband Sim is a Peaceful. He is the epitome of calm and
steady, and definitely brings balance to my life in the fast lane.

But how do we deal with people opposite of us? The reality is, we need all
four personality types to run a successful business.

We need the creative people to come up with the ideas, and the critical
thinkers to analyze, document & plan. We need the executors to make it
happen, and the calm, rational folks to put things in perspective.

Give People What They Need

What do all four personalities need from us? Mooney describes it concisely:

The Playfuls need attention, affection & approval.

The Powerfuls need credit, loyalty and appreciation.

The Precises need space, quiet and sensitivity.

The Peacefuls need respect, value and harmony.

----Becoming a Better Judge of People

Anthony K. Tjan
JUNE 17, 2013

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In business and in life, the most critical choices we make relate to people.
Yet being a good judge of people is difficult. How do we get better at sizing
up first impressions, at avoiding hiring mistakes, at correctly picking (and
not missing) rising stars?

The easy thing to do is focus on extrinsic markers academic scores, net

worth, social status, job titles. Social media has allowed us to add new
layers of extrinsic scoring: How many friends do they have on Facebook?
Who do we know in common through LinkedIn? How many Twitter followers
do they have?

But such extrinsic credentials and markers only tell one part of a persons
story. They are necessary, but not sufficient. What they miss are the softer
and more nuanced intrinsic that are far more defining of a persons
character. You can teach skills; character and attitude, not so much.

Judging on extrinsic and skill-based factors is a relatively objective and

straightforward exercise. Gauging softer traits such as will or attitude is
much, much harder, and takes one-on-one contact, attentive listening, and
careful observation. Thats why its important to approach a job interview
more as an attitudinal audition than a question-and-answer period around
skills.

Over the years, I have been collecting and reflecting upon questions that
have helped me improve my people judgment, especially around personality
and attitude. Here are ten key questions to help you better understand the
intrinsic why and how behind a person:

1. What is the talk-to-listen ratio? You want people who are self-confident
and not afraid to express their views, but if the talk-to-listen ratio is
anything north of 60%, you want to ask why. Is it because this person is
self-important and not interested in learning from others or just because
he is nervous and rambling?

2. Is this an energy-giver or -taker? There is a certain breed of people who

just carry with them and unfortunately spread a negative energy. You know
who they are. Alternatively, there are those who consistently carry and share
a positivity and optimism towards life. There is a Chinese proverb that says
that the best way to get energy is to give it. Energy-givers are
compassionate, generous and the type of people with whom you
immediately want to spend time.

3. Is this person likely to act or react to a task? Some people

immediately go into defensive, critical mode when given a new task. Others
jump right into action and problem-solving mode. For most jobs, its the
second kind you want.

4. Does this person feel authentic or obsequious? There is nothing flattering

about false praise, or people trying too hard to impress. Really good people
dont feel the need to suck up. Those who can just be themselves are more
pleasant to work with.

5. Whats the spouse like? One of my business partners gave me a great tip
for interviewing a super important hire go out with their spouse, partner,
or closest friend. We are known by the company we keep.

6. How does this person treat someone she doesnt know? At the other end
of the spectrum, observe how a person treats someone she barely knows.
This is what I call a taxi driver or server test. Does the person have the
openness and yes, kindness, to have a real conversation with a waiter at a

restaurant or the driver of a taxi? Does she ignore them or treat them
rudely?

7 Is there an element of struggle in the persons history? History matters. In

our research for the book, Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck (Harvard Business
Review Press, 2012), my co-authors and I found that around two-thirds of
people who were Guts-dominant those who had the desire to initiate
and the ability to persevere so crucial in entrepreneurial ventures had
some financial hardship or other challenges in their formative years. Early
failures and hardships shape ones character as much or more than early
successes.

8. What has this person been reading? Reading gives depth, helps one
understand ones history, frames ideas, sparks new thoughts and nuances to
existing perspectives, and keeps you apprised of current events. Its a
generalization, but the more interesting people I have met tend to read a lot
its a mark of intellectual curiosity.

9. Would you ever want to go on a long car ride with this person? This is a
variant of the airport test. Years ago at my first job, I was told about the
thought-experiment of asking if you were stuck at an airport with a
candidate, how would you really feel? In a similar fashion, is this the type of
person with whom you could imagine going on a cross-country drive?

10. Do you believe that this person is self-aware? My colleagues and I

believe the most important pre-requisite to great leadership is selfawareness. Does this person have an intellectual honesty about who he is
and his strengths and weaknesses? Does she have a desire to learn and take
appropriate actions based on that awareness? It is usually a more difficult
question to answer than the rest but look for humility, and congruence
between what the person thinks, says, and does.

Ask these ten questions about someone, or even a subset of them, and
youll be on a path to being a better judge of people.

. By how excited they are to shed the shackles of polite society.

By how excited they are to shed the shackles of polite society.
bootycap.tumblr.com
2. By whether they can enjoy the quiet moments in life.
By whether they can enjoy the quiet moments in life.
brothersgecko.co.vu
3. By how open they are to love.
By how open they are to love.
bumbleshark.tumblr.com
4. Or just open-minded in general.
Or just open-minded in general.
carolineeand.tumblr.com
5. By whether theyll stick by you through anything.
By whether they'll stick by you through anything.
erengayer.tumblr.com
6. By how they feel about the underdogs.
By how they feel about the underdogs.
Via allicat6.tumblr.com
HUFFLEPUFF HOUSE FTW.
7. By how accurate and attuned their street smarts are.

meinenaffenhosen.tumblr.com

meinenaffenhosen.tumblr.com

8. By how adorable they think your pets are.

By how adorable they think your pets are.
q33r.tumblr.com
9. By whether or not they follow through.
By whether or not they follow through.
meilleureamie.tumblr.com
10. By whether they really reach beyond expectations.
By whether they really reach beyond expectations.
urulokid.tumblr.com
11. Do they give you a new outlook on life?
Do they give you a new outlook on life?
karaioroku.tumblr.com
12. And always seem to have the right answer?
And always seem to have the right answer?
cold-never-bothered-me-anyways.tumblr.com
13. By the entertainment value of their Instagram.
By the entertainment value of their Instagram.
notkatniss.tumblr.com
14. By how well they deal with change.
By how well they deal with change.

bovidae.tumblr.com
15. By their appreciation of physical beauty.
By their appreciation of physical beauty.
kentmcfuller.tumblr.com
16. By how well prepared they are for any contingency.
By how well prepared they are for any contingency.
jackfrost.co.vu
17. By whether or not they ask the important questions.
By whether or not they ask the important questions.
hiddleston-earhat.tumblr.com
18. Or just in general, their level of basic intelligence.
Or just in general, their level of basic intelligence.
automatonboy.tumblr.com
19. By their criminal aspirations.
By their criminal aspirations.
larvitarse.tumblr.com
20. By how easily they can put a smile on your face.
By how easily they can put a smile on your face.
larvitarse.tumblr.com
21. BY WHO THEY WANT ON THE IRON THRONE.
BY WHO THEY WANT ON THE IRON THRONE.
sherlocksprayers.tumblr.com

http://ask.metafilter.com/163714/Casual-everyday-questions-that-reveal-apersons-true-personality

http://ask.metafilter.com/104709/If-only-people-were-all-fruit-Then-youdbe-able-to-fondle-for-freshness

http://www.humanmetrics.com/personality/how-to-determine-otherpeoples-type
http://www.sparknotes.com/psychology/psych101/personality/section1.rhtm
l
http://www.wikihow.com/Judge-Character

http://www.britannica.com/science/personality-assessment

http://www.scientificpsychic.com/workbook/zamtest1.html

http://www.scientificpsychic.com/workbook/chapter8.htm