Proust Questionnaire

Since July 1993, the back page of Vanity Fair has been devoted to the Proust Questionnaire, in which a noteworthy person answers a series of personal questions. The questionnaire has its origins in a parlor game popularized (though not devised) by Marcel Proust (1871–1922), the French essayist and novelist, who believed that, in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature. I found this on a blog that I was reading earlier today and thought I'd play along.

So, here is my true nature.

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being in the company of those I love and those who love me and being able to share experiences with them witout judgement and with lots of laughter. It wouldn't hurt if in that world of happiness, Liverpool was at the top of the table :)

2. What is your greatest fear?
Failure and not living up to my or others expectations

3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Snap judgements I make of others in my head while in the outside being nice to them. It screams hypocrisy.

4. What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Self-deprecation that is unjustified. Stop complaining about your A- when the rest of us are happy with C+.

5. Which living person do you most admire?
My mom, especially with all that she's put up with me throughout the years.

6. What is your greatest extravagance?
Oh man, probably books. I'm a pretty thrifty person. And honestly, I love to buy things for others so maybe that's it- things for other people.

7. What is your current state of mind?
A combination of content, worry, uncertainty, excitement of upcoming events.

8. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
temperance

9. On what occasion do you lie?
When it makes someone feel better or it won't hurt their feelings.

10. What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I'd like to lose weight.

11. Which living person do you most despise?
I would never "out" the person that I despise the most that I know. But person I despise the most that I don't know, Cristiano Ronaldo, obviously. Didier Drogba is a close second.

12. What is the quality you most like in a man?
sense of humor and sarcasm to match mine

13. What is the quality you most like in a woman?
a listening ear and words of wisdom

14. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"Are you kidding me?" "Let's be real." "Oh for pete's sake!"

15. What or who is the greatest love of your life?
my family, my friends, and of course, Michael Owen :) In fantasy though, of course.

16. When and where were you happiest?
when I was living in Oxford and traveling throughout England for cheap

17. Which talent would you most like to have?
I'd like to be able to apparate and disapparate so I could travel the world and not pay for hotels, flights, transportation, etc.

18. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
that I would be in better shape

19. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
graduating in three years and finding jobs despite obstacles (and thus rolling with the punches)

20. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
hopefully a rockstar :) for real

21. Where would you most like to live?
Engerland. Anywhere in Engerland.

22. What is your most treasured possession?
my Michael Owen autograph and my photographs

23. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
being alone and away from your support

24. What is your favorite occupation?
teaching is the only one I have ever known

25. What is your most marked characteristic?
being able to stay in touch with people over very long periods of time

26. What do you most value in your friends?
loyalty

27. Who are your favorite writers?
Harper Lee, S.E. Hinton, Madeleine L'Engle, Laurie R. King, Bill Bryson, Jasper Fforde

28. Who is your hero of fiction?
Mary Russell, Thursday Next and Ponyboy

29. Which historical figure do you most identify with?
oh geez, um, you think this would be easy- I love Eleanor of Aquitaine and her crazy family, but I'm not sure who I would identify the most with

30. Who are your heroes in real life?
My mom, my best friends and Laurie King

31. What are your favorite names?
Sam, Emma, Hailey, Sivan, Riley, Spencer

32. What is it that you most dislike?
pushy people

33. What is your greatest regret?
not always being honest with myself and letting my anxiety blind me.

34. How would you like to die?
surrounded by friends and family after a long, happy life

35. What is your motto?
You'll Never Walk Alone- in all sense of the meaning.