I’ll just say it—I like living up to expectations. And, although I repeatedly tell my parents that they expected way too much out of me as a kid (while my older brother just kicked back under the radar), they love to insist that all of that stress and pressure was self-induced.
Well, Mom and Dad, I have news for you. According to this Four Tendencies personality quiz, you’re full of bogus.
Gretchen Rubin, the author of many well-known books like The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun, established her Four Tendencies Framework while researching habits for her book Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives.
She instituted this framework in order to outline how different people respond to expectations—whether they’re internal or external. And, answering just a few questions in this quick quiz will point out which of the categories you fall into: Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel.
What does the quiz involve? It’s simple! You just need to picture yourself in the different scenarios, and then select the choice that best fits how you would typically react. Enter a little demographic information at the end (because, research), and voilà! You’ll have your answer.
What category did I wind up in? Well, as much as I hate to prove my parents wrong (actually, wait, I love it), it turns out that I’m an Obliger. Rubin says that this means I’m quick to respond to outer expectations, but struggle with meeting my own. I hate letting other people down, but I am quick to let myself down. Basically, I’m super nice and conscientious. Or a pushover. I’m not sure.
So, there you have it, Mom and Dad. Turns out all of that pressure wasn’t the result of my ridiculous expectations for myself. You were just pushy. And I’m still bitter that you forced me into swim lessons, by the way.
Are you an Upholder, Questioner, Rebel, or an Obliger like me? Go ahead and find out!
