Proust Questionnaire- A Historical Perspective
There are a number of different competing versions of the Proust Questionnaire floating around, and it turns out that the one popularized in Vanity Fair is quite different from the versions originally memorialized by French author Marcel Proust in writing in the 19th century. It turns out much of the confusion stems from the fact that Proust himself did not invent this survey; it was actually a fairly common party game to answer these questions at salons in Paris, and the questions themselves often varied. It just so happens that due to Prousts’ particularly clever answers, his later literary fame, or some combination of the two, his name has become indelibly linked to this survey form. Check out this link for the full backstory and Proust’s answers at two different ages if you’re so interested, the picture further down depicts one of the original surveys that has been preserved.
In any case, the questionnaire is an intriguing battery of questions that requires some real introspection and does seem to reveal something intimate about the answerer in an informal setting. I picked my favorite of the versions I found- which is somewhat in-between the modernized and original versions- and answered below. Feel free to repost and answer yourself, or if you’re feeling lazy enough click the picture to go to Vanity Fair’s site :p— they have an online calculator that compares your answers to other celebs (turns out my top match is Sir Michael Caine- not bad).
My Answers
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Beachside meditation/contemplation.
What is your greatest fear? Unrealized or manifested potential.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Vanity
What is the trait you most deplore in others? Vanity
What is your greatest extravagance? Sleeping in.
What is your current state of mind? Ebullient
On what occasion do you lie? To protect a friend or family member.
What do you dislike most about your appearance? wild hair
What is your motto? TIE- “All life is an experiment” (Emerson) OR “nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so” (Shakespeare)
Which living person do you most despise? Rupert Murdoch
What is the quality you most like in a man? Frankness
What is the quality you most like in a woman? Loveliness
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Perfect
What or who is the greatest love of your life? Music.
When and where were you happiest? above 12,000 feet in elevation
Which talent would you most like to have? Perfect pitch.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Nothing actually- to believe you should become someone you are not, is a peculiar form of insanity.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Taking the road less traveled.
Where would you most like to live? Not sure- Barcelona, Paris, Buenos Aires, Sydney all come to mind.
What is your most treasured possession? 14 moleskin notebooks from college.
What is your favorite occupation? Creative visualization/drawing/sketching.
What is your most marked characteristic? Uncommon listener.
What do you most value in your friends? Spontaneity.
Who are your favorite writers? Shakespeare, Cervantes, Fitzgerald.
Who is your favorite hero of fiction? Jay Gatsby is the first one that pops into mind, but I think my honest answer here is Dean Moriarty.
Which historical figure do you most identify with? In recent history Walt Disney, further back I’d have to say Newton and Aristotle.
What are your favorite names? Amber, Rose, Sophia.
What is it that you most dislike? Mediocrity.
What is your greatest regret? None worth mentioning yet, thankfully.
How would you like to die? In motion
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