Do you know that Japanese say you have three faces? “The first face you show to the world. The second face you show to your close friends and your family. The third face you never show anyone.”
Basically, your personality changes with the circumstances. You don’t behave the same way with your friends vs. family. The level of bond, behavior, and information you share changes. Likewise, it goes with professional and casual settings, and so on.
That’s why it’s quite difficult to assess an individual’s personality with simple questions. It’s not that people are lying, but their environment has conditioned them so that they also don’t understand how they are behaving.
So, in psychology, we twist the questions to identify the hidden thoughts behind words. Basically, it’s pretty difficult to ask those unique, out-of-the-box questions. The other person will figure out that you are acting smart and will respond consciously. This won’t reveal true personality. Instead, you must ask simple psychological questions that reveal personality but in a twisted way.
1. Go beyond the surface
Instead of scratching the surface with your questions, frame them in a way that a person has to think more before answering the question. You can try these twisted psychological questions that reveal personality:
1. Instead of asking what do you do for work? Ask what made you choose your current career path.
2. Instead of asking what’s your favorite movie? Try asking what movie character you identify with the most.
3. Other than asking if you like to travel, go for what’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited.
4. Don’t ask, are you a morning person? But question about what time of day do you feel most productive?
5. Instead of asking, do you prefer to read or watch TV? Question about how do you unwind after a long day?
6. Other than asking about their favorite music, ask about what soundtrack best suits your current life conditions.
7. Do you have any hobbies? This is one of the most plain questions. But if you twist it by asking what activity brings you the most joy outside of work, it will reveal much more.
8. In addition to asking if you are good at cooking, you can ask if you prefer to cook elaborate meals or keep things simple in the kitchen.
9. Instead of checking what sports you follow, you must ask whether you like to spectate or participate in sports.
10. Don’t just ask, do you have any pets? Instead, ask for the qualities you like most in animals.
Basically, keep it regular and minimal. Don’t try to play any mind games with extremely tricky Psychological questions that reveal personality. People are much smarter than you think.
2. Explore preferences and choices
Choices make a human being! What we choose says a lot about our personality and upbringing. To know a basic idea about anyone’s personality, you can try another set of psychological questions that include:
1. Do you prefer a beach vacation or a mountain getaway?
2. Are you an early bird or a night owl?
3. Would you like to plan a trip in detail or go with the flow?
4. What types of snacks do you like, sweet or savory?
5. Will you prefer city life or small-town charm?
6. Would you instead read fiction or non-fiction?
7. Do you prefer to learn a new skill or perfect an existing one?
8. Will you either focus on the big picture or get lost in the details?
9. What is ideal for you, a formal dinner party or a casual hangout with friends?
10. Would you prefer competing or collaborating?
3. Focus on experiences
Every day, we experience a lot of situations; however, either we remember the most tragic incidents or the ones most relevant to us. Asking people about their experiences using these psychological questions will reveal what type of information they like to keep in their minds. You can ask for:
1. Tell me about a time you overcame a challenge.
2. What’s your proudest accomplishment?
3. Describe a time you went too far to help someone.
4. Have you ever learned a lesson the hard way?
5. What was that trip that changed your perspective of life?
6. Do you have a creative project you’re particularly proud of?
7. Can you tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision?
8. What is your biggest fear in life, and how do you cope with it?
9. Have you ever had a time when you felt truly inspired?
10. What is a particular goal you’re currently working towards?
4. Create Hypothetical Situations
These questions won’t work in a regular setting with average talks. However, if you are comfortable with the person, you can take a step forward to ask some situation-based questions and assess how the individual answers in that condition. Some regular psychology questions include:
1. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
2. Imagine you won the lottery! What’s the first thing you do?
3. If you could travel through time, which historical period would you visit and why?
4. Suppose you’re stuck on a deserted island. What three things would you want with you?
5. You can invite any five people to dinner (living or dead). Who would they be?
6. If you get an opportunity to converse with any fictional character, who would it be, and what would you ask them?
7. Imagine you have unlimited resources to fund a project. What cause or idea would you dedicate it to?
8. What type of fictional world would you love to live in and why?
9. You wake up tomorrow with a new skill or talent. What would it be?
10. Imagine if aliens land on Earth. What’s the first thing you tell them?
Formal Personality Tests
These simple personality questions will give you a rough idea of an individual’s personality.
If you want to have a detailed, accurate assessment, then it is better to ask them to give a personality test. You can try any of these psychological questions that reveal personality tests.
1. Truity.com
3. 123 Test
Other articles on psychology
Unraveling the Psychology of Spitting On Someone
Simple Psychology of Guys with Long Hair
Can I Be a Therapist with a Minor in Psychology?
Peeing in Bottles Psychology: An Unusual Habit
Conclusion
These psychological questions will surely help you assess some elements of an individual’s personality and how they think. However, it’s not a reliable measure, and you must not wholly depend on the results.
Human personality depends on three important factors, including social, psychological, and physiological factors. Although it’s difficult to ascertain a person’s true self by asking a few questions, it still gives you a rough idea.
Also, various tests are available online, but only a licensed and experienced therapist can help you assess someone’s true personality. You can surely try these psychological questions that reveal personality for fun or to understand little details about an individual.