Want to take a test?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnum_effect

That was absolutely bizarre. And honestly, I guessed randomly for a bunch of the questions. But tell me this doesn't describe me in some way*.

Quote:

*I recognize that like horoscopes, the narrative is general enough it can apply to most people, but specific enough you think it especially applies to you.

"You post on a message board under the name Bailey.  You really need to change your underwear."

Uncanny!

"You are in a perpetual quest to find the new, the exciting. Emotionally volatile, you are known for sudden changes of opinion, of appreciation, and behavior. Following rules and established methods is difficult for you and the difficulties of higher education are usually quite daunting. Knowledge is best gained through an intimate association with the matter at hand. Usually driven by attitudes and desires of the group, you are talented in an established field of endeavor. Emotions come and go without a strong understanding of their causes. They are unexpected guests in an otherwise placid landscape. You live by your own codes of conduct, which can be noble or terrible depending on the individual. Authority is meaningless to you. You hate to be predictable, at all costs. Rarely verbally effusive, you can at times feel as if your feelings are too deep for words. You are very observant, but rarely express these observations to others."

Some of these are spot on for me, some not. But Evi is right, this is nothing more than the Barnum Effect at work. It almost always is with these things. However, the interface and the questions where fucking awesome! An excellent blend of WTF-hilariousness and creepy.

This test CHANGED my life!

The thing that makes this test feel Lynchian is the subtle flickering.  All it needs is a Badalamenti score going on in the background for completion.

Mostly close.  I don't think I gossip about those 'less worthy.'  Or DO I?

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeypants However, the interface and the questions where fucking awesome! An excellent blend of WTF-hilariousness and creepy.

THANK YOU!  I was getting seriously weirded out while taking the test.  "Am I you?"

I would love to read more about how these 'questions' were designed.

NO, Andres!  YOU'RE doing the test wrong!!!

Well, when it comes to our personalities, I know there's no bulletproof theory that explains it all.  But still, I'd love to know how it was designed.

I sent the test to a friend and it didn't seem to describe her very well.  

I got same as Barkatthemoon, and my mistrust and casual handling of authority is the stuff of legend. Otherwise, fascinatingly close.

That was the good kind of creepy.  I got the same as Stelios.  I hate to think my thoughts are shallow but hmmmm.  Am considering taking it again just to see because I was so WTFing I don't know what I clicked most of the time.

 I can't remember the exact phrasing, but the question that creeped me out the most was, "Which one is the fake you?" or maybe it was "Which one is pretending?" and the shapes were exactly the same! Holy mindfuck!

In anycase, I posted this on Facebook and DaveB had to ruin all our fun by being all rational and shit:

Awww. That link is like the first time you find out how the lady-chopped-in-half trick works as a kid.

I did actually go to the test's main page and see that it was a designer's portfolio, but I didn't think too much of it.  Hahahaha

I sent it to another friend and the result didn't seem to click there either.  

I got the exact same results as Stelios. Apparently you're my Grecian brother from another mother. Yiamas!

This is like one of those experimental indie Flash games.

Interesting test, some of the questions seem to be based on empathy tests they use with children who have a learning disability. The shapes existing to define self and others, but some of them were just plain out there. I think Evi's right in that it definitely feels like a subtle use of the Barnum Effect. 

For those interested

That was a big old pile of WTF. I got:

A little late to the party but I've always been one that enjoys laughing at my own horoscope:

You have a poetic sensibility and an ability to see beyond the day to day. You often seem to be living in a higher realm, or to be not-of-this-earth. Occasionally you imagine interior lives for friends and associates that are near-complete fabrications based on your fears or hopes for the future. You are often not aware of your own feelings. You have a strong sense of right and wrong, and because of this are often disappointed. Despite what can sometimes be a destructive inward-turning anger, you are very gentle. You are sometimes a bit out of touch with the ebb and flow of modern life. If your behavior is out of synch with your moral values, a severe psychic disturbance can result. Because connectivity is so important to you, you can become quiet and sulky if you feel that others around do not understand your point of view.

Fuck me. It makes me seem like I'm on of those people who shoot up their office over some tiny festering grievance. What the hell does "If your behavior is out of synch with your moral values, a severe psychic disturbance can result" mean? It sounds like I'm going to have a vision of future if i do something bad.

Wow! That was weirder than I was expecting,

Always happy in a crowd, you love to converse, to relate, and above all to have fun. You tend to think in a more holistic manner than many others. Like a crow you are attracted to shiny objects, new ideas, playful exciting colors and the thrill of a new personal relationship. You love to talk or gossip. You are highly invested in the reality of day-to-day life. Practicality is far more important than issues of honor or allegiance. You are a creature of the here and now. You are a natural multi-tasker, often switching mid-thought from one duty to another. You have a flair for presenting your personality in your work, and are known as a great storyteller and natural actor. You are very skilled at taking in a barrage of information and distilling what is most important from it. Naturally charming, you are quick to win new friends. Over stimulation is a danger. 

There is a lot of truth in there(especially the shimy objects!). I thought having read this before taking it, it wouldn't be so creepy. I was wrong.

Boom:

Verbally and mentally fluid, you are refreshing and illuminating to those around you. This is occasionally somewhat discounted by the obvious pleasure that you take in exercising your mental acuity. Although generally peaceful you can often take a verbally aggressive tact in relations with the world, which can often be misunderstood by those around you. Innovative in the extreme, you can often think yourself right out of the correct answer to a given problem. Many times you are referred to as your own worst enemy. You tire very quickly of routine and so make poor clerks or administrative help. You also have no respect for authority and little patience for those you regard as inferior, most especially those in charge. Experimentation is your watchword and can occasionally lead to experience for its own sake and shallow decadence. Your thought can sometimes be scattered and disconnected.