Part 3: ME or PD? A Quiz

Has your personality changed? Are people saying you’re less giving, less flexible than you used to be? Do you find yourself saying “no” more often? Some people say these are symptoms of PD. I say, “well….maybe….maybe not!”

Here’s a quiz I just made up. It has no validity but if it makes you smile, you’ve passed.

1.     Has someone recently told you that you are “stubborn”? If so, is that person perhaps upset that you’ve changed your ways? Maybe housework just isn’t your thing anymore. Give yourself some points for owning this.

2.     Have you spent many years pleasing others and now decided to please yourself knowing that the good years to come are limited? If yes, give yourself 100 points. If others are upset about this, be kind but double your score because you’re doing it right.

3.     Have you prioritized rewarding activities over unrewarding ones? If a trip to Europe seems better than sitting in your armchair, you again get double points.

4.     Have you resolved an addictive behavior recently, quit drinking or smoking, or otherwise changed your life? Quitting an addiction may cause some mood changes. It may threaten others who drink or smoke. But this will all pass and your life will be so much better. Seriously now, give yourself a heck of a lot of points.

5.     Have you simply gotten older? Middle-aged and senior people tend to have more even temperaments, to be less reactive, and to see the big picture more easily. We may have learned to calmly put ourselves first. Is this you? If so, celebrate your new resilience and rock your gray hair by awarding yourself a truly excessive number of points.

6.     Now that you’ve “changed,” do you have difficulty motivating yourself to pursue healthy activities, exercise, challenge your brain, to keep moving and active? Then good for you, you’ve joined the general population as almost everyone has difficulty facing up to these difficult tasks.  You get all the points! (Check out my post on “Outsource Your Inner Executive” for some help with this.)

 Calculate your score by adding up your “yes” answers and multiplying by the nearest prime number (I love the primes) and then by a billion, doubling your score when appropriate. Then think about your responses and ask yourself: Is it PD or is it ME?

Extra Credit Question: What plant is this? The plant is Callistemon, common name “bottlebrush.” The bottlebrush is a beautiful plant unfairly saddled with a name that speaks of duty and hard work. If you think that maybe you too are beautiful, if you want to shed a reputation for all work and no play, then no points, but we’ve all learned something, right?