Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Crime and Punishment and Me

I just found out I'm a sociopath.

This morning I took one of those online quizzes: "What Work of Literature are You?" Here's the disturbing outcome:

Your result is Crime and Punishment.
You have an unimaginable ability to rationalize your own wrongdoings. You see the world through your own eyes. Laws weren't made for you, no, they were made for those who are not destined for greatness, and no matter what "wrongs" you commit, in truth it's all for the good of the world, right?

Now, I've always thought of myself as a pretty mild-mannered sort. This sounds like there must be bodies stashed in my basement. And I don't even have a basement! I've been framed, I tell ya.


So I went back over the quiz and tried to figure out which of my responses could have tripped the amoral-psycho button. Here's what it asked me, followed by my answers ... and my defenses.

Q: If I could live at any time and place in history, it would be...
A: 20th Century Europe (never mind the blasted war!).
I chose this one only because "here and now" wasn't an option. And hey, some mighty fine music came out during that blasted war.

Q: Which passage most appeals to you?
A: "The widow she cried over me, and called me a poor lost lamb, and she called me a lot of other names, too, but she never meant no harm by it."
I liked the folksy style of this one immediately, even before reading far enough to recognize it as a line from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. You can't go wrong with Mark Twain. Or so I thought....

Q: Your best friend is...
A: My family.
Hey, what could be nicer than that?

Q: When confronted in life by difficulty, your attitude is...
A: There are some things which are surmountable, and some that are not. Isn't it strange that what some of us perceive as difficult and impossible, other perceive as simple, or character-building, or valorous. I wonder, where do these perceptions come from?
Okay, that's pretty pretentious. Maybe that's the one that nailed me. But the other choices ranged from Super-Teflon-Woman to helplessly wringing my hands and dunking my head in a bucket.

Q: Of the following films, which has been your favorite?
A: Chinatown.
Yeah, this one could have gotten me into trouble, too. But my unlikely alternatives included Star Wars, Milo and Otis, Love in the Time of Cholera, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (another Jack Nicholson film likely to set off the psycho buzzer).

Q: Your preferred mode of transportation would be...
A: Anything that brings me homeward.
See? See what a nice, loving homebody I am? I admit, I did flirt with "a steam engine, rolling through the hills and jungle." But it sounded kinda hot and sticky.

Q: What gets you through the day?
A: The pursuit of greatness, despite humble surroundings.

Maybe this one pushed some closet-megalomaniac button. But the other available choices didn't include anything close to "a hug from my husband," "a good book," or even "coffee -- and lots of it." So, I settled for the dream of being a bestselling author living in the heart of suburbia.

(sigh)

The charge of "soulless anarchist" is a hard one to defend. Kind of like the accused witches of Salem. The more you try to deny it, the more guilty you sound. So I'll leave the verdict up to you.

If you're reading this, you have two obvious choices:


A) Don't believe everything you read in quizzes.
B) Don't sit anywhere near me at a dinner party.


7 comments:

Stephanie Newton said...

Just one question. Do psychopaths have a sidekick?

Too funny. That's why I don't do those quizzes. I'd be in therapy for sure.

Sierra Donovan said...

Not sidekicks, Steph. Accomplices -- maybe. Bwah-hah-HAH!!!

Would you like to apply? ;)

Nancy said...

Ok...psycho stuff aside... what were you doing on the "time sucker" this morning? Didn't you set some type of time limit? Sounds to me like you're hooked! That's ok with me though... you're providing entertainment! Love it!

Sierra Donovan said...

AH. I was on the Time Sucker BEFORE 10 AM, per my plan ... though I have to admit I was drafting the blog post before 3:00. But at least I was writing. Sort of.

Definitely hooked.

Jody W. and Meankitty said...

Is a soulless anarchist a bad dinner companion? Likely to poison me if she wants my dessert?

Sierra Donovan said...

Yes, from what I understand, soulless anarchists are very bad about sharing. But of course, I'm innocent, so I would NEVER do such a thing.

Heh. Heh.

Nishant said...

i'd be in therapy for sure.
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