The Proust Quiz

I don’t do these much of ever, but this has literary significance, and seems … deeper than most, anyway, so I’ll give it a go. The somewhat-infamous Proust Quiz.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? To be alone, or to fail to uphold obligations to friends & family.

Where would you like to live? Somewhere pretty, surrounded by as much variety and colour as possible.

What is your idea of earthly happiness? Pretty girls, fun parties, bright colours, and new challenges; all as often as possible.

To what faults do you feel most indulgent? The earthly vices, those twinned gods debauchery, that of flesh & chymical both.

Who are your favorite heroes of fiction? Camus’ Meursault (The Outsider), Steven Erickson’s Kruppe (Malazan Book of the Fallen), Shakespeare’s Puck (Midsummer Night’s Dream), Simon R. Green’s John Taylor (Nightside Series), and Jennifer Fallon’s Dirk (Lion of Senet).

Who are your favorite characters in history? Michael Alig, Leonardo DaVinci, Albert Camus, Friedrich Nietzsche, Cuchulain.

Who are your favorite heroines in real life? My mother. Really, mothers in general.

Who are your favorite heroines of fiction? …I cannot bring any to mind. Old fiction tends to be sadly mysogyinistic in it’s portrayal of women, and while modern fiction has improved that, it has not raised many memorable characters to my liking.

Your favorite painter? Jacek Yerka, Ursula Vernon, M.C. Escher, and Edward Gorey.

Your favorite musician? Jack Terrycloth, Eugene Hütz, Rimsky-Korsakov. So many, really.

The quality you most admire in a man? Those which I desire to emulate myself. The capacity to be inspiring.

The quality you most admire in a woman? The same as for men, really.

Your favorite virtue? Modesty. Or humour.

Your favorite occupation? Artist.

Who would you have liked to be? Happier with myself.

Your most marked characteristic? Reliable instability, a mania and enthusiasm which has been artificial so long it is in fact real, and a pointy nose.

What do you most value in your friends? Loyalty, and their tolerance of my failings.

What is your principle defect? A lack of empathy & an excess of curiosity, and the perverse sense of humour that accompanies both.

What is your dream of happiness? Freedom.  The capacity & the time to merely indulge my every curiousity.
In what country would you like to live? My own, Canada, or Italy.

What is your favorite color? Any of the warm tones, mixed in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

What is your favorite flower? For me, the red-hot poker, for her – whatever pleases her.

What is your favorite bird? The crow.  Mischevious, clever little creatures.  Or owls, merely because they always look so silly.

What are your favorite names? Those that bring good memories, namely, those belonging to my friends.

What is it you most dislike? Frustration.  Ambiguity.
What historical figures do you most despise? None.  They’re dead now, and no longer relevant to the continued mental effort of “despising.”

What event in military history do you most admire? Stanislav Petrov‘s prevention of nuclear annhialation.

What reform do you most admire?  Those increasing equality between all people.

What natural gift would you most like to possess? Does immortality count?  If not, that of persuasion, or irresistible charm.

How would you like to die? On my feet.

What is your present state of mind? Painful.  See the question regarding vices to get the idea.

What is your motto? Take no action you would regret taking, and take every action you would regret not taking.

So, I’ve stolen some answers from him, I confess, reading Proust’s erudite answers has coloured my own significantly, regardess, this was entertaining.  I’ve culled the duplicates, as best I can, and answered with as much truth as I dare.  Enjoy.

Also, I would like to note that this is not a meme.  It is a quiz, with possible memetic properties if you pass it about the internet.  But in & of itself, it is not a meme.  Really.