In school, I was 11, and we had to paint a picture of family life. My painting was held up to the class and I was told it looked like a spider with ink on its feet had walked across the page. It was done so viciously – humiliating.
What is the worst thing anyone has said to you?
Question
What most recently made you cry?
Identity & self
Question
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
Failure & regret
Question
Which moment embarrassed you most?
Failure & regret
Question
What keeps you awake at night?
Daily life
Question
What would you like to leave your children?
Death & what remains
Question
What scares you about getting older?
Time & hindsight
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
A fixed Guardian Q&A prompt asked directly across respondents and years.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
“You’re selfish.” It was a friend.
The Q&A, The Guardian, 19 April 2025 source ↗
Others on this question
View all 129 →
Eleanor Tomlinson
English actress
“You were amazing in Game of Thrones.” I say it’s the worst thing – it’s also the best!
“We’d love you to be on the cover of our magazine and we’ll give you a makeover.”
“You’ll never, ever work.” When you are young and full of hopes and dreams it’s devastating. I am just grateful that I thought: “Well, I’m going to try.”
More from Gregory Porter
View profile →Telling a story to my son about my brother.
The years of self-doubt.
Dancing on stage with an open fly.
I worry about doing everything right with my kids.
A bushel of self-confidence.
Losing the people that I love.
More on failure & regret
- What has been your biggest disappointment? 374 answers
- Who most deserves an apology from you, and why? 211 answers
- If you could edit your past, what would you change? 210 answers
- Which moment embarrassed you most? 126 answers
- How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a favourite failure? 82 answers
- What is the hardest thing that has happened to you, and what did you carry out of it? 41 answers
Also answered this
David Hare, Kevin Rowland, Richard Eyre, Edward Enninful, Lee Child, Adrian Scarborough
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