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The question

If you could alter one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Originally asked

Vanity Fair, to its interview subject, The Proust Questionnaire

Verbatim recurring item in Vanity Fair's Proust Questionnaire; two publisher-hosted respondent pages establish institutional recurrence.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

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If I could change one thing about myself, it would be to change the idea that I should change something about myself.
Recorded The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 12 October 2016 source ↗
Barack Obama 44th President of the United States, 2009–2017; United States Senator from Illinois 2005–2008
I deeply regret not having learned a musical instrument. And I regret not having focused more on Spanish when I was studying it in school. I would love to be able to speak Spanish fluently and play an instrument.
Recorded Barbara Walters, ABC News 20/20, broadcast 23 December 2011, 22 December 2011 source ↗

More from Yo-Yo Ma

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Question In the last five years, what new belief, behaviour, or habit has most improved your life? Daily life
But part of practicing to me is actually an active enjoyment. When people ask, “How much do you practice and do you like practice?” Well, I think it’s always getting your mind to go from “I should” to “I want.” It’s like the magic button that only you can locate. When you’re doing the “should” thing, time happens very slowly. Ugh, I’ve been practicing forever! Fifteen minutes. But when you want to do something, an hour has passed. Your control of time depends on whether you should do something or whether you want to do something.
Recorded GQ, GQ interview, 1 January 2020 source ↗

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