The question
Which trait in yourself do you like least?Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
The Guardian's The Q&A has retained this Proust-derived prompt from at least 2007 through 2026, and ABC independently put it to the Obamas in 2011.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
I talk too much.
The Q&A, The Guardian, 2 May 2026 source ↗
I can’t stand the way my voice will crack if I’m making a speech. I hate public speaking and the emotion it dredges up.
Feeling and being unfocused.
Fear, anxiety and panic attacks.
Patience is not my forte.
I would find a much better way of looking after my mum in her last three years of dementia. I did my best, but it was incredibly difficult to find the right kind of care unless you’ve got £3,000 a week to spend.
Many times on British roads, because I drive very fast. In another life, I would have liked doing Formula One.
I get a lot of abuse online because of my opposition to the assault on Gaza. The abuse is horrific, but I’ve learned to ignore it. The integrity of how you live your life is more important than what strangers think.
Not being able to run.
A deep sense that they will be fine in the world without me.
I vowed never to marry, but we got married as soon as we could after lockdown. I used to think it was patriarchal but when same-sex marriage became legal, I thought: OK, great, this institution has finally changed.
Bob Schieffer, Giovanna Fletcher, Patti LuPone, Michelle Visage, Bob Mackie, Pauline Black
Search the directory for somebody in particular.