Identity & self

Which trait do you most dislike in yourself?

243 answers answered between 1995 and 2026 one of 25 in The Q&A

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.

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On the record

Public figures who have answered a question like this elsewhere. Quoted from the source shown, not written for FLAPSS.

George H. W. Bush 41st President of the United States, 1989–1993
Nobody has ever accused me of being a superior communicator. If I could have conveyed to the American people the concerns I had, and my heartbeat, a little more clearly, maybe I would not be unemployed and retired. And I might not be this happy, either. I learned a lot from Ronald Reagan about communication. Never got to be in his league in terms of it, but he could say something and the American people might not agree with the issue, but they could empathize with him.
Recorded Academy of Achievement interview, Williamsburg, Virginia, 2 June 1995 source ↗
Ed Harris American actor and director
Asking my wife questions that don't need to be asked.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 11 August 2007 source ↗
Erin O'Connor English model
I'm too diplomatic. I tend to edit my mind before I speak - it can be incredibly draining.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 1 March 2008 source ↗
My bottomless pit of need. Soft erections. It was hard to keep it to just two.
Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, July 2009 source ↗
Self-denigration, an old strategy for extorting praise from people. (“I am a terrible person.” “No, you’re a wonderful person and we all love you.”)
Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, September 2009 source ↗
Forgetting. Or, worse yet, not recognizing who my real friends are.
Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, January 2010 source ↗

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