Test results

I’ve done a couple of on-line tests recently. First of all, a personality test, found here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/whatamilike/

Apparently I’m a realist, an introvert, inclined to plan rather than be spontaneous, prefer facts to ideas, and follow my head rather than my heart.

And I thought I was the greatest visionary and radical thinker since William Blake. I think I shall have to keep myself to myself for a while, list all the reasons why I’m like this and set out a programme for self-renewal. It will take some thinking about. I wouldn’t want to do anything rash.

I also checked out my political orientation at:

http://www.politicalcompass.org/index

I tried this and found I was absolutely in the middle in economic terms and only slightly in the libertarian camp.

I know that can’t be right. I am very much a libertarian in social matters and believe strongly in the market in the economic sphere. I suppose that comes from being an introvert who uses his head rather than his heart.

So what’s wrong with this test?

How are the questions chosen? There seemed to be a lot on sex, for example, none about smoking. I found it difficult to answer the question about prison, because I was asked whether it was more for punishment than rehabilitation. What about deterrence and public protection?

And whether you agree ‘strongly’ or ‘very strongly’ depends on your mood and personality.

I think the test fails fundamentally because it judges you by symptoms rather than your fundamental condition. It’s like saying that if you’ve got hair, four legs and are vegetarian, you must be a cow, even though you are a moose. What a stupid analogy!