My God. You’re me.
— gustaf 
Mark,
Isn’t all this what makes a character? Why regard deviation from some standard as a flaw? Outlyers in personality inventories are to be expected as much as power laws in weblog connections. Be happy.
— David
My priority, for some time, has been relationships; I now score higher on this than any other area tested.
I’m fine with the relationships outscoring the rest.
— Geof
I found many of the assumptions underlying that test offensive. Is there a place where I can check this?
— Michael
I wasn’t impressed either.
“My bed is made daily” ???
This simply does not compare versus
“I do not use illegal drugs …”
Michael, the assumptions underlying the test are well worth discussing. It seems to be geared towards upper middle class, white collar professionals. (The rest of the site is an uninspiring business consulting site.) But… I *am* an upper middle class white collar professional.
Seth, obviously different items have different weights in real life. Making your bed daily is certainly a “low-hanging fruit” compared to giving up illegal drugs. Although I have done the latter but not the former, so there you have it.
— Mark
My time management is excellent. I am rarely late and rarely miss deadlines.
One of the things that helps me with my time management is not wasting my time with pointless, time consuming, tasks … like making my bed and folding my clothes.
Mike.
They forgot: [x] I don’t waste my time on the internet taking pointlessly arbitrary quizes
I found many of the underlying assumptions offensive too.
I think that we can not surely say what is right and what is wrong. Sometimes I feel better just having my bed undone. No one can judge or know better.
It’s like in the cartoon: http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20040609
— SGershon
Mark, while I think it’s good that you’re taking a look at your health and relationships, this is one of the most appalling tests I have ever seen.
This is, “How to become a compulsive/obsessive in 100 easy steps”
(And yes, I do have a degree in psychology, and have even taken a class in how to create psychological tests.)
However, realizing that there areas of your life that are dragging you down, and working to improve these is a good thing, and I wish you luck and all success.
— Shelley
Great Google Ads with this item!
— Hugh
My lowest score was Physical Environment. Some of it doesn’t concern me — I’m not going to make my bed every day. I compare it to shoveling the snow off your driveway in the morning, then shoveling it back on at night. You’re only fighting yourself, and you won’t win.
The work environment stuff is what I need to make a priority. Since starting my own business, the piles of unfiled papers and the list of undone tasks have only grown. All the time I thought I would have seems to disappear into this computer somewhere.
— Billy
I’m not really keen on some of the items either. I think most of the items fall into the category of good habits for peace of mind. But making the bed–that seems kind of silly. Also, it’s interesting that this list is very consumer-oriented and not producer-oriented. They don’t talk about making things or learning things (e.g. “I read one new book every month.” or “I use creativity once a month.” or things along those lines).
Some of the items are really interesting though and made the whole thing worth it for me: My earnings are commensurate with the effort I put into my job; I do not suffer; I am not tolerating anything about my home or work environment; I currently live well, within my means; and I have no habits which are unacceptable to me. I think the whole quiz could be watered down to those four statements.
— will
OK, can we all get past the making-your-bed thing?
Will, there are a few artsy things. “I surround myself with music.” “I surround myself with beautiful things.” That doesn’t have to be consumer-oriented; I checked that one because I decorate my house with hand-made stained glass panels that my mother makes, flowers that my wife plants and tends to, and pictures of my family and friends. Your definition of beauty may vary widely.
I suspect that most people will agree that the entire quiz can be boiled down to four items… but no one will be able to agree which four.
— Mark
I, like some other people commenting here, find this quiz vaguely offensive. I think my problem with in comes from the very first line: “The Clean Sweep Program is a checklist of 100 items which, when completed, give one complete personal freedom”.
Now, it seems to me that “complete personal freedom” is an extremely, well, *personal* thing — my definition of happiness is going to differ greatly from yours. That is, why is it considered a “point” to drink 2 or fewer drinks per week, but if you smoke even one joint, you loose the drug point? Personally, I think alcohol is more damaging than marijuana, but, again, that’s personal, and I don’t intend to judge someone who believes otherwise.
Essentially, any “system” that purports to give everyone a path to happiness is a crock. There can be no universal measurement of happiness (or “freedom”), and I for one find it insulting when someone tries to foist their own definition of happiness onto me.
(Which is not what you are trying to do with your post, but rather what the quiz itself tries to do).
Along with a few other problems that others have already touched upon, I also found offence with “I hear well.” in conjunction with the other questions in that grouping. Were the question posed instead “I have my hearing checked regularly.” I’d perhaps be less offended, but as it it it implies that hard of hearing or deaf people have less well-being than their hearing counterparts. Which besides being horrifically un-PC is insulting and just plain wrong.
— Firinel
Mark, as soon as I hit send on my previous comment, I regretted not beginning it, “Mark, I realize that this test has proven useful to you, but…” I want the revised test, the one that wouldn’t offend me so much, or would at least prove provocative in its version of well-being, to include a line that says, “I always re-read what I’ve written before hitting send.”
Speaking of well-being, did you know that the group philosphers who subscribe to “objective list” theories of well-being, never actually list the items on the list. Instead what they do is describe the formal characteristics of the list? It’s true. I once wrote about it here: http://oblivio.com/archives/01120901.html.
Anyway, you should drink more water. Water is objectively good.
— Michael
I recommend AuthenticHappiness.org for some good tests of this nature that are more value-neutral in quantifying your happiness and psychological well-being. The site is an adjunct to the book of the same name by Martin E.P. Seligman. He’s turned his professional focus away from curing mental illness to improving psychological health, which is akin to turning from quashing bugs to writing better code.
He’s also got a great essay on eudaimonia over at edge.org. I’ve never met the man or heard of him before that essay, but I’m wending my way through Authentic Happiness right now.
Michael, I remember that.
Look, I’m not saying this quiz is the be-all and end-all of psychology. It has obvious biases and obvious weaknesses (”I hear well” is particularly offensive). But it gave me a lot to think about, and it coincided with several decisions I’ve made recently about how to organize my time and improve my personal life.
— Mark
Mark,
Sorry about your health problems, but it’s probably not that you aren’t drinking enough water. According to actual urologists who do more than repeat the urban legend, you don’t really need that much water.
The problem is when I exercise and don’t drink enough during/afterwards.
— Mark
I should learn to swim.
The humility and honest self-examination of this post was quite refreshing, like a tall glass of cool water on this hot day.
More, please.
— Gina
Well, I scored a 59, and perhaps because of my poor showing I’m very skeptical of the test’s value.
“There is no one whom I would dread or feel uncomfortable “bumping into”. (In the street, at an airport or party).” I can’t answer this in the affirmative because there are people out there who really skeez me out, people I don’t like, people who drone on and on. We all know people like these. Why is it unhealthy to dread bumping into them?
“My income source/revenue base is stable and predictable.” Having been a freelancer for the past 15 years, I’d have to say No, and I find the suggestion that I’d be better off in a job-job offensive.
“I rarely use caffeine.” Who are these psychos to suggest that caffeine is bad?
What should have been on that test:
I can hurl tennis rackets with a startling and unerring accuracy.
I spend time learning, both within and without my field of work.
I believe that I am leading a right life.
I shudder when presented with a “program” to improve my life.
— matt
Fitter. Happier. More productive.
— Anonymous
I hate my life. I got a 14.
— me
Umm, is it just me or are people offended MUCH to easily. Especially for people who read someone as sharp-tongued as Mark with some regularity.
I find it especially odd that many people are so readily offended by something that is CLEARLY unintentionally offensive (if it is actually offensive at all). If your going to be offended, make sure that the alleged slight was at least MEANT to be offensive, otherwise there is little or no battle to be won, and, in the long run, you’re probably more likely to marginalize your own position in the eyes of others.
I’m vegan-straightedge, homosexualist, and an accessibility advocate, so I know a few things about fundamentalism and orthodoxy. But I don’t do cults.
Joe, I think we could copy your comment and use it in posts at about a 100 warblogger sites to great effect. Probably a few technology sites, too.
Cameron, no one here is saying Mark was being offensive. On the contrary, seems to me he’s being openly sharing about certain aspects of his life he wants to improve, and more power to him. It’s the test itself that has most of us going, ‘Well. Ahem. Really?’
As for Martin Seligman’s “Authentic Happiness” that’s the cult one if there is one. Seligman had the potential to demonstrate how Learned Helplessness could be used to understand burn out, both from a personal and professional sense — but he opted for the New Age stuff.
The whole point on quizzes is that they give us a way to objectify that which is bothering us about ourselves. They’re a great way of intoducing a dialog — between doctor and patient, teacher and student, significant others, even within ourselves.
So if Mark has discovered something about himself from the quiz, chances are it was already there, but the quiz gave him a way of constraining vague unease into challengable behavior. And that’s a goodness.
Now, if Mark joined this program and started shelling out lots of money and wearing orange, and talking about his ‘Coach’ all the time and how much he wants to hug all of us– ALL of us–then it’s time to intervene.
— Shelley
Being old enough to take the quiz.
— Cody
Those statements could all be applied to me too!
Who cares, cemeteries are full of people who would’ve done good and bad on this test… You’re here you’re gone. Whoopdie doo.
— james
74. There is no objective medical evidence that caffeine in moderate quantities is even slightly harmful.
— Tim Bray
My total score was 6. I don’t see this as a problem.
— Charles
Still cries at a good film
Still kisses with saliva
— Anonymous
Okay, so I’m only 23, but I figure that there are still a few things on that list I could sort out. I tend to live vaguely hippy/student, which is no bad thing, but I don’t take as much care of myself as perhaps I could, or should.
I’m not exactly the white-collar professional they’re looking for, though I work for a large organisation, at a desk, during office hours… I think it’s brave of Mark to admit to weakness on the web; I’ve done it before and it’s hard.
Most of the things Mark lists as priorities, are priorities for most us…
— mattl
Did anybody else spot the contradiction in the items?
Under Physical Environment, we have the statement “I surround myself with beautiful things.” Then, a little further down in the same section we have “I have nothing around the house or in storage that I do not need.”
The “in storage” bit is fair enough, but while some beautiful things around the house can be useful, many, such as ornaments and pictures, are not. So do we need to surround ourselves with beautiful things, or do we need to get rid of the beautiful things we have no use for? Or are we only supposed to surround ourselves with useful beautiful things?
I suspect that this quiz was created to deliberately make people feel bad about themselves in an effort to sell their services. Me, cynical? Never! Just check the small print in red at the bottom of the page.
— Louise
The contradictions aren’t event that subtle:
I spend time with people who don’t try to change me.
Hah. They just pile them on.
Personally, I think the test was set up to sell you expensive sunglasses.
— Anonymous
Shouldn’t “I consistently have evenings, weekends and holidays off and take at least four weeks of holiday each year” be “I live in Europe”?
— Will Cox
Like a pig. In a cage.
On antibiotics.
— Anonymous
Obviously, the ones who don’t like the “making the bed” item, do not make their bed.
Boy, do we hate to hear our weaknesses pointed out or what?
Best wishes, Mark.
— TP
From the list:
>I put people first and results second.
Putting results first is a character flaw?
I wouldn’t mind having something to look forward to *every* day.
— Donna
The bed discussion is funny. For my wife, it is simply one of her personal values to make the bed. I couldn’t care less, but there’s no arguing about it. It’s like (for me) always putting the scissors in the same place or keeping my Windows Desktop clean. But when I remember to make the bed, it takes 60 seconds, makes her happy, and is one less thing for her to do.
As for the quiz, lighten up people! See it for what it is, and don’t be afraid to let it tell you something about yourself.
— Larry
Dare: Yes. People are more important than results. I do not claim that this is an objective fact since I don’t claim to be objective.
However, I do claim that it is true.
The item that assumes one can reach 4 weeks of vacation a year is clearly not calculated for the average US worker, where 2 weeks is standard and 3 weeks is lucky.
b— c- hms-(+) L8@ H2O– C12H22O11+++ DDS–>++ i–>+ lb CFP@ 1040- bf4e P1R2– 3>U- <3me- uhi-(+++) ***+++ ta–(++) ttyl—(+) WWJD- DHL-$ Yner— I—
— Micah
One thing I really liked about the quiz was in the not so small instructions at the top: “If the statement does not apply to you, check the box. If the statement will never be true for you, check the box.”
Following these instructions, I checked the box for “My bed is made daily” because it will never be true for me — it’s simply something that doesn’t make me happier to do.
— Claire