The Proust Questionnaire is a famous set of 35 open-ended questions that explore an individual’s personality, values, life experiences, and inner world. It originated from a 19th-century English parlor game, where friends would answer personal questions for entertainment. Later, it became popular in French literary salons, especially among the Belle Époque elite.
The questionnaire is named after the French writer Marcel Proust, not because he invented it, but because his answers at ages 13 and 20 were so insightful and unique that later generations associated the questionnaire with his name. Today, the Proust Questionnaire is widely used in psychology, self-reflection, career coaching, and team building.
The 35 complete questions of the Proust Questionnaire:
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
What is your greatest fear?
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Which living person do you most admire?
What is your greatest extravagance?
What is your current state of mind?
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
On what occasion do you lie?
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
Which living person do you most despise?
What is the quality you most like in a man?
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
When and where were you happiest?
Which talent would you most like to have?
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what would it be?
Where would you most like to live?
What is your most treasured possession?
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
What is your favorite occupation?
What is your most marked characteristic?
What do you most value in your friends?
Who are your favorite writers?
Who is your hero of fiction?
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Who are your heroes in real life?
What are your favorite names?
What is it that you most dislike?
What is your greatest regret?
How would you like to die?
What is your motto?
These 35 questions serve as a mirror to your soul. By answering them honestly, you can gain profound self-awareness. To make the process easier, our Proust Questionnaire Management System allows you to take the test online, save your answers over time, and compare results year after year. Start your self-discovery journey today.