This is kind of a weird one.
Psychology is great for getting a better understanding of ourselves and what make us tick. But it isn’t an exact science. People are complicated, and one test or another isn’t usually going to definitively describe someone. Yet, the history of psychology is full of tests that are supposed to help us better understand who we are deep down.
Hungarian psychiatrist Leopold Szondi developed one such personality test. Before I explain it, let’s give it a try. Before we do that, though, I need to emphasize that whatever results you end up with, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything at all. Like I said, people are complicated and you’re not going to get comprehensive psychological insight from a test you take online. To be honest, I almost didn’t do this video because some of the analysis from this test could be problematic if people take it too seriously. The last image worried me the most.
Now, with that disclaimer, here’s the test. Take a look at each of these pictures. Once you’ve examined them all, choose which one bothers you the most. Imagine you stepped onto a bus and saw each of these folks sitting there with an empty seat next to them. Which one would you least like to sit down next to?
Got your pick? Remember it.
First, let’s talk about the pictures. These are all images of people with supposed mental conditions. I say supposed because psychology today is, in many ways, much different than it was during the early to mid-1900s when Szondi was doing his work.
The idea behind this test is that most of us have deeply repressed personality traits that we do our best to deny. These buried traits might go all the way back to our childhood. Yet, as hard as we try to push them down, these traits are always there. As we look at each of these images, our subconscious is supposed to sense the traits in these people that are similar to the ones within us. That recognition, even if we don’t understand it, is what makes us uncomfortable.
So, let’s take a look at each image and go through Szondi’s analysis.
This is the image labeled as the sadist. If this picture bothered you the most, supposedly you are repressing a need to dominate or demean others. You compensate by doing your best to be a harmless and peaceful person. When challenged, you are more passive in your defiance, as opposed to obvious hostility.
Next is the epileptic. Choosing this person could mean that you’re repressing feelings of impulsiveness, irritability, or outright rage. To deny these feelings, you go out of your way to be meek and give the impression of stability and self-control.
This is the catatonic. A person turned off by the catatonic picture is repressing an overactive imagination that sometimes threatens to overwhelm their sense of reality. To counteract this, a person will carefully adopt whatever social norms are around them. Their biggest fear is losing control, and they struggle to adapt to changes.
This is the schizophrenic. Choosing her may mean you experienced extreme distortion of your thoughts as a child. You felt disconnected from people, and indifferent to the world around you. The way you compensate for these feelings is to be a very social person. You go out and have long conversations with people. You try to be in relationships, but deep down inside never feel like you’re a part of anything.
This image is the hysteric. People who chose her may be repressing the desire to be the center of attention. You want everyone’s approval, even when that means doing something you wouldn’t normally want to do. The form of denial for the hysteric is to be a modest and even introverted person, while at the same time taking great care to always look your best in an effort to attract attention and admiration in a more passive way. These people might also indulge in some unusual or attention-grabbing activity or hobby.
Here we have the depressive. Being most bothered by this image supposedly means that deep down you are dealing with a lack of self-esteem, guilt, or depression. To deny these feelings, you go out of your way to appear outgoing and happy. You always seem optimistic and confident, though you’re prone to getting upset and tend to be a suspicious person.
This gentleman is the maniac. Not so much the axe-wielding kind of maniac, this maniac represents someone whose brain is constantly overstimulated, thereby producing an overexcitement that leads to impulsive acts. If these are the feelings you’re repressing, you do so by always being in control. You are restrained and measured, and do everything you can to avoid situations with lots of commotion, noise, and extreme behavior.
Finally, this image is said to identify a dissociative identity disorder. Frankly, this is the image that worried me the most when writing this. Remember, we are more complex than any one test can tell us, so take this interpretation with a big grain of salt.
So, if this image bothered you the most, you may be repressing feelings of gender confusion. Perhaps as a child, you felt like you were the wrong gender. To compensate, you go overboard to reinforce your biological gender. If you’re a man, you do things deemed very masculine and macho. If you’re a woman, you always to be sexy and flirty.
Like I said, this test isn’t going to tell you who you really are. We are all a great many things. I would suspect that most of us can find times in our lives where we felt things associated with more than one of these images. It’s also entirely possible that you didn’t feel any of the traits associated with the picture you chose. Perhaps the person in the image simply reminded you of someone you met in the past who you had a bad experience with. Again, don’t take this test as any kind of diagnosis. This is simply a video about a weird psychological test from the past.
One final note, if you are struggling with your feelings or emotions, seek out help. Find someone you trust and talk about what you’re going through. Find a licensed mental health provider and take advantage of some therapy. As someone who’s gone through therapy, I promise that it helps.