Carlos Slim Helú: Which trait do you most dislike in yourself?

The question

Which trait do you most dislike in yourself?

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.

Carlos Slim Helú

Businessman and investor; chairman of Grupo Carso and América Móvil

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

Focus on essentials and try not to get distracted and bogged down by things that don’t add value to the bottom line.

user, interview, QuoteFancy, 1 June 2026 source ↗

Others on this question

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Jack Dee

I can go for weeks without opening the mail. I can look at a letter that has just dropped through the letterbox, wonder what it is and then just shred it.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 9 November 2024 source ↗

Fearne Cotton

Impatience. I’m not very good at waiting around or dealing with things that aren’t moving at a pace that I want them to.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 7 March 2026 source ↗

Laurie Metcalf

Impatience. The inability to ever finish a knitting project.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, February 2018 source ↗

Alexa Chung English television presenter

Forgetfulness. I leave valuable possessions scattered around the globe.

Recorded Rosanna Greenstreet, The Q&A, The Guardian, 25 March 2011 source ↗

More from Carlos Slim Helú

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Question What problem are you still trying to solve? Craft & work

I buy companies for strategic reasons and operate them.

Recorded user, interview, QuotesGram, 1 June 2024 source ↗

Question What has been your biggest disappointment? Failure & regret

I buy companies for strategic reasons and operate them.

Recorded user, interview, QuotesGram, 1 June 2024 source ↗

Question How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a favourite failure? Failure & regret

Well yes, but like I said, small mistakes or small failures. We take small failures very often. We have failures in investment. We have failures in operation, but no big mistakes or big failures. How do we take that? Like ordinary business.

Recorded Academy of Achievement interview, 2 December 2007 source ↗