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.
Speaking negatively to myself.
The Q&A, The Guardian, 29 August 2026 source ↗
Insecurity around money. I have this profound insecurity about not having enough to provide for my family.
Not always standing up for myself enough.
Biting my nails.
Comparing myself to other people.
When I concentrate, I put my thumb in my mouth. I once did it during a really important meeting when asked a question I didn’t know the answer to. When I left the meeting my friend said: “What did you put your thumb in your mouth for?” I didn’t know I’d done it.
When I was in my 20s, I had an uncle who took his own life. I would like a second chance to say: “Hang in there.” My parents were living abroad, and me and my sister were just too young to notice the flags.
I’ve never read any Salman Rushdie.
I would become fitter younger. Because I would have been hotter younger!
How much my son loves me, particularly considering I’ve had a huge career.
Enthusiastic, resilient, empathetic.
Mark Steel, Charlie Higson, Andrea Martin, Lee Child, Alice Waters, Adrian Scarborough
Search the directory for somebody in particular.