Sometimes I follow my instincts more than my reason.
Which trait do you most dislike in yourself?
Question
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Craft & work
Question
When were you happiest?
Time & hindsight
Question
What would you like to be remembered for?
Death & what remains
Question
Which teacher, parent, coach or friend most made you who you are, and what did you learn from them?
Relationships
Question
What is your greatest fear?
Identity & self
Question
What most recently made you cry?
Identity & self
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.
Impatience; the inability to savor the moment.
Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, October 2017 source ↗
Others on this question
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John Mellencamp
Singer and songwriter
My quick temper and the chaos that ensues in the hurricane that follows.
Appearing angry when I’m not angry.
Taking myself seriously, even in a Vanity Fair quiz.
More from John Grisham
View profile →Being able to write books that entertain people around the world.
This morning. I had a typical day: got up early, took the dog for a walk, went to the gym for an hour, then wrote for four hours. That makes me a very happy person.
I don’t care – I won’t be here.
I had the benefit of some very good high school English teachers. One in particular when I was a senior in high school. I was a jock, okay. I was not a student. Although I enjoyed reading, that was about it as far as academics. But she forced us to read good books and good writers, particularly good American writers. We weren’t too thrilled to do it initially, but she taught us how to do it. Through that, I discovered some of my favorite authors, particularly John Steinbeck. Once I had gone through all of Steinbeck’s books, I realized that I had had a wonderful experience.
Having a stroke.
When my mom died, on 18 January this year.
More on identity & self
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Rose Tremain, Zadie Smith, Danielle Steel, Fay Ripley, Jacqueline Wilson, Jane Asher
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