Are you eccentric? Take the definitive quiz.
Photo: daydream by benefit of hindsight
This week’s Sunday Scribblings prompt is “eccentricity”.
Famous writers and other artists are often known for their strange characteristics. Often, the weirder the creative person is, the more famous an artist he or she becomes.
Are you destined for artistic greatness? Take this completely unscientific quiz to determine your “E.Q.” — “eccentricity quotient” — and find out. Note: Give yourself 1 point for each YES answer, and 0 points for each NO answer.
The "Eccentricity Quotient" Quiz:
1. Do more than five extremely large wild animals reside with you in your primary residence? (If you are a zoo keeper, Vegas show act, or Jane Goodall, please skip this and move on to question #2.)
2. Do you take long (silly) walks, through all sorts of weather, just for fun?
3. Do you dress in comfortable clothes?
4. Do you give standing ovations to the sounds of subways, rushing rivers, or music on the radio?
5. When telemarketers call you, do you try to sell them something instead?
6. Do you eat very, very slowly?
7. If your favorite song is playing, yet no one is on the dance floor, do you bust out your best moves anyway?
8. Do you give regular poetry readings or dance performances to audiences of infant children, stuffed animals, and toy trucks?
9. Do you have a collection of lucky hats (or shoes or t-shirts or socks), and do you wear them often?
10. Do you blog?
Scoring — How did you do?
0—2 points: Not eccentric... enough... yet....
3—5 points: You’re a bit weird, and must work much harder at it.
6—8 points: You are solidly strange; keep it up!
9—10 points: You’re well on your way, Oh Great Being of the Bizarre.
OR...Did you disregard the quiz instructions entirely and answer each question instead with a poetry slam monologue, a stream-of-consciousness five-paragraph essay, or an interpretive dance performed at your local mall? If so, then CONGRATULATIONS! You are an Idol of Eccentricity, clearly destined for artistic greatness. Go directly to YouTube to start broadcasting your eccentricities and developing your following.
Feedback:
How did you score? Are there any questions that should be on this quiz? See you in the comments.
For more takes on eccentricity, go to Sunday Scribblings.
This is the best Sunday Scribblings post yet! Unfortunately, I'm just not cutting it -- I only scored a 3. I'll have to work a lot harder to improve my score!! Again, thanks for your post, I really enjoyed that :)
Posted by: bonggamom | June 17, 2007 at 12:28 AM
Sadly, I am but a 4. I'll keep working on it though!
Drew
Posted by: Drew McLellan | June 17, 2007 at 12:37 AM
bonggamom — Thanks much, and you're welcome! Yes, it's back to the eccentric drawing board for you...
Drew — It's OK. Just buy a few leopards and cheetahs for the home, and you'll be on your way.
Posted by: KG | June 17, 2007 at 12:51 AM
I am a solid five. Guess I have my work cut out for me. Do I get any bonus points for mastering interpretive dances to the TV theme songs of Sex and The City, ER and Curb Your Enthusiasm?
I did consider putting a clip of myself doing Kenny Rogers karaoke up on youtube, but my wife threatened to disown me. That should bring me up to a 7, don't you think?
Posted by: Herb | June 17, 2007 at 01:02 AM
Herb — You bring up many important factors I didn't consider in developing the quiz:
1. effect of eccentricities on family members/loved ones
2. bonus points for clearly eccentric behavior not mentioned in the quiz
While I definitely don't want your wife to disown you, I think that anyone would be proud to be a 7! (If you get that Kenny Rogers karaoke clip on YouTube, do send the URL!)
Posted by: KG | June 17, 2007 at 01:12 AM
Merely a five, so I decided to bow ceremoniously to the laptop three times and say "whee!"...does that improve my score? ;)
LOVE this post!
Posted by: Mardougrrl | June 17, 2007 at 02:04 AM
Mardougrrl — A five! You're getting there. Plus, you're being very creative in acquiring bonus points — a clear sign of eccentric behavior.
Posted by: KG | June 17, 2007 at 10:48 AM
KG,
I scored at 5. Middle of the road...that's me most of the time. I'm no genius, and eccentricity seems to be a common trait of geniuses. Quirky , now that's a different matter! If my middle name wasn't Ed it'd be odd. ;-) I believe rules are made to be followed, except when they get in the way of common sense.
rel
Posted by: rel | June 17, 2007 at 01:20 PM
er . . . my score depends upon whether the large wild animals have to be visible to other people or not. It's very hard to find zoning ordinances that allow krakens, you see.
Posted by: Erin | June 17, 2007 at 02:21 PM
I am not eccentric enough... yet.
But I am working on it!
Too fun!
Posted by: Regina Clare Jane | June 17, 2007 at 04:52 PM
If I were to take the quiz -- and I'm not saying I would just if I were -- then I'd only get a 5, which would make me very sad. (Were I to take the quiz.)
Posted by: Patois | June 17, 2007 at 11:24 PM
rel — A five is quite respectable. Maybe you should get bonus points for quirkiness!
Erin — Excellent point that I hadn't considered. You ABSOLUTELY get points for animals which only you can see.
Regina Clare Jane — That's the spirit! Glad you had fun. :)
Posted by: KG | June 17, 2007 at 11:30 PM
Patois — Don't be sad about the 5. I think I may have made the quiz too difficult. Perhaps I should be grading this on a curve...
There's only person who might score above a 5 so far, and it's based on bonus points. (If he does Kenny Rogers karaoke and then posts it to YouTube, he's at a 7.) I'll keep everyone posted!
Posted by: KG | June 17, 2007 at 11:39 PM
I'm a 6, so I'm just barely "solidly strange" :-) I think I'm happy with that score. I might get worried if I made it into the truly bizarre!
Great post KG :-)
Sharon
Posted by: Chocolate Chipped | June 18, 2007 at 03:43 PM
Chocolate Chipped (Sharon) — 6 is great! You're the highest so far, too, so congrats.
I now see why you're so interested in those eccentric visionaries, geniuses, and the "bad boys" of figure skating. ;)
Posted by: KG | June 19, 2007 at 10:28 AM
I'm a five and since my rabbit has died and I now have lost my audience for eccentric performances of poetry to for reading out loud in foreign languages, I fear I may have slipped to a 4. And I thought I was eccentric! More to the point, other people think I'm eccentric! Fun quiz!
Posted by: Crafty Green Poet | June 29, 2007 at 02:49 AM
Crafty Green Poet — I'm so sorry about the loss of your rabbit. Let's keep you at a 5.
Posted by: KG | June 29, 2007 at 07:23 AM
Inquiry: What's the diff between being eccentric and weird?
Posted by: fhayden | August 09, 2007 at 12:00 PM
fhayden — Good question. I'll have to give this more thought...will post an answer after I arrive at a good one! Thanks.
Posted by: KG | August 12, 2007 at 10:42 PM
fhayden — After giving this some thought, I've figured out a key distinction between "eccentric" and "weird":
1. Weird is often considered random. Because it is random, it is not respected. Chaos and randomness are not respected because the combination appears to have no effort or thought behind it. However, I know many weird and random people who put a TON of thought and energy into the weird and random energy they put out there. I also know many nice, fun, "weird" people who have no idea they are weird or random.
2. The phrase "eccentric genius" is almost something to aspire to. These two words go hand in hand because there's an assumption that eccentric people are intelligent though disorganized (or just organized in their own ways), and are working towards some ground-breaking, humanity-saving life goal that will earn them a Nobel prize or McArthur genius grant.
In summing up:
The "eccentric" are often the professors, though others many not understand them because the profs are so "unique" and "superior" in their intelligence. They work at respected institutions and/or on their own respected, artistic, literary projects.
The "weird" are often the people juggling glass balls in public parks, with a rainbow wig on their head, spouting creative, humorous, yet confusing poetry. Though the jugglers might be inspired, other people don't understand them AND also don't think the weird should be respected.
There is some overlap between the eccentric and weird; I know many intelligent, respected, eccentric people who are also weird and random at times. I think it could be argued that there's a very fine line here.
As for myself, I've definitely been accused of both. I do work on "respected" things; however, I'm also actively working on becoming good at making balloon animals. (Really, it's true.)
Perhaps I should redesign the quiz... ;)
Posted by: KG | August 21, 2007 at 10:18 PM
i scored 7... thanks for the tip... next time someone tries to sell me products on the phone i know exactly what to do!
Posted by: Anjie Cakes | September 09, 2007 at 07:22 PM
Anjie Cakes — Much congrats on your high score of 7! You're well on your way to artistic fame, fortune, recognition and attention. Get that static voice sound ready — and have fun. :)
Posted by: KG | September 11, 2007 at 09:22 PM
Anjie Cakes (again) — If you didn't understand my previous comment, it's not just because I'm eccentric. ;) I've gotten my eccentric responses to telemarketers mixed up. Here's the scoop:
Not only have I tried (but not succeeded) to sell something to telemarketers when then call me, but I have also imitated static when they call. So, they call, and I start making a whooshing, whirring sounds with a few words thrown in every once in awhile.
The last time I did the "static voice" response, I was quite young. But I think it's definitely an indicator of later eccentric behavior, yes? ;)
Let us know which one you try and how it works!
Posted by: KG | September 12, 2007 at 01:37 AM