This is the
Vanity Fair
adaptation of the infamous Proust Questionnaire. These questions
originated as a 19th-century parlor game popularized by contemporaries
of French essayist and novelist, Marcel Proust, who believed that an
individual's answers reveal his or her true nature.
I hope that I can look back on this many, many years later and answer some of these differently after
living more, but until then, as a nineteen-year-old, here are my answers today:
What is your idea of perfect happiness? To love and be loved.
What is your greatest fear? Death before fulfilling all that I want to do in this life.
Which historical figure do you most identify with? Oprah, does that count?
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Over-thinking.
What is the trait you most deplore in others? Ignorance.
What is your greatest extravagance? Shoes and clothes.
What is your favorite journey? My journey for the pursuit of happiness.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Fame.
On what occasion do you lie? About boys...to myself and to others.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? I've been saying "dope" a lot lately.
What do you dislike most about your appearance? As a young girl, I would've said my skin color; today, I would probably say my nose...but who am I to judge God's work of art?
What or who is the greatest love of your life? My family and basketball--both have taught me so many things that make me who I am today.
When and where were you happiest? When all of my family comes together, there's no feeling like it.
Which talent would you most like to have? To be able to play the piano.
What is your current state of mind? Confusion and wonder.
If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be? Nothing at all.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Being a student-athlete at a great university.
Where would you like to live? Somewhere that I can prosper and progress...in a downtown loft.
What is the quality you most like in a man? Loyalty.
What is the quality you most like in a woman? Strength.
What do you most value in your friends? Honesty.
Who are your favorite heroes of fiction? Jean Louise Finch and Batman.
Who are your heroes in real life? My father, my grandmother Gigi, and Oprah.
How would you like to die? Painless.
What is your motto? "Everything happens for a reason."
