"Most people don’t realize how much our lives are controlled by plots hatched in secret places. "
Possibly because I did some tertiary study in relevant areas, these sorts of tests chap my ass. The questions are invariably irritatingly poorly worded.
The above is a classic example because it’s a loaded statement. If I strongly agree am I agreeing that:
1/ people’s lives are controlled by secret plots to a significant extent?
2/ most people have an inaccurate perception concerning the extent of secret plots (without implying anything about the actual extent of those plots)?
3/ people’s lives are controlled by secret plots to a significant extent and most people don’t realise that?
I think what they are trying to ask is 3/. Personally, I disagree whichever way because I don’t think that people’s lives are controlled by secret plots and I think most people realise that.
However, if I had a bit less faith in the common man than I do, I could quite easily answer “disagree” to 1/ because I don’t think people’s lives are controlled by secret plots) but “agree” to 2/ because I think many people are idiot conspiracy theorists. Such ambiguity means that for many people the answer they give is not indicative of anything to do with facism but rather is indicative of their (valid) choice to answer a loaded question literally.
I thought this question was easy because it asked a question about businessmen and manufacturers earlier. I know for a fact a lot of our lives are controlled by secret plots, hatched in corporate boardrooms mostly. That’s why windows 8 is such a failure, New Coke tasted like crap, and Disney is going to make Star Wars sequels.
You are disciplined but tolerant; a true American.
If your score is… You are…
Less than 2 A whining rotter.
2 to 3 A liberal airhead.
3 to 4.5 Within normal limits; an appropriate score for an American. (The overall average score for groups tested in the original study is listed in the 1950 publication as 3.84, with men averaging somewhat higher and women somewhat lower).
4.5 to 5.5 You may want to practice doing things with your left hand.
5.5 or higher Have trouble keeping the lint off your black shirts?
Some of those questions were a bit odd. Like, “Some people are born with an urge to jump from high places.” I mean, I don’t know. Maybe that’s some kind of psychological condition. Anyway, 1.86 for me. Whining rotter. The best part of this survey for me is that I learned the term rotter. I hadn’t run across that insult before.
3.033 (etc.) – another “disciplined but tolerant true American.” Yay me!
I had problems with a bunch of the questions being two different questions: I can absolutely agree with “Sex crimes… deserve more than mere imprisonment” but I have to bail when they get to “…ought to be publicly whipped or worse,” partly because of the “or worse” thing could mean anything anybody wants it to mean, so what am I agreeing to?, partly because I don’t think beating somebody makes them stop being rapists or pedophiles (and does it mean you’re just beating them instead of locking them up, or in addition to locking them up, or what?), and partly because of the word “publicly,” as if that’s the REAL punishment – making a PUBLIC EXAMPLE of you and your naughtiness – oh, MY! I mean, WTH? :dubious:
Another example is the “There is hardly anything lower than…” okay, I’m already thinking the person is a really horrible excuse for a human being, go on: “… a person who does not feel a great love, gratitude and respect for his parents.” Okay, again: “parents” can be any two people who had sex and made a kid. It doesn’t mean they’re good people, or good parents, or even want to be there. And I do love my own parents but I don’t, you know, idolize them, which is what the wording seems to indicate.
:dubious: