Plato’s Personality Test Alexander

Socrates the Great

Socrates taught Plato who taught Aristotle who taught Alexander the Great who
created the first Western Empire (with this baton handed down to the Roman then
British and finally the American Empire of today) Has there ever been such a close
personal relationship between four of the world’s big, influential figures (and these
guys are perhaps all in the top 10 of recorded history)?
Plato said that wisdom cannot be taught in the way that subjects like maths can,
but it leaps like an invisible spark between teacher and the right student. It is fair to
say that alongside modern progress in science a lot of that ancient wisdom (that
would allow us to use our wonderful tools of science) has been lost.
Plato himself hid a lot of what he knew in puzzling dialogues that mostly feature
Socrates in discussion with people of Athens on various philosophical and moral topics
Aristotle Plato
in the 5th Century BC. Some of these puzzles are only now being uncovered (see Jay
Kennedy’s recent work).
Plato on Love
One thing Plato did understand well was what motivates people – people are Ancient Greece did have
some strange ways of doing
defined by what they love. love - women were often no
better than slaves, and this
distorted the morals of the
society. Plato and Socrates
Answer question 1-20 below marking how much you identify yourself with the two were well aware of these
opposing words and phrases. problems and had more
Add up your scores in these columns enlightened views on women.
-12 -10 -3 0 3 10 12 (and change sign where indicated) However they would be
Q1 Spontaneous Routine Prone critical of our society and it’s
Q1 sex-obsessed Hedonism. For
Q2 Practical Thinker them “pleasure “ does not
Q3
Q3 Random Predicable Q5 (change sign) equal “good”! But they have
Q4 Fluid Solid Q6 (change sign) some good advice for someone
Q5 Normal Wild in love:- until you win that
Q8 person over don’t let them
Q6 Obedient Chaotic Q11(change sign) know that you are in love
Q7 Abstract Concrete Q12 with them: treat them mean
Q8 Artistic Technical Q15 to make them keen! For two
Q9 Experimenting Theorising Q17(change sign) reasons:
Q10 Ideas Action Q19
1. If you big-up and lavish
Total= =X
the person you love with
-12 -10 -3 0 3 10 12 attention then you are really
“Money makes the “The higher Spiritual power Q2
Q11 world go round” Should be in colntrol” bigging up yourself. Because
Q4 (change sign)
Unconscious you are really saying that
Q12 influenced In total control Q7 (change sign) you must be so special to
Q9 deserve such a wonderful
Q13 ‘Mind’ over ‘Body’ ‘Body’ over ‘Mind’
Q10(change sign) person - the one you are
Q14 Physical Work Mental Work Q13 (change sign) trying to win. This unconscious
Q14 arrogance Is off-putting.
Q15 Improvised Planned
Q16(change sign)
2. Also by bigging that
Q16 Like to study Like to exercise Q18(change sign) person up you make him or
Q20 her harder to catch! And
Q17 Logic Intuition
what kind of hunter scares
“Like to lead
“Prefer to take direction”
Total= =Y
off what they are trying to
Q18 on own projects”
catch?
Q19Natural goodness Law
Q20
“Reality is what I can
See, Hear, Touch etc”
“Concepts & Ideas are what’s
truly Real ” 100
Y Plot your totals on the graph to discover your soul-type

90
-12 -10 -3 0 3 10 12
80

1 Philosopher: a lover of wisdom 3 Statesman:

70
a fair-minded leader 60
1 8
Intelligent and spiritual - weaves the with an understanding of rules and their 50
40
community together into a whole. place in society. Prone to over-caution 30
and long-winded verbiage. 20 5 3
5 Prophet: has a broad vision, 10
8 Sophist: a bullshiter basically, 0
but often a bit woolly. and makes a living from it!! -10
-20

2 Warrior-King: bold, brave & 4 Doctor: -30

focused on maintaining -40 6 4
practical - sometimes too much bite! a healthy body. Interested in science -50
-60
and experiment. A too narrow focus?
6 Artist:often inspired in the way 7 Artisan:
-70
down-to-earth, and no -80 2 7
they represent reality - but art is -90
nonsense. Pleasure seeking, and money -100
at least one step removed from reality! obsessed, though with some self-control.
Warning this is not a scientific test - just a bit of fun that gets you thinking!
X
-100-90-80-70-60-50-40-30-20-10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100