Personality trait 2: Conscientiousness / Carelessness Quiz

Your Score Indicates You have:

Low Conscientiousness

(High Carelessness)

People who are low in conscientiousness tend to be fairly disorganized. They often act impulsively, without deliberate thought, which can cause regret. Because they are reasonably impulsive, they tend to have fewer longer-term goals than their more conscientious counterparts, and they are more likely to be late for appointments.

They are more fun-loving than hardworking, and are easily distracted. People low in Conscientiousness tend to abandon plans easily when something more attractive arises. They are often disorganized and go about tasks in a haphazard manner.

Finally, because they are somewhat impulsive, they are also more likely to engage in risky or dangerous behavior – from sexually risky behavior, to physically dangerous behavior, to alcohol or substance abuse.

Unsurprisingly, people who display impulsive or unreliable behavior experience more dysfunction in their professional and personal lives. Employers usually do not view people with these traits as dependable, and people with low conscientiousness are more likely to face disciplinary action at work, or even termination of employment.

The same goes for personal relationships, too: people become frustrated by unreliable or “flaky” friends, and romantic partners may worry about impulsive partners being unfaithful. Indeed, research has shown that low levels of conscientiousness are associated with increased likelihood of infidelity and divorce, especially among men.

Your Score Indicates You have:

Moderate Conscientiousness

Most people fall between the two extremes on conscientiousness. Generally, these people balance long-term goals and short-term goals more effectively. They regulate their behavior, so they can be responsible and reliable when a situation calls for it, while still leaving room for spontaneity on occasion.

Being highly conscientiousness can have downsides. Firstly, the value conscientious people place on success can become obsessive. In this scenario, a conscientious person may focus entirely on their careers, to the exclusion of other parts of their lives: their relationships, their families, and sometimes even their physical health.

On the other hand, people with a low score of Conscientiousness tend to be fairly disorganized. They often act impulsively, without deliberate thought, which can cause regret. Because they are reasonably impulsive, they tend to have fewer longer-term goals than their more conscientious counterparts, and they are more likely to be late for appointments.

Career success is likely to be important for people with moderate conscientiousness, without being the only priority in their lives. In this way, they are likely to achieve a more satisfying work-life balance.

Your Score Indicates You have:

High Conscientiousness

People who score high on conscientiousness tend to be highly disciplined. They are good at organization and planning, and they are inclined to put extra time and effort into learning new skills and information. They often set goals for themselves, and create structures or routines to achieve them.

The sub-trait of dutifulness also makes them more likely to stick to the structures or routines they set up for themselves. Unsurprisingly, they are often high achievers, and are attracted to careers requiring significant intellectual effort and discipline, like law or medicine.

On the other hand, however, being highly conscientiousness can have downsides. Firstly, the value conscientious people place on success can become obsessive. In this scenario, a conscientious person may focus entirely on their careers, to the exclusion of other parts of their lives: their relationships, their families, and sometimes even their physical health.

In addition, the high standards conscientious people hold themselves to can put them at risk of developing chronic perfectionism. Chronic perfectionists hold themselves to unreasonably high standards, which are nearly impossible to attain, and are always disappointed in themselves.

Essentially, their view of themselves becomes distorted, and this mindset can lead to low self-esteem and self-worth, as well as mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

Furthermore, conscientious people may hold unreasonable or unrealistic expectations of others. They may find it hard to understand why others have difficulty being disciplined or keeping their rooms tidy, for example. This can cause frustration or even anger in conscientious people, which can create conflict in personal or professional relationships.

Finally, some conscientious people may find it difficult to be spontaneous and therefore miss out on some of the more enjoyable aspects of life.