These Moments Reveal Everything About You

How well do you really know yourself? It seems like an easy question. After all, you’ve lived with yourself your entire life. But it’s not your everyday behavior that defines you — it’s how you act in life’s defining moments. How do you respond when you win big or face a crushing defeat? How do you treat people who can help you versus those who can’t? Would you do what’s right if no one were watching? Life has a way of exposing truths about us that we never expected, and often, the person you thought you were is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s in these moments that your actions reveal who you truly are.

You think you know yourself — until life shows you otherwise.

Moments of Truth: The Small Things That Reveal Everything

Think you really know yourself? Let’s put it to the test. These 20 character challenges reveal what you’re truly made of…

Do you:

Exploit the vulnerable? Are you kind or cruel to those less fortunate than you?

Seek revenge when someone wrongs you? Do you harbor anger and seek retaliation or let things go?

React defensively to feedback? Do you see feedback as criticism or as an opportunity to improve?

Let success go to your head? Do you handle success with humility and lose with grace?

Let newfound wealth change you? Does success change your personality, upend your values, and make you forget your roots, or do you stay grounded?

Grow complacent when you’re in the lead? Do you slack off or keep pushing without letting up?

Let defeat define who you are? Do you give up or bounce back stronger?

Find it — and keep it? When you find something, do you hold on to it or return it to its rightful owner?

Treat people based on their power or status? Do you treat everyone the same or favor those who can help you?

Ignore wrongdoing that doesn’t affect you? Are you silent when someone is treated unfairly or do you stand up against it?

Burn bridges when ending a relationship? Do you sever ties in conflict or part on good terms?

Cheat when you think you can get away with it? Do you choose what’s easy or what’s right?

Sell your soul for the right price? Can your integrity be bought or is it nonnegotiable?

Quit when things get tough? Do you crumble when things get hard or stay determined?

Overreact when your kids are wronged? Do you fight their battles or let them solve their own problems?

Take credit that belongs to someone else? Would you take glory you don’t deserve or give credit where credit is due?

Jump ship for a better offer? Do you put yourself first or uphold your loyalty?

Run from challenges? Do you hide from problems or race toward them?

Turn a blind eye to unprincipled behavior? Do you ignore wrongdoing or hold people accountable?

Envy the success of others? Do you resent their wins or celebrate them?

What Does Your Behavior Say About You?

People are aware of the major choices they make, but most decisions fly under the radar — the small choices you make every day. Over time, these small acts become habits. It’s these habits, more than any single action, that shape who you are and the person you become. As Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

If you don’t decide how you want to respond in these moments, you risk staying in reactionary mode, living on autopilot instead of being proactive and taking the bull by the horns. Consider the person you want to be, and the actions that will get you there, and hold fast to those principles.

Life doesn’t hand out instructions; it hands you tests — and your choices write the story.