Poser Test: Are You a Show-Off?

In the context of this quiz, a poser is an extremely image-conscious person who pretends to be someone they are not. Being a poser can involve enormous psychological stress and damaged relationships.

People with these tendencies often stress themselves by competing with others and trying to outdo everyone around them. They may seem mean, superficial, or overly concerned with appearances, but in reality, they can be incredibly harsh on themselves too.

Being a poser is actually very difficult. Acknowledging that you have these tendencies may help you change your attitude, become more authentic, and live a happier, more productive life.

So, are you a poser? Answer the questions below to find out.

Your friends
are only people you consider “important”
mostly belong to your own social group
come from different backgrounds, and you are open to giving people a chance

How do you choose your romantic partners?
based on their physical attractiveness, social standing, or success
based on whether they could enhance your own image
based on deeper relationship values, such as connection, trust, loyalty, intelligence, and compatibility

Your personal grooming routine
is elaborate and time-consuming
helps you look presentable
varies depending on the day

You compare yourself to others
all the time
quite a lot
not really

If someone is better than you at something, you
get angry and resentful
become anxious and insecure
feel inspired

Every time you go to the gym,
it becomes a challenge to outdo everyone else
you worry that other people are looking at you and judging you
you simply do what you feel like doing without worrying about other people

When your children underperform at school, you
scold them harshly
hire tutors and push them until they perform better than average
try to discover their other strengths

Your self-esteem is based on
other people’s admiration
other people’s respect
your own values, not other people’s opinions

Do you want other people to envy you?
definitely yes
probably yes
no, not at all

Do you crave other people’s attention?
always
sometimes
almost never

You talk mainly about yourself.
always
only occasionally
almost never

You compete with your coworkers.
true most of the time
true some of the time
rarely or never

Your competitiveness gets in the way of building authentic relationships.
definitely true
somewhat true
not at all

Being around other successful people makes you feel uncomfortable.
always
often
rarely or never

To you, fame is more desirable than money.
yes, definitely
not necessarily
I am not interested in fame

You want to seem special and difficult to approach.
true
it depends
definitely not

You see failure as humiliation.
agree
agree slightly
disagree

You never talk about your setbacks because you fear they will ruin your image.
true
partially true
false

You put a lot of pressure on yourself.
definitely true
somewhat true
false

You do not allow others to get close to you because you fear they will see your imperfections.
definitely true
somewhat true
false

RESULTS

1-32: The Natural

You are genuine and comfortable in your own skin. Unlike many other people, you are not hiding behind a mask, and you are exactly what you appear to be. If you’ve ever worried about other people’s acceptance, you’ve largely moved past it, and praise and admiration no longer drive you.

You strive to do things that matter to you, and you do not obsess over other people’s opinions of you. You follow your own heart and enjoy being yourself.

33-66: The Restless

You are an ambitious and competitive person. You are concerned with your image and worry about making a good impression. Because impressing others is important to you, you may work hard to acquire status symbols, such as a prestigious job title, a desirable address, or luxury goods.

You are not openly aggressive, but you spend a lot of time comparing yourself to others and want to make sure you are doing better than them. On the one hand, you crave people’s acceptance; on the other hand, you are competing with them.

You are a bit of a perfectionist and want to excel at everything you do, whether that is your career, your appearance, your home, or your personal goals. You may have a tendency to overwork yourself and may often feel tired or overwhelmed.

You judge yourself by other people’s standards and may be somewhat out of touch with your own values and feelings.

67-100: The Poser

You are an extremely image-conscious person. You have shaped your public image around what you think other people will admire, accept, or envy, and now you may live with a constant fear of being exposed as less impressive than you pretend to be.

You may have a tendency to promote yourself and make yourself sound better than you really are. Some of the things you may be doing include:

• bragging about your accomplishments;
• exaggerating your accomplishments or even lying about them;
• name-dropping;
• lying on your resume;
• taking credit for other people’s work;
• subtly or openly making others feel inadequate;
• showing off your status;
• showing off your body;
• showing off your partners;
• using other attention-seeking behaviors.

It may feel as if you are constantly living in the spotlight and being forced to wear a mask every day. On the one hand, you may wish you truly were the supposedly amazing person you pretend to be. On the other hand, you do not allow yourself to relax and be yourself, even if that means being less than perfect.

You may also have some narcissistic tendencies, and you may actually believe you are superior to other people.