Podcast 35: A Close Look at the Upholder Personality; Are You Like Gretchen and Hermione?

It’s time for the next installment of  “Happier with Gretchen Rubin.” (Remember, if you’d like to get an email alert every time we release a new episode, you can sign up here.)

Update:  Elizabeth is struggling with the novel-writing.

Today is the first in the series of four episodes that we're devoting to the Four Tendencies. Today, Upholder! That's my Tendency.

Check out the photo -- that's me wearing the Upholder t-shirt that Elizabeth gave me for Christmas last year. Perfect.

Try This at Home: Take the Four Tendencies quiz here. Find out if you're an Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Upholders: Think Hermione Granger! Ah, Elizabeth knows me, and consequently the strengths and weaknesses of Upholders, very well.

Striking Pattern of Upholders: My fellow Upholders, do you also experience "tightening," where our expectations for ourselves get tighter?

Our producer Henry is an Upholder, and he weighs in on his own experience with tightening.

Listener Questions: "How can Upholders balance interior and exterior expectations?" "I live with an Upholder, and find it impossible to meet his expectations."

Elizabeth’s Demerit: Elizabeth missed the blood moon. So did I, by the way.

Gretchen’s Gold Star: I love this Funny or Die video of Jewel, where she goes in disguise to a karaoke bar.

Call for comments, questions, observations!

We’re spending four weeks talking about my Four Tendencies framework for human nature. We’ve already had many thought-provoking responses, but we want more.

• Take the Quiz to find out if you’re a Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, and Rebel here.
• Listen to Elizabeth and me discuss the framework here.
• Read the chapter on the Four Tendencies in Better Than Before

 

Please, send in your questions and comments by voicemail, email, etc.