The Complete Book of Intelligence Tests : 500 exercises to improve, upgrade and enhance your mind strength by Philip Carter Page A

adversity.
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    25 I am all in favour of taking calculated risks.
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    Assessment
    Total score 90–125
    Mr Micawber was Charles Dickens’ eternal optimist, always expecting
    that something would turn up. Your score indicates that you are a
    twenty-first century Mr Micawber.
    This is a wonderful and enviable outlook on life to possess. You
    have the ability somehow to look on the bright side whatever happens
    and firmly believe that for every dark cloud a silver lining will appear,
    and that for every bad event something positive will emerge.
    Provided you do not become naÿ«ve or complacent about life’s
    sometimes harsh realities, you will remain largely cheerful and to a
    great extent carefree, knowing that by adopting this attitude you can
    get the best out of life, just as long as you are prepared to accept the
    inevitable downs with the ups.
    Total score 65–89
    Life is to a great extent a roller coaster, it can be exciting and
    stimulating, there are high points and there are low points.
    Like the majority of people, you cannot be described as either a
    pessimist or an optimist. Instead you are a realist, but you are hopeful
    that the high points in life exceed the low points, which they usually
    do, providing that we do not exaggerate the low points in our own
    mind, to the exclusion of the high points.
    Although you do not appear to be a pessimist, perhaps one lesson
    to be learned from the eternal optimist is that pessimists, indeed
    people in general, always seem to worry too much. It is a fact worth
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    Emotional Intelligence
    bearing in mind that most of the things we worry about in life never
    happen anyway, so that in the majority of cases we are worrying
    unduly.
    Total score less than 65
    Although you might prefer to describe yourself as a realist, your
    score does suggest that you have a predominantly pessimistic outlook
    on life.
    Unfortunately this does mean that you are probably perceived by
    others as a somewhat negative person, and that you frequently suffer
    from a degree of inner turmoil and loss of sleep.
    This is possibly your own way of creating a defensive emotional
    shield against the consequences of what the future may have in store.
    Then, if the worst happens, you have prepared yourself for it, but if
    things turn out better than you anticipated you will feel good ^ until
    you start to prepare yourself for the next potential catastrophe.
    In actual fact, such a pessimistic attitude does not make anything
    better or worse in the end, and in some cases causes worry that can
    lead to stress-related illness and make negative things happen which
    would not otherwise occur.
    One strategy to counteract an overriding pessimistic attitude is not
    to make mountains out of molehills. Instead, try to concentrate on the
    positive aspects of life and put negative thoughts to the back of your
    mind.
    Unfortunately this is not so easy to achieve, especially if it is not in
    your nature to do this, but it is worth the effort as you will then start
    to feel the benefits, both health-wise and by an improved outlook on
    life in general.
    Test 5.4
    Self-confidence
    Answer each question or statement by choosing which one of the
    three alternative responses given is most applicable to you.
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    The Complete Book of Intelligence Tests
    1 Do you usually feel good about yourself?
    a) Sometimes.
    b) Yes, I generally do.
    c) Not particularly.
    2 Would you relish the opportunity to take part in a political debate
    on television?
    a) Not relish the opportunity; however, I may take part but
    would be quite nervous about it.
    b) Yes, very much so.
    c) No, the thought sounds rather scary.
    3 How much do you feel in control of your own life?
    a) Only partly in control.
    b) Very much.
    c) Not very much.
    4 Do you enjoy circulating and meeting new people at social
    gatherings?
    a) I don’t mind meeting new