Photo: Keneva Photography, photomaster, OlesyaNickolaeva, Jagodka, suns07butterfly / Shutterstock
Discover how your core values motivate you.
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Last updated on Jul 08, 2023
There's a reason so many people love taking personality tests, or even go so far as dedicating their lives to fields like psychology and psychiatry in the hopes of cracking the mysteries of our brains work, and the way in which we develop and act on our core values.
For centuries, people have consulted stones, read tarot cards, and created entire religions in the hopes of figuring out the meaning in such parts of ourselves that we can't easily explain.
It makes sense, of course. As we go about our daily lives, we like to believe we have a pretty good understanding of how we tick, and for the most part, most of us do. However, there are times in our lives where we feel confused or lost, and it's during these times that we look for alternative theories and explanations about who we really are and what drives us.
What are your core values? This quick and easy personality test will help you find out.
Visual personality tests are a favorite source of information. They are an effective way to get a solid grip on what's currently happening within your subconscious mind.
You see what you see first for a reason, which is that your mind is drawn immediately to the shape of the image that resonates with your currently perspective and emotional state of being. Your hard-working brain is free from the stress of pressure to make a decision and, as it relaxes, it rests naturally on what matters to it the most.
There's no thinking. No second-guessing. No decisions to be made. It's like your mind's opportunity to take that deep breath it's been needing so it can finally land on soft, familiar ground.
See how true this is for yourself by taking the personality test below. Just look at the image and make note of the animal you noticed first. Next, scroll down and find out what the animal you saw first in this personality test reveals about your core values.
Photo: Keneva Photography, photomaster, OlesyaNickolaeva, Jagodka, suns07butterfly / Shutterstock
1. If you saw the wolf
If the first thing you saw when you looked at this picture was the image of the wolf, you're a person driven by loyalty.
You can't help it, and it's probably even burned you in the past, but it's just part of who you are. Ride or die, loyal to a fault.
Wolves are creatures of instinct, so when you find yourself wavering or unsure in your life, remember to listen to yours. As a wolf, your gut will seldom if ever steer you wrong. It's up to you to pay attention to what it's saying.
2. If you saw the hawk
If the first thing you saw when you looked at this picture was the image of the hawk, you're the kind of person who's a natural-born leader.
This is probably something you try to back away from, as you resent the obligation and all of the pressure that comes with it, but the truth can't be denied: you were born to take the lead because one of your core values is self-determination.
Hawks have a keen awareness of their surroundings which they tap into as they soar to immense heights. You can do the same if you embrace the role that you have been born into.
Don't sit back waiting for someone to start your life for you. You have all the power you need within yourself.
3. If you saw the butterfly
If the first thing you saw when you looked at this picture was the image of the butterfly, you're a person of immense hope.
That's no small thing. Hope is the force that drives you in all of your endeavors, and you shouldn't treat it as though it's something to be embarrassed of. In many religions and cultures, the butterfly is used to represent change or rebirth.
While we all know that caterpillars become butterflies, even the best scientists don't know exactly what happens during the period of time when they are deeply swaddled within their cocoon. When they emerge, they are a reminder that we don't need to understand everything in order to appreciate it.
Never feel as though you aren't enough. You bring hope and inspiration to everyone who knows you.
4. If you saw the horse
If the first thing you saw when you looked at this picture was the image of a horse, you're a person with a tremendous desire for freedom.
It doesn't take much to leave you feeling trapped or confined, and sometimes you worry that your desire for freedom will keep you from living anything close to what some might call a normal life. The beauty of wild horses isn't just their ability to gallop free, but their ability to do it all together.
Don't worry that your desire for freedom is going to cause you to miss out on anything. Instead, trust that by fully embracing this aspect of your personality you will find someone your perfect mate to run beside.
5. If you saw the dog
If the first thing you saw when you looked at this picture was the image of a dog, you're a person who wears their heart on their sleeve.
Sure, you're loyal and loving and devoted to everyone you meet, in a way similar to that of your wolf friends, but unlike them, you value unconditional love to such an extent that you lack their instinct for self-protection.
Dogs are man's best friend for several reasons, chief among them because of how darn easy it is for them to forgive us of a myriad of wrongs. You do not deserve to be mistreated just because you approach the world with an open heart. If someone doesn't deserve your love, don't give it to them.
6. If you saw the dove
If the first thing you saw when you looked at this picture was the image of a dove, you're a person whose spirituality takes a key role in almost every single thing that you do.
You might not consider yourself to be "religious" but that doesn't mean your inner life isn't one where contemplation or meditation play a central role.
There's a reason doves are used to represent peace, and it's because people drawn to the dove are those willing to seek out compromise and quiet and peaceful resolution.
Loving peace doesn't mean you don't have opinions, but it does mean you're often in a position where you feel like they can't be expressed. People look to you for guidance, so don't be afraid to speak up.
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Rebecca Jane Stokes is a freelance writer, editor, former Senior Editor of Pop Culture at Newsweek, and former Senior Staff Writer for YourTango. She has a passion for lifestyle, geek news, and true crime topics. Her bylines have appeared on Fatherly, Bustle, SheKnows, Jezebel, and many others.