The Paperclip Test

Book excerpt: An entertaining and enlightening personality test, using that humblest of objects—a bent paperclip—to pick the lock of your psyche What does your workspace say about you? The best clues aren’t in your desk or on your computer. Rather, they’re those paperclips in your wastebasket—the ones you’ve fiddled with, probably without even realizing it. When psychiatrist Mario Gmür started scrutinizing paperclips bent by his patients, he found that they actually reveal multitudes about the creator’s character, quirks, and hidden desires. Are you an optimist? A pushover? A baby? A bully? After studying the links between paperclip shapes and distinct character types, Gmür has created a delightful collection of quizzes and psychological profiles that allow readers to discover their innermost secrets using these miniature metallic sculptures. Part Rorschach test and part humorous horoscope, The Paperclip Test offers an amusing yet insightful personality gauge for anyone who has ever bent a paperclip without thinking about what secrets that tiny shape might hold.