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We talked to a raft of different people, asking them questions from the 19th century parlour game.

Below is a composite response of the Proust Questionnaire from the gathered multitudes.

1) What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Friends and family and a beautiful sunny day.

–Bev, 59

2) What is your greatest fear?

I would say, being alone.

–Bev, 59

3) What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

PTSD.

–Brent, 51

4) What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Liars.

–Brent, 51

5) Which living person do you most admire?

What’s a living person? Sorry. My dog, Buddy. He’s a gangster with a heart of gold. He was a half Newfoundlander, half Saint Bernard and he raised me. He’s dead now.

–James, 29

6) What is your greatest extravagance?

I’m sorry. I’m medical. I have no choice. This is my extravagance. You give me anything, yeah, it’s got to be this. This and travelling. Smoking weed and travelling, in Canada.

–Bev, 59

7) What is your current state of mind?

I just had some General Nutrition Centre Mega Man pills, which are mostly vitamins, and so, um, I’m feeling pretty mineralized.

–Alec, 26

8) What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Patience.

–Alec, 26

9) On what occasion do you lie?

I lied to you when I said that the most overrated virtue was patience. It was the only one I could think of.

–Alec, 26

10) What do you most dislike about your appearance?

I was on anti-psychotic medicine and it made me grow man boobs. So it’s like an unnatural part of me. They shouldn’t be there, like, I didn’t start with them. So I guess my man boobs.

–James, 29