Reading others

I think everyone likes to think that they can read other people well. I am one such person. 😀 I just took a test linked from an article in the Scientic American that discusses the role of the ability to read other people:

We must understand “where others are coming from” not only to pursue our individual goals but also to facilitate social harmony more generally. Specifically, we need to recognize that other people can have thoughts, beliefs, desires and feelings that differ from our own — and that those thoughts, ideas, and desires can drive their behavior. This understanding in turn allows us to predict how others will behave.

As I love learning/thinking about people and why they behave the way they do, I naturally enjoyed this article quite a bit.

I also took the test that was linked, because, well, I love taking tests. 🙂

I scored a 29 out of a possible 36. I think they said the average was around 26 and that those with Asperger syndrome hover around 21. I wonder if there will be a correlation in results between this test and the one AngryChad posted from NewsWeek.