Also called Intellect or Imagination in the original research. Different names, same underlying trait.

Higher in openness to experience

People higher in openness tend to be curious, drawn to the unfamiliar, and comfortable sitting with an idea before deciding what it is good for. Variety appeals more than routine.

Lower in openness to experience

People lower in openness tend to prefer the practical, the concrete and the proven. That usually comes with focus and follow-through on what already works, rather than being pulled toward every new thing.

Neither end is the good one

It is tempting to read one side of a personality scale as the healthy side. That is not how these traits work. Each end carries its own strengths and its own costs, and which one serves you better depends entirely on the situation you are in. A trait is a description of how you tend to operate, not a score on how well you are doing.

Traits also move over a lifetime. Where you land today is a snapshot, not a sentence.

The statements that measure it

Openness to Experience is scored from these 10 statements. 7 count toward a higher score and 3 are reverse-scored.

  • Have a rich vocabulary.
  • Have difficulty understanding abstract ideas.reverse-scored
  • Have a vivid imagination.
  • Am not interested in abstract ideas.reverse-scored
  • Have excellent ideas.
  • Do not have a good imagination.reverse-scored
  • Am quick to understand things.
  • Use difficult words.
  • Spend time reflecting on things.
  • Am full of ideas.

Reverse-scored statements count the other way round: agreeing with one lowers the score rather than raising it. Mixing them in is what stops someone who agrees with everything from scoring high on everything, and it is why a questionnaire like this cannot simply be eyeballed.

The other four traits