Answer these questions (honestly – no one will know but you):
1. An office mate eats a sandwich with a whole lot of onions
a. I consider his odor might increase my chances for a promotion
b. I consider telling him he’s stinking up the place
2. My IT consultant leaves after fixing my computer – it goes down the next day
a. I call him up and tell him what a miserable job he did
b. I call him up and let him know what happened
3. I am waiting in the express line at the bank that says: “loan payments only.”
a. I check my voicemail and Facebook account for updates
b. I look ahead to see who’s got a deposit slip or cash in their hands
4. The news is filled with stories about the number of foreclosures in the US
a. I believe people who can’t pay their mortgages knew they were taking out loans they couldn’t repay
b. I believe a lot of people were victims of bad loan deals or lost their jobs unexpectedly
5. There have been times when I was very angry with others
a. I was always able to control any desire to lash out physically
b. I have impulsively hit or pushed someone
6. An online news source discussed the causes and costs of drug addiction
a. I wish society had more effective prevention and treatment options
b. People involved with substances get what they deserve
7. The emergency room is jammed up with uninsured people
a. People who don’t have healthcare insurance are irresponsible
b. Healthcare insurance is priced out of range for many people
8. I sometimes argue with a colleague or customer
a. I occasionally use profanity, it’s common now even on television
b. I rarely use curse words or off-color language
9. A driver cuts me off on the road
a. I honk and consider speeding up to return the favor
b. I decelerate to put some room between our cars
10. Something extremely important must be done at work
a. As usual, I take it on myself so that it’s done right
b. I ask a co-worker if she can pitch in
11. Frequently I let an angry feeling
a. Come and go, because it avoids making a big deal out of something small
b. Be the catalyst for my speaking my mind; it’s not good to hold anger in
12. Someone criticizes something I’ve done
a. I feel annoyed
b. I try to decide if there is merit in the criticism
13. I overhear an unkind comment about me
a. I typically forget about it after a short while
b. I think about it for hours, sometimes longer
14. My co-worker is asking a lot of questions about a project we’re starting on
a. I assume she’s trying to be proactive and solve some problems that might be ahead
b. I assume she’s not capable or confident about her part of the project
15. My friend expresses an ignorant belief about politics
a. I set him straight
b. I let the comment pass
Scoring: Hostility has three categories. Each one: cynicism, anger and aggression are represented by five of the questions in the quiz. See below to rate yourself (the answer in parenthesis is the hostile one). For each category, if you score just 0-2 points, you’re doing okay (zero being ideal). If you’re scoring higher, you now have some insight into why your career or business may be sputtering.
Cynicism: 3(b), 4(a), 7(a), 10(a), 14(b),
Anger: 1(b), 6(b), 9(a), 13(b), 12 (a)
Aggression: 2(a), 5(b), 8(a), 11(b), 15(a)
