Are you a "drama queen"?

Joe

Joe

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Apparently psychologists have invented a test to measure your secret need for drama.

Test here

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/03/heres-a-test-to-measure-your-need-for-drama.html

It's not really a very good one, rather short. I got "medium" need for drama :scared:

Maybe you're not a "drama queen", but maybe you know one?

In any case, this might be a good opportunity to discuss the concept of a 'drama queen', what 'drama' actually is (is there more than one type?) and what motivates someone who is very 'dramatic'.
 
Thanks for sharing. I agree the test is not very good and I got a "low" to their standards.

Joe said:
In any case, this might be a good opportunity to discuss the concept of a 'drama queen', what 'drama' actually is (is there more than one type?) and what motivates someone who is very 'dramatic'.
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As far as I understand it, I would say a drama queen is someone who makes out of small problems big or bigger ones. To a "drama queen" problems that occur are for them overwhelming and maybe a coping mechanism too.
 
I got 'very low' by their standards.

Gawan said:
As far as I understand it, I would say a drama queen is someone who makes out of small problems big or bigger ones. To a "drama queen" problems that occur are for them overwhelming and maybe a coping mechanism too.
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Seems reasonable.
 
Average - though i've been accused of it many times before! :halo: I think sometimes people mix up dramatic with whupping it up intentionally though.

I think the description (in the article on sott especially) is more for a vindictive queen than drama queen. Drama queens may stir up their own lives, and i know many and witness them becoming bored so they, without realising, create the drama. But i think it's rare enough that they are so vindictive.

These mild queens can speak their mind when it's not required, and can vehemently defend their right to do so, so i agree with that. And that's when any damage usually happens. From my experience (i have one person in mind! ;) )

"People talk about me" Gossip can be good, and often the people talking are just bored, or jealous and bitching can be fun, if you don't think much and have a low self esteem. And people love to talk about those doing something different.

"People are out to get me" well, again, there are nasty people out there, why you would stay friends with them is questionable. Being paranoid about it, yes, drama queens do behave that way, usually when they don't get what they want, but the mild ones don't act out on them, like taking revenge.

I think the worrying thing here is mixing up the (probably wounded) drama queen with the psycho drama queen - that's what it seems to be doing. osit right now.

So yeah, not a great test, but it's nice to be called an average queen, for once ;D

Just some thoughts.
 
Thank you for sharing the test Joe, i got very low, but as you said it's a simple test so it may show some degree of inaccuracy.

As about the "Drama Queen" syndrome, i've encountered some people who will fit this profile. Why were they playing the drama queen role? To be honest, it's a little difficult for me to answer because i think there may be implicated many factors. Some drama queens i think are just plain narcissistic people, others may have been abused, mistreated by their parents who had particular pathological traits and as a consequence the child adopted this kind of behaviour as the drama queen as a coping mechanism, and unfortunately for them and for the people around them they can play this role the entire live.
My current thought at the moment. Will keep an eye on the thread.
 
I got "average." Andromeda did say I was "a bit of a drama king" on my Swamp thread - which is sometimes true, so I think would align with "average."
 
Gawan said:
As far as I understand it, I would say a drama queen is someone who makes out of small problems big or bigger ones. To a "drama queen" problems that occur are for them overwhelming and maybe a coping mechanism too.
Click to expand...

As someone who has been "drama king" often I would say that this kind of behavior goes hand in hand with overtly sensitive personality. I think as long as one is aware of this tendency there is a lot of room for improvement. Having said that it looks like Joe's link is not working (OMG! :P) so I was unable to test my present need for drama :)

I think most people have this tendency ( some internalize some externalize) and as long as it is not down to histrionic personality disorder with time and proper introspection it can be kept in check or even conquered OSIT.
 
And some more added thoughts - looking back I just realized that I never exhibited this tendency in my professional life- only private life. But I guess this is very normal because in professional setting ME is usually shoved in the background.
 
Low thank goodness. Life can be tricky enough - no need to create needless dramas! Not only that, they waste everyone's energy for nothing.
 
I think there is something in the nature of most of us that unconsciously seeks drama, and I think we're usually not fully aware when we create it. I've noticed in myself that it is easy to dramatize issues immediately following feedback. It seems an aspect of the imagination that Gurdjieff talked about. But in any case it seems a way of avoiding the heat by manipulating others to feel it. We might even think, 'Oh man! I'm really feeling the heat on this one!', but an overly dramatic response takes things out of perspective and creates an environment where we're seeking to be consoled or looking for commiseration instead of actually processing the issues and learning from it. Such displays are like a caricature of genuine feelings of remorse. It stinks that we're wired this way, but if we can become aware of our propensity for drama, this awareness can help redirect these energies in a more helpful and less chaotic way.
 
transientP said:
I got a Very Low.

So few questions on this one..
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My outcome also.

And the same observation... very short test.
 
Well, I got "low", but it would be higher in the past. Pity that the test is too short and doesn't really address the real issues that may indicate the need to drama. For example, my temperament is rather "dramatic" one, but then life and experiences taught me that with most people better keep my own opinions to myself, unless there is a specific situation that warrants it. Besides, we have the forum and SOTT to speak our mind. ;)

On the other hand, if they had more questions about interpersonal dynamics, due to various programs and tendency to over-dramatize situations, I probably would score higher. ;)
 
Interesting that a couple folks got "low" who I would think are very much "drama queens", having created dramas - tempests in teacups or repeated life-screw-ups - here on the forum.

I was reading a book by a psychologist recently and he suggested that the need for ongoing stimulation in life from dramas etc occurs in persons who do not have very well formed ego-selves and need for stuff to be constantly happening to feel "alive". Such a person will trigger dramas unconsciously to "get attention", because if they aren't getting attention they feel like they are going to disappear. This drama can be any type of thing even including screwing up royally so that everybody has to give attention to a situation to fix it. So it's not necessarily just somebody "stirring the pot" consciously.
 
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