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Heather Hanks
Written by Heather Hanks

Reviewed by Physician Kwek Le Yin and Dr Eki Wari on January 10, 2023

Take This TCM Personality Quiz To Gauge Your Health

Published | 5 min read

This personality quiz is based on TCM's Five Element Theory. You'll be surprised how your emotions influence your health and vice versa. Take the quiz to learn more about how to care for yourself based on your element.

TCM personality types min scaled

What can a personality quiz tell you about your health and how to take care of yourself? A lot more than you think, actually.

You may have heard of the Myers-Briggs test. It was developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, and inspired by the psychoanalytic theories of Carl Jung.

On the other end of the personality quiz spectrum is the Five Element theory. It relates the human body’s organs and tissues, emotions, and nature to specific elements. These elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water – have individual characteristics, and form our personalities. Examples of these are: 

  • Wood: Extending, moving upward and outward 
  • Fire: Warm, ascending, flaring upward 
  • Earth: Generating, growing, carrying, receiving 
  • Metal: Changing, purifying, descending, astringent
  • Water: Moving downwards, cold, moisturizing 

The Five Element theory states that most of us have only one dominant element. Each element requires a different approach to health. Take this personality quiz to see where you fall and how to best care for yourself based on your element.

Take The Five Element Personality Quiz

This quiz based on the Five Element theory will identify your personality type and the steps you can take to achieve equilibrium and good health. You may be inclined to choose more than one answer for each question. However, it’s advisable to select one answer that resonates with you the most. 

What Do Your Personality Quiz Answers Mean?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) states that the body’s organs and tissues are connected through the meridian channels. It also corresponds to nature and your environment.

“The five elements maintain balance by generating and restraining one another according to a sequence. Sometimes, over-restriction or counter-restriction can happen, disrupting this balance. Over-restriction refers to excessive restraint. Counter-restriction describes the conflict between a weak restraining element and a restrained element that is too strong. This results in the counter-restriction of the weak element by the strong.”

TCM Physician Kwek Le Yin.

Here is what your personality quiz answers might mean, according to TCM’s Five Element theory:

If you answered mostly “A,” your element is Wood

A smiling, confident young woman listening to music and eating healthy
When balanced, a Wood-type personality appears confident, healthy, and capable.

You’re a Wood-type personality. If balanced, you’ll appear assertive, confident, ambitious, competitive, decisive, committed, and straightforward.

On the other hand, an unbalanced personality will project aggression, arrogance, tyranny, hostility, and recklessness.

Excess and Deficiency syndromes provoke the onset of depression or anger. You may also be prone to stresshigh blood pressure, and gallstones.

TCM believes that Liver Qi Stagnation is common among Wood-type personalities. Yoga can regulate your emotions by improving qi flow. It may also help relax tense muscles.

  • Side-stretching helps benefit the Liver and gallbladder meridians as they run along the outer sides of the body.
  • Meanwhile, Lingzhi helps balance emotional struggles due to anger or depression by regulating the body’s stress response.
  • Individuals looking to maintain cardiovascular and blood pressure health can take an herbal blood pressure supplement.

If you answered mostly “B,” your element is Fire

You have a Fire-type personality. Excellent communication, charisma, optimism, awareness, creativity, and attentiveness are your strong suits. On bad days, you can become disorganized and will struggle to think clearly.

Excess Fire may cause you to act erratic and overly excited. A Deficiency of the element can cause an intense admiration for someone or something or lead you to be overly sensitive and suicidal. The health problems associated with this personality type are heart disease and anxiety disorders.

It’s advisable to moderate the consumption of yin-depleting caffeinated beverages and spicy foods. You may consider switching from coffee to ginseng tea. Also, include yin-nourishing lily bulbs (Bai He) and goji berries (Gou Qi) in your diet.

If you answered mostly “C,” your element is Earth

A young woman chewing and eating an apple
Eating slowly and chewing your food carefully is recommended for Earth personalities.

You have an Earth-type personality. This translates to being a person who’s grounded and practical. An Excess syndrome can turn you into a fussy, stubborn, and meddling person.

Deficiencies will make you clingy, hesitant, and eager to please. You’ll also find it difficult to ask people for help or you may experience fatigue and digestive disorders.

Cultivating proper eating habits is recommended to improve digestive health. These include chewing your food properly and avoiding cold and raw foods. Digestive health granules can also help ease symptoms of many gut disorders.

If you answered mostly “D,” your element is Metal

As someone with a Metal-type personality, you’re particular about your appearance and keeping order. In addition, you may develop a fascination for antique art pieces or new technology.

Being in a state of balance will keep you meticulous, discerning, calm, neat, disciplined, and honorable. However, Excess syndrome will turn you into someone who’s dogmatic and overly orderly. A Deficiency syndrome can make you sloppy and an unknowing hypocrite.

The weaknesses of a Metal-type personality include loss and grief. You may also be vulnerable to problems like asthma, constipation, and low immunity.

Aerobic exercises strengthen your Lungs and prevent or improve asthma symptoms. The consumption of high-fiber foods or a fiber supplement eases constipation by encouraging bowel movements. Likewise, supplementing with a probiotic or digestive enzymes may help encourage a healthy digestive tract.

If you answered mostly “E,” your element is Water

A depressed young woman looking out the window into the rain
For Water-type personalities, a Deficiency syndrome may cause you to isolate yourself from the world.

You’re a Water-type personality and can adapt to ever-changing environments and scenarios. For example, you can be candid, introspective, curious, ingenious, thrifty, sensible, or lucid at different times.

If you develop an Excess syndrome, you may be demanding and desirous. A Deficiency syndrome will cause you to withdraw completely from the world around you.

Physician Kwek recommends the consumption of black-colored foods if you have this personality type. Black rice, blackberries, black garlic, and black beans can protect and strengthen the Kidneys, which are linked with the Water element.

Use This Personality Quiz To Understand Your Health

A personality quiz can help you understand who you really are and the factors that impair or boost your health. Speak to a licensed TCM practitioner if you wish to combine lifestyle modifications with the use of herbs. If you find this quiz useful, share it with your family and friends!

References

  1. Vox Media. 2015. Why the Myers-Briggs test is totally meaningless
  2. Denver Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine. Personality and the 5 Elements. Which one are you? 

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