Author: Ana Calin

Author Penny Dreadful

What do your Unrequited Loves say about you?

On By Ana CalinIn Love Issues, Psych Secrets, Psychology13 Comments

If even the smallest thing can say a ton about our personalities, then imagine what something as big as Love can reveal. This is the first of many posts that will focus on what our Love says about us. As always, I’m going to ask you to take a look at the quotes below, and choose the one that rings closest to your heart. It’s going to reveal something about the way you love, and even about how you’re loved in return.

  1. “Love is never lost, even if it’s unrequited. It returns to you and tames and cleanses your heart.” Washington Irving
  2. “I prefer a lost love to a love I never had.” Mircea Eliade
  3. “No man who loves should be called unhappy. Even unrequited love has its own rainbow.” James Matthew Barrie
  4. “Friendship is definitely the best cure against the disappointments of love.” Jane Austen
  5. “The fact that you love someone doesn’t mean they have to be yours. Love isn’t a bandage to cover your wounds.” Hugh Elliot

Interpretations:

  1. You have a gift to see the best in almost any situation. Your love is dedicated and often selfless, but also quiet. Beware of that. Some people fail to recognize worth unless you scream it.
  2. Your love is bold, daring, it uncovers its chest and invites the dagger. Passionate and profound, your wounds probably won’t stop you making the same mistake again and again. Your love is intense and addictive.
  3. You’re much calmer in retrospect than you are in the moment of heartbreak. You are a person who focuses on learning, growth and healing. In old age you’ll probably boast a lot of wisdom.
  4. You have a strong sense of self-preservation. Discerning and grounded, your love can be powerful, but almost always less important than reason. In your youth you maybe be/have been easier to intimidate or fool, but this is not the case in older years.
  5. Your love is heavy, serious and committed. But your sharp wit is the hell of a bouncer, so it’s very hard for someone to get in. You’re a fine judge of feelings (and maybe also character). You spot “faulted” loves from afar – co-dependency, Oedipus complex gone wrong, there’s no fooling you. You may be an intimidating lover.

Enjoyed this? Plenty more where it came from, so stay tuned. Until then, search the site for a whole lot of goodies from personality tests to hot love psychology and suspenseful forbidden love stories. For more, follow me on Twitter and Facebook, where I share loads of cool stuff. Of course, last but not least, feel free to tell me your opinion in a comment – I’m all about the discussion at the end of the game : )

 

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9 things you didn’t know about the psychology of love

On By Ana CalinIn Love Issues, Psych Secrets, Psychology45 Comments

There are special advantages to writing forbidden love romance – you learn secrets about the psychology of love. Here are a few gems I really wanted to share with you. And hey – plenty more where these came from.

  1. It takes less than 4 minutes to decide whether you’re into someone or not. In these 4 minutes your subconscious mind makes the decision based on the person’s physical appearance and non-verbal language.
  2. The effect that love has on the brain is similar to the effect of cocaine. Love causes the same kind of thrill, and the same kind of euphoria.
  3. When two lovers look into each other’s eyes, their hearts start beating in the same rhythm.
  4. Only looking at the picture of a loved one relieves pain – the lover’s face may act like a painkiller.
  5. Equally attractive people have higher chances at a balanced relationship. The same goes for equality on all levels. The more levels you and your partner are equal on, the more likely it is for your relationship to be successful.
  6. Apparently the brain isn’t wired to feel attracted to body shapes. It’s always the face that pushes the button. This basically means that an attractive body isn’t as important in attracting a partner as society lets us feel.
  7. The butterflies in your stomach are caused by adrenaline. When you feel the butterflies of infatuation, you’re in the fight or flight mode typical for dangerous situations.
  8. When you feel attracted to someone, your pupils dilate.
  9. Psychologists and researchers have discovered that people’s lives, goals and very existence revolve only around love.

Enjoyed this? Stay tuned for more soon, and feel free to roam the site for a whole lot of goodies from personality tests to hot psychology facts and suspenseful forbidden love stories. I’d love to hear from you, so feel free to leave me your ideas and opinions in a comment. I’m all about the discussion at the end of the game : )

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What does your type of Romance say about you as a lover?

On By Ana CalinIn Psych Secrets, Psychology, Quizzes20 Comments

Did you know that the type of romance you prefer (whether in fiction or in your own fantasy) says a whole lot about you? Read on and discover how much a simple preference can reveal. You don’t have to be an avid romance reader in order to take this test; it’s enough to make your pick by comparison. All you have to do is read the five choices below, and decide which one entices you more. After you’ve made your decision – as always, try to go with your gut, not your conscious mind – go on to the interpretations. You might be surprised what you’ll find . . .

Which of these taglines would you feel more attracted to if you saw them on a book?

  1. Forbidden fruit romance
  2. Bad Boy/girl next door (or) Bad Girl/boy next door romance
  3. Friends to lovers romance (romantic comedy)
  4. Protector romance
  5. Enemies to lovers romance

Interpretations:

  1. You’re capable of the deepest passion. Probably Scorpionic in nature, you’re fascinating and compelling, but you pull your lover in like quicksand. There’s a flip side to the emotional highs that you offer – you’re obsessive, possessive, and demanding. Jealousy may be an issue.
  2. Your love is nurturing and healing, and you’re capable of the deepest sacrifice. While you’re a real balm for a lover, soothing and sweet, you’re in danger of making a martyr of yourself. You may need to nurture your self-esteem more.
  3. Your love is real fuel; engaging, optimistic and fun, you’re a wonderful lover to freedom-loving spirits; not many people are capable of the trust you offer, which makes you a comfortable partner even for the most difficult personalities. Beware of taking things too lightly, though.
  4. You’re delicate and sometimes fragile; your vulnerability is often attractive and pulls in the “savior” kind of partners; you’re profound and interesting, but you must beware of attracting predators; abusers often disguise themselves as over-protectors.
  5. You have a strong personality, are probably opinionated, and you may often polarize; maybe you haven’t always had the best of luck in love. But once unlocked, your passion is true fire, Mars on steroids. Your love is rewarding. Beware of becoming a drama queen now and then, though.

Enjoyed this? Plenty more where it came from. Check out the Personality Tests section on the site for many more personality tests, or scroll down to older posts for HOT psychology facts and personality quizzes. Also, please don’t forget that I always love hearing from you. Tell me what you got on this one. Do you like it forbidden, bad or friendly? Please feel free to share in a comment, you know curiosity is eating at me.

 

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Personality tests and fiction – what do Freud and Superman have in common?

On By Ana CalinIn Personality tests, Psychology, Truth behind the story4 Comments

This article is scheduled to appear on a friend-site next week as a guest post, but I thought I’d share it first with you, my readers and friends, who’ve been with me for a while now. It’s the backstory of the personality tests on this site, and of how they fuel my fiction.

While I am a writer of romantic suspense and mystery before anything else, I base my stories on accumulated knowledge of psychology and pharma (with which I have close contact through my work as a science translator). In my fiction I combine learned facts with imagination. My stories are mainly about talents becoming superpowers, and humans turning superhuman, but instead of going the beaten path of genetic engineering, my heroes go psych. What that means, exactly, and how is that related to the personality tests?

Well, the theory goes like this – humans are born with limitless potential; it’s the education we receive from family and society that limits us in time, that programs our minds; they teach us, for example, “we all have to die one day.” But do we? My fiction dares to question this universal truth, among other things. In my stories, unlocking the full human potential in order to make a character superhuman is a superpower in itself that requires great psychological finesse. But in real life I explore the human mind through personality tests that help readers discover who they are at the core, step by step. What is unique about you? What is your special talent (that may become a superpower, given the proper guidance)? Sure, you may be a wonderful but hopeless singer, thinking you share this talent with many others, but what you don’t know is that your voice has a unique vibration that no one else can produce. What does that vibration mean? And the questions can go on and on and on. Not to mention they can fuel countless stories.

While an in-depth personal profile or personal guidance is needed in order to answer the more exact questions, the personality tests on www.ana-calin.com will lead you step by step to discover the dark corners of your own mind. A while back I did a personal profile on a reader who became a close friend of mine, and I based my short story “Hyperion” on his alter ego – I’m waving at you, cuzz : ) The story is available here, if you’re ever curious. As for the personality tests, feel free to roam www.ana-calin.com for them, they’re free and some interactive. This is one of my favorites. Enjoy everything the site has to offer, and feel free to leave me a comment or write to me, if you like. You can find me on the blog, but also on Facebook and Twitter. If you have suggestions or would like to see personality tests with certain themes, by all means, I’d love to hear about it.

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What does your Shadow say about you? – Personality Test

On By Ana CalinIn Personality tests, Psych Secrets, Psychology, Quizzes22 Comments

Welcome to a new personality test that will help you explore yet further the depths of your psyche. Today we have a special treat. The word “shadow” is a powerful one in psychology, and the associations we make to it say a lot about who we are – or fear to be. So, as always, I’ll ask you to please take a look at the book titles (or potential book titles) below, and decide which one would best suit a book in which you’d play the protagonist! As always, please try to enter a relaxed state of mind, in which you can feel rather than make your decision.

  1. Silver Shadow
  2. The Shadow Prince/ess
  3. Beyond the Shadow
  4. The Shadow God
  5. The Name of the Shadow

Interpretations:

  1. Your demons are in the open. You don’t really fear them, nor do you find them ugly. You may be quite comfortable with your dark side. Saying you wear your heart on your sleeve may be a bit overboard, but you’re a sincere personality.
  2. You know you have valuable strengths. Ambition and confidence are words that define you. You may be somewhat manipulative when you deem it necessary, and you don’t really feel bad about it either.
  3. You’re an explorer – especially of your own soul and those you care about. You may be a good “therapist” kind of friend. Beware of energy vampires – some people are all about complaining and poison, and may abuse your powers and kindness.
  4. You feel the human being has limitless potential. Deep down you believe in the divine character of humans, and you’re willing to start on the tough journey of discovering and unlocking. You may feel that humans are descendants of gods.
  5. You’re extremely profound. You may have a love of reading, with special interest in philosophy and mythology. For many people you’re a delight to talk to, and quite fascinating. You’re mysterious and maybe compelling.

I’m cat-curious what you got, so please leave a comment with your choice if you feel comfortable sharing. For more hot psychology and mystery subscribe to this blog and follow me on Twitter and Facebook. You can always check out the Personality Tests section on this site (above) or scroll down the older posts. Looking forward to hearing from you!

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Shocking Psychology Facts

On By Ana CalinIn Personality tests, Psych Secrets, Psychology, Quizzes34 Comments

Here is another top 5 Shocking Psychology Facts! And we’ll keep them coming, folks 🙂

  1. Critique harms more than it helps. Even a perfectionist will be caused to under perform if they’re criticized. There is no such thing as “constructive criticism.” If we are to criticize, we should start with praise, continue with our points of critique, and conclude with further praise.
  2. The bystander effect. When people are uncertain, they do what they see others doing, thinking that if others do it, it must be the right thing. That’s why people often stand around and watch other people being mugged or beaten – it’s often not fear, but self-doubt, mistrust in the own perception, which causes them to do what they see others do around them.
  3. People tend to be more honest when they feel someone is watching them, even if it’s only a picture on a wall.
  4. Depression doesn’t only affect the mind, but also the body. Studies show that “severe” depression causes cells to age, and makes people more susceptible to age-related disease.
  5. There is little difference between being in love and having obsessive-compulsive disorder. The biochemical reactions are almost identical.

 

For more psych goodies, stay in touch by subscribing to this blog, or by connecting on Twitter and Facebook. I’m always happy to hear from you.

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Personality Test – What do your Villain Statements say about you?

On By Ana CalinIn Personality tests, Psych Secrets, Psychology, Quizzes15 Comments

Now we’re down to the nitty-gritty! What does the villain in you say about your personality? Take this personality test to find out. Just like in the other personality tests before this one, take a look at the statements below and decide which one of them appeals to you most. Just like last time, try to base your decision on what your gut tells you rather than your mind. Ready? Here we go.

  1. „Villains often come with pretty faces.“
  2. “I might be the villain of my own story.”
  3. “There are only two kinds of people in the world: villains and smiling villains.”
  4. “If you have a gun, you can rob a bank. But if you have a bank, you can rob everyone.”
  5. “The question isn’t, ‘who is going to let me?’; it’s, “who’s going to stop me.”

Interpretations:

  1. You often felt hurt by the people you desired and admired; your experience makes you one of the few who can resist an abuser who uses charm to manipulate; you’re a mentalist, a people-reader, and should often be feared.
  2. You’ve often been standing in your own way; you might have inner programming that hinders you in either your professional field or your love life; or maybe both; you might be too profound for your own good and fail to desire the things society tells you that you should want.
  3. You have trust issues; there’s no one you can really call your best friend, which makes you a dangerous person quite often; you’re often intriguing for other people like a viper with sparkling scales.
  4. You understand what’s happening around you, and you’re often sick to have to be part of the system; you’re rebellious, often bitter, but very articulate; you often have an influence in your circle.
  5. You pursue success at all costs; you’re not a person of many scruples, nor are you willing to compromise; you might do it, but only temporarily and with the thought of revenge; you’re determined and focused; a force for good or evil, it’s only a matter of choice.

So what did you get? I’d love to find out, so please leave a comment with your choice if you care to share. Check out the many personality tests in the Personality Tests section above, or by scrolling down the Older Posts on the Home page. Looking forward to reading from you!

For more, subscribe to this blog and follow me on Twitter  and Facebook to get a notification each time a new post is up.

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What does your Philosophy Quote say about you?

On By Ana CalinIn Personality tests, Psychology, Quizzes24 Comments

What does your chosen philosophy quote say about you? Take this personality test to find out! As so often before, I’m going to ask you to take a look at the quotes below, go in a relaxed state, and decide which one appeals to you most of the five. Try not to decide on it mentally, but rather feel your choice.

  1. “Knowledge is power.” – Francis Bacon
  2. “Beauty is in the heart of the beholder.” – David Hume
  3. “And after all, what is a lie? But truth in masquerade.” – Lord Byron
  4. “An idiot doesn’t say many smart things, but a genius can talk a lot of nonsense.” – Garabet Ibraileanu
  5. “The heart has reasons that reason knows nothing of.” – Blaise Pascal

Interpretations:

  1. Your choice shows a powerful mind, an intellectual; reason is stronger than emotion more often than not; the mind and the heart struggle  with each other, and the mind always wins.
  2. Your choice shows a beautiful mind and kind heart; your innermost mood is generally sunny, you’re good natured and a gem in other people’s lives; altruistic and positive, you can be a well of good energy.
  3. You’re complex and contradicting, your soul goes to dizzying highs but also to abyssal lows; you’re painfully honest to yourself and you can wield a good choice of words.
  4. You don’t take anything for granted; you have an analytical mind, and you may often get hit by a “bird-eye” vision of the world in which everything seems strange or artificial.
  5. This may come as a complete surprise to you, but you have a mathematical mind; your reason is strong, even though you’re an emotional, nurturing person; your feelings are rooted and reliable; you’re realistic and grounded.

So what did you get? I’d love to read from you, so feel free to leave me a comment with your choice. Feel just as free to check out the many available personality tests in the Personality Tests section above, or by scrolling down the Older Posts on the Home page. Looking forward to reading from you!

Ana

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New Year’s Special – Personality Test What is your Calling?

On By Ana CalinIn Personality tests, Psych Secrets, Psychology, Quizzes10 Comments

As promised, here goes another Special! This is the final personality test in the What is your Calling? series, and what it requires you to do is this: Relax, and let the concept of “dream job” go through your head. Which of the following words describes best how you feel about this concept? Please stay true to yourself, and don’t force one of these words on yourself, but go with the one that naturally sticks.

  1. Must
  2. Money
  3. Passion
  4. Useful
  5. Pleasure

Interpretations:

  1. You feel pretty far removed from your true calling; you might think you know what it is, but your choice shows you do not; it also hints that your vocation has to do with freedom and maybe intellectuality.
  2. You live for success, whether you’re fully aware of it or not; you would be pretty much into anything as long as success and acknowledgement are at the end of the road; you might be good with math and finances.
  3. You’re driven and decided, maybe also perseverant; your strengths may lie in entrepreneurship or sports, and you might be a born leader; you’ll put your personal life on hold for the sake of what you do, you’re dedicated by nature.
  4. You live to serve; you’ll do what it takes to serve your community, you’re grounded and mature; you’re good with people and love to see their needs fulfilled; wisdom is one of your strengths.
  5. You’re born for the arts; you believe that any job requires talent and you might be an advocate of education; you may be given to teaching or mentoring; you like to have a hand in forming the young.

Hope you enjoyed this? Check out the previous personality tests in the Personality Tests section above as well as by scrolling through Older Posts at the bottom of the Home page. For more goodies follow me on Twitter and Facebook and be sure that I’ll be there to answer any questions you might have. You know I’m always thrilled to hear from you. Wish you a wonderful New Year’s and may 2017 see all your projects and dreams come true!

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Christmas Special Personality Test – What is Your Calling?

On By Ana CalinIn Personality tests, Psychology, Quizzes27 Comments

A Christmas Special personality test of the series What is Your Calling, y’all! You’ve most probably been asked quite a few times by now what you’d like for Christmas, so this question shouldn’t have you pondering for too long. So here it is:

Which of the following presents would you prefer that Santa placed under your tree?

  1. The classical perfume or body care products
  2. A new-technology gadget
  3. A bottle of valuable old wine
  4. A rare artifact from a faraway land
  5. Something to wear, a suit or a dress

Interpretations:

  1. You’re aware of the importance of image; a job where you take the front line, where you deal with people and the limelight would suit you well; PR, marketing, events or entertainment are for you.
  2. There’s no question you understand the value of progress; you’re one to try and be ahead of the competition at all times; you might make a good entrepreneur; in any case, you’d do well in business; of course, inclination towards science goes without saying.
  3. You see the value of the inner world, and you appreciate quality and finesse; you could make a good teacher, philosopher, writer; you find your comfort in the depths of the mind, and you might do well sharing them.
  4. You appreciate the past, diversity, secrets and myths; you might discover that you have a passion for archeology, research, museum-related jobs or journalism; you’re braver than you give yourself credit for.
  5. You might be a born actor or actress; what you wear affects your mood and enhances certain parts of you; you could be pretty much anything you decide to, but taking on different roles at different times is what you’re most comfortable with; you might do well in Arts or Language.

Hope you enjoyed this as much as the previous tests. Wait? You don’t know about the previous ones? Check out the Personality Tests section above as well as Older Posts at the bottom of the page to find a whole world of personality tests that will help you discover the still unknown depths of your inner self. For more goodies follow me on Twitter or Facebook and be sure that I’ll be there to answer any question you might have. In fact, I’m always thrilled to hear from you. Wish you a Merry Christmas, wonderful days and magical nights and, most of all, a tremendously generous Santa!

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NEW personality test of the series What’s Your Calling

On By Ana CalinIn Fiction Entertainment, Personality tests, Psych Secrets, Psychology20 Comments

The time has come for a new quiz of the series What is Your Calling! This is a very subtle one, so try to go deep into yourself when making your choice. Still, try not to take more than 30 seconds in order to ensure that you stay true to your inner self. Don’t let anything and anyone influence you.

Which of the following activities do you most enjoy doing with your hands?

  1. Typing/writing with pens, etc.
  2. Knitting/pottering
  3. Painting
  4. Making knives; anything to do with metal.
  5. Cooking

Interpretations:

  1. You’re an intellectual; your mind is your sharpest weapon and it’s what can best serve your fellow humans. That unique something you can offer the world is of intellectual nature.
  2. You’re a creature of crafts; reliable and grounded, you’re useful to society in basic, indispensable ways. That unique something you can offer the world is related to the basis of all professions – crafts.
  3. You’re an artist at heart, but you can also blend the arts with crafts. You’re the decorator, the home-maker, the visionary, the one who can help others build a perfect home and a perfect family. You inspire people. You may challenge tradition.
  4. You’re a warrior, a defender or an attacker, depending on your cause. You’re dangerous and devious. The unique something you can offer the world is martial in nature, for defense or attack.
  5. You’re a nurturing soul. You’re the world’s healer, the doctor, the therapist, the kind heart, the accommodator, sometimes the mentalist. You may have certain inclinations to the occult.

Enjoyed this? Check out the Personality Tests section of this side and Older Posts at the bottom of the home page for many more tests and psych discussions. Stay tuned for a new quiz on Monday and more of this series and the series What Kind of Lover are You by Christmas.

For more, follow me on Twitter and Facebook. I’d love to hear from you! Please share your thoughts and feelings in a comment and, if you like, especially your chosen answer to this quiz. You know I’m always super curious : )

 

Personality Test – Who am I?

On By Ana CalinIn Personality tests, Psych Secrets, Psychology16 Comments

As promised, more personality tests and hot psych topics coming up! Please look at the lines below and make your decision, as always, as quickly as possible. Which of the following inspires you the most?

  1. What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do. (John Ruskin)
  2. Work like you don’t need money, love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like no one’s watching. (Anonymous)
  3. People say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily. (Zig Ziglar)
  4. The richest man is not he who has the most, but he who needs the least. (Anonymous)
  5. Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

Interpretation:

  1. You’re very well aware of your reality; a doer, a person of action; your pleasures are earthy and sensual; sturdy personality, no–nonsense.
  2. Feelings and high emotion are what drives you; bold even though maybe shy, you have an intense inner world; vivid imagination.
  3. You’re an entrepreneur; you like taking your destiny into your own hands and steering it to where you want; a free spirit, has leadership talents.
  4. You’re altruistic by nature and Spartan in your habits, but also emotionally vulnerable; past hurts have given you a hard shell that’s super hard to penetrate.
  5. You push yourself ever further, and you accept sacrifice; you grit your teeth and keep bleeding if it’s for a good cause, but you need to find your boundaries.

Enjoyed this? Plenty more where it came from! Take the many other personality tests that are available for you in the Personality Tests section on this site, and get much deeper insights into the still unknown corners of your personality. If you want yet more, feel free to ask me for a personal profile. I’m always happy to hear from you! Leave your thoughts in a comment, and don’t shy away from making suggestions for further posts.

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