35 Proust Questions for Camilla Chance

It’s fun and insightful. The famous Proust Questionnaire as answered by best selling Australian author Camilla Chance. Her book Wisdom Man is being released in French Polynesia on October 20 as Un Homme de Sagesse.

1. 1. What is your idea of perfect happiness? After much progress through eternity, unity with God after death.
2. 2. What is your greatest fear? Of being cold.
3. 3.What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I believe there are no bad qualities in anyone – it depends how they are used.
4. What is the trait you most deplore in others? Not keeping their word. I do keep mine.
5. Which living person do you most admire? Mother Teresa – she was living until recently.
6. What is your greatest extravagance? Using electricity.
7. What is your current state of mind? Grateful.
8. What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Knowing the price of everything, and having material possessions.
9. On what occasion do you lie? I do not lie, but I try to express myself kindly and I avoid admitting to being in pain.
10. What do you most dislike about your appearance? Some wrinkles around my eyes.
11. Which living person do you most despise? I do not despise anyone. I believe there are no bad people – only unhappy people.
12. What is the quality you most like in a man? Keeping his word.
13. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Keeping her word.
14. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? I constantly say “Thank you” to the spiritual realm – for every little thing that works out right.
15. What or who is the greatest love of your life? I am in love with everybody in the world, and trees and creatures.
16. When and where were you happiest? When I was eighteen, and going out very innocently with the first man who asked me to marry him.
17. Which talent would you most like to have? To sing in tune.
18. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’d like to help people more.
19. What do you consider your greatest achievement? Co-writing Wisdom Man, and writing Melissa and Kasho.
20. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? I believe you only live once – but, if you do it right, once is enough.
21. Where would you most like to live? In Florence, Italy.
22. What is your most treasured possession? I do not have one.
23. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Feeling far away from God.
24. What is your favorite occupation? Writing.
25. What is your most marked characteristic? People say the most outstanding thing about me is that they can feel my love.
26. What do you most value in your friends? Keeping their word.
27. Who are your favorite writers? J.M. Synge, the Irish playwright and poet.
28. Who is your hero of fiction? The ordinary, natural people in Synge’s play “Riders to the Sea.”
29. Which historical figure do you most identify with? My historical heroine is Joan of Arc.
30. Who are your heroes in real life? The Baha’i martyrs.
31. What are your favorite names? Ruth and David – they symbolize selfless love to me.
32. What is it that you most dislike? I don’t know.
33. What is your greatest regret? Stopping writing popular songs for the “Kuban Cossacks.”
34. How would you like to die? Fully aware.
35. What is your motto? Do all the good you can to all the people you can in all the ways you can in all the places you can at all the times you can as long as ever you can.