Activity | Partner Awareness Quiz

[From: Dr. Phil’s Relationship Rescue]

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you already know your partner inside out. Without consulting your partner, answer the following questions as honestly as possible. The point is to assess how aware you are of your partner right now.

Read each statement and mark either True or False:

• I can name my partner’s three best friends [TRUE | FALSE]
• I know what accomplishments my partner is most proud of. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I can identify the happiest times in my partner’s life. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I know what my partner considers to be his or her greatest losses in life. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I can describe what my partner considers to be his or her greatest area of difficulty in interacting with each of his or her parents. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I know what will probably be playing on the radio when my partner is driving somewhere. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I can name the relatives that my partner would most likely try to avoid at a family reunion. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I can describe the most traumatic event that occurred in my partner’s childhood. [TRUE | FALSE]
• My partner has clearly identified for me what he or she wants in life. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I can identify the obstacles that my partner believes are preventing his/her getting what he/she wants. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I know which of my partner’s physical features he or she is least happy about. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I can recall the very first impressions I had of my partner. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I know what section of the Sunday newspaper my partner is likely to turn to first. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I can describe, in some detail, the home environment in which my partner was raised. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I know what makes my partner laugh. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I know what my partner’s parents would probably say is the thing about my partner that they are most proud of. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I can describe two or three decisions my partner made before we met that my partner now regrets, and my partner can do the same about me. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I know which part of a restaurant menu my partner is likely to look at first. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I can quote three things my partner says to me that he or she says to no one else in this world. [TRUE | FALSE]
• I am thoroughly familiar with my partner’s religious beliefs. [TRUE | FALSE]

SCORING:

Give yourself a point for each true answer. If you scored higher than a 10, it’s fair to say that you’ve developed a pretty accurate profile of your partner. But it’s not time to break out the champagne yet – not by a long shot. There’s a great deal of exploration and discovery still to come. Likewise, a score of 10 or less suggests that the opportunity to create an in-depth profile of your partner may be coming at a critical time in your relationship. Whatever the case, I would suggest to you that there can be no more special feeling any of us has than to be focused on by our relationship partner. Knowing that our partner understands and appreciates, at a “heart level,” our unique needs brings an energy and strength to the relationship that can be obtained in no other way.

NEXT STEPS:

Even if you scored well, each of these questions are great conversation starters! Find some time each day, go out on a date, or have a getaway and talk about each of these areas. This is a useful exercise to do every few years, as your lives change and your relationship evolves.