no one talks about the costs of slowly betraying yourself

Quiz

Exercise: Checking for “Dark Wood of Error” Syndrome

Answer the questions below as honestly as you can. If you find yourself fibbing in order to look more impressive and in control of your life, notice that. It means you’re:

1. Out of integrity.
2. Unwilling to acknowledge it, even in a quiz no one else has to see.

Take a deep breath and tell the truth.
As you do this assessment, notice that TRUE and FALSE don’t always appear in the same column. Make sure you choose the correct response for each statement.

1. In general, I see people as good and loveable. — True / False
2. I sometimes feel my daily activities are meaningless. — True / False
3. I adore the company of my friends and loved ones. — True / False
4. My job—including the job of homemaker—feels like a heavy burden. — True / False
5. I feel “on purpose” and fulfilled even on the most ordinary day. — True / False
6. I have trouble sustaining loving relationships. — True / False
7. I have frequent infections—colds, flu, etc.—even when the people around me aren’t sick. — True / False
8. There’s an undercurrent of contentment that supports me at all times. — True / False
9. I get to make a living doing something I love. — True / False
10. I don’t feel really seen and understood by anybody. — True / False
11. I believe my presence is changing the world for the better, in small ways or large. — True / False
12. My relationships are often troubled by anger and mistrust. — True / False
13. I don’t need any mood-altering substance or exciting activity to feel great. — True / False
14. Other people seem to be accomplishing great things, but I just don’t measure up. — True / False
15. I have “friends” whose company I don’t really enjoy. — True / False
16. I sleep deeply and restfully almost every night. — True / False
17. I can almost always count on my loved ones to understand me. — True / False
18. Though frightening things sometimes happen, I always feel basically safe. — True / False
19. I have aches, pains and fatigue that limit my activities. — True / False
20. I frequently feel annoyed at whoever happens to be around me. — True / False
21. I love my job and can’t wait to get to it. — True / False
22. I often feel so worried I don’t sleep well. — True / False
23. My life is full of love and companionship. — True / False
24. I don’t feel as if my work contributes anything important to the world. — True / False
25. Even when people around me get sick, I almost always stay healthy. — True / False
26. I often feel an underlying sense of sadness or despair. — True / False
27. I believe everyone’s essence is basically good. — True / False
28. I feel angry, even when I’m alone. — True / False

Scoring

Count the answers you selected from the left-hand response column in the original exercise.

22–28: You live in an unusually high state of integrity. You may have spent time in the dark wood of error earlier in your life, but you know the way out. The book may be a helpful refresher.

15–21: Your life is much happier than most, but there may be one or two areas where you’re still divided from your true self. The way of integrity may help address that.

8–14: You are spending some time in the dark wood of error. Remember that this isn’t your fault. Reclaiming integrity may keep your areas of concern from getting worse.

0–7: Feeling lost and confused might seem normal because you spend a lot of time in the dark wood of error. The exercise suggests taking steps toward integrity before things worsen.

Sentences of admitting:

• My life isn’t perfect.
• I don’t like the way things are going.
• I don’t feel good.
• I’m sad. I’m angry.
• I’m scared.
• I’m not at peace.
• I can’t find my people.
• I’m not sure where to go.
• I don’t know what to do. I need help.

comment someone made:
I might be wrong, but I scored my answers against the following key:

• TRUE in the left-hand column: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13, 16, 17, 18, 21, 23, 25, 27
• FALSE in the left-hand column: 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28