Greater Good

How forgiving are you? When someone hurts you, are you more likely to turn the other cheek--or slash their tires?

The quiz below draws on a scale created by forgiveness research pioneer Michael McCullough and his colleagues, offering insight into how we respond to those who do us wrong.

Before starting the quiz, think about someone—a friend, a spouse, a family member, a co-worker—who has hurt you. Then respond as honestly as possible to the following 12 questions with that person in mind, indicating how much you agree or disagree with each statement.

When you’re done, you’ll learn your score and what it suggests about your typical response when someone mistreats you.

Source: “Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Scale—12-Item Form (TRIM-12),” presented in McCullough, M.E., et. al. (1998). Interpersonal Forgiving in Close Relationships: II. Theoretical Elaboration and Measurement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 1586-1603.