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Show Me What You Drive and I'll Tell You Who You Are

The stuff we own is a reflection of who we are, so the cars we buy and drive are also a reflection of our personality. For instance, if you like flashy, designer duds, you probably have something to prove. The same goes for eye-popping or tricked-out cars.
If you wish to truly know someone, look at the car they drive 7 photos
Photo: pixabay.com
Psychologists say your car reveals major personality traits you havePsychologists say your car reveals major personality traits you havePsychologists say your car reveals major personality traits you havePsychologists say your car reveals major personality traits you havePsychologists say your car reveals major personality traits you havePsychologists say your car reveals major personality traits you have
And this isn’t just a sweeping overgeneralization. There is science behind the claim that we are the cars we drive, backed up by smaller or more consistent studies conducted along the years. It’s also a matter of common sense: just like you can tell a lot about a person by visiting them at home, you can guess how somebody is like if you see them behind the wheel of their car.

As it turns out, whether you choose a smaller or bigger car, in stark white or the deepest of blacks, if your ride is packed with junk or is so clean as to make a passenger get OCD by contact (impossible, we know!), depends on certain personality traits. It’s obvious that, if you drive a car cleaner than it was when you had it delivered, you may have some control issues, but other connections are more surprising.

For instance, if your car is a literal mess, with garbage piling on the floors and the seats, and stuff pouring out of the trunk, you may be multi-tasking, or so says psychologist Nicole Cutts, as cited by Readers Digest. Or you could be a slob, a scatter-brained individual who never gets tasks done, or just don’t give a hoot about issues like cleanliness or health.

“No matter what you drive, the way you maintain your car, inside and out, gives people some insight into your personality,” Cutts says.

Psychologists say your car reveals major personality traits you have
Photo: pixabay.com
Like, say, if you have stickers on your car. According to the same publication, if the stickers are with families, you are family-oriented. Duh on that one. But if they’re with other stuff, like political messages, smart one-liners or imagery in support of one cause or another, that makes you outspoken and not afraid to stand up for what you believe in. More power to you.

Susan M. Henney, Ph.D, professor of psychology at the University of Houston-Downtown, says that drivers of cherry red sports cars like to take financial risks. In general, not just when it comes to buying personal cars. Studies have also shown that sports cars, particularly red ones, are like magnets for police and thieves, so if you do drive one, you’re also bound to get more extra attention than you were probably hoping for.

Henney says that drivers of minivans are family-people by excellence and that owners of cars with ultra-bright LED lights are narcissistic douchebags. We’re paraphrasing on the latter: “My comfort is more important than your safety” is the actual message, according to the professor.

The bigger and flashier your car, the weaker your sense of self-worth. It’s no wonder the myth of overcompensating through a car is still around after all these years: there is some truth to it. “They’re compensating for feeling a lack of power somewhere by making up for it in their car,” professor Henney explains. “Why else would you have ‘Grave Digger’ as your car?” (Because it’s fun?!)

If you like SUVs, you’re very safety-oriented, it would seem. You’re probably more concerned about your personal and your family’s safety than about anyone else’s, since it’s proven that SUVs are more dangerous in the city. Not for you, for everyone else.

Psychologists say your car reveals major personality traits you have
Photo: pixabay.com
Last but not least, if you always make sure you have an exotic air-freshener in your car, you care a lot about your individuality. Or you simply love smelling other stuff than your own car, that’s been lived in for longer or shorter stretches.

The bottom line is that your car can give away important details about yourself as a person, from the way you conduct your business and personal life, to how you regard others – and yourself in relation to them. If you’re planning on maintaining a certain aura of mystery, go against your desires when buying a new car, because it’s about to give you away.
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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