According to Vanity Fair, the Proust Questionnaire was originally made as a parlor game popularized, but not made by, Marcel Proust, a French essayist and novelist. Proust believed that answering the 35 questions reveals the true nature and values of a person. In this shortened edition of The Proust Questionaire, Shield social media managing editor Naomi Di-Capua interviews science teacher and cheer head coach Jace Klein.
The Shield: What is your perfect idea of happiness?
Klein: My perfect idea of happiness? That one is tough. I guess freedom? Freedom to explore and meet people and go places. To get to know the world.
I think my state of mind is chaotic early 20s. I don’t know what I’m doing! My life is so crazy.
— Jace Klein
TS: What is your greatest fear?
Klein: I know I thought about it this weekend. Wasted potential, wasted time? I don’t think I am scared of anything tangible. Well … I’m pretty sure I’m scared of something tangible. I guess my biggest fear is FOMO, at its core. The fear of missing out.
TS: What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Klein: For me, the very first thing that comes to mind, the one thing I have always kind of struggled with, is that I am so indecisive. I will go back and forth, and I am like, “No! Make a darn decision.” It definitely is problematic in every single area of my life, like work and coaching.
TS: What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Klein: Walking slow. No, I think probably a lack of empathy. I don’t know if empathy is the right word, but a lack of just thinking, “What is that person going through?”… But making judgments without knowing at all what’s going on or assuming that there could be something else.
TS: Which living person do you most admire?
Klein: Ugh. Admire is a hard word. Well, it’s honestly kinda cliché, but it’s definitely my mom, my dad and my little brother. They all have their own traits, they have their strengths, and they have their weaknesses, and I think a combination of all of them leads to a lot of admiration. My dad’s a hard worker, my mom has grit, and my little brother is… OK, that’s it! They all have grit. That’s what it is. They will pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and I’m like, “I am gonna be the same way. I am gonna do what I gotta do.”
TS: What is your current state of mind?
Klein: Ms. Schriever said this a few weeks ago and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. “My brain is scrambled eggs.” That is a quote from her. I think my state of mind is chaotic early 20s. I don’t know what I’m doing! My life is so crazy. Or maybe I could also say that my state of mind is the record scratch where everything stops, and it’s like, “You might be wondering how I got here.” That’s my state of mind.
I think it’s learning. I feel like if I ever stop learning then I’ve died, at least on the inside, which is partially why I like teaching. I like being able to learn something new.
— Jace Klein
TS: What is the most overrated virtue?
Klein: Maturity. One hundred percent. That’s so stupid. Yeah, you should be mature and you should get through life, but I think—[maybe] it’s me, I’m not super mature—sometimes you can’t have fun. Sometimes people want you to be so mature it prevents you from having fun. I think also working with kids makes me think that too because [people are] like, “Maturity, maturity, maturity!” but I’m all like, “Let them be kids!” Y’all are not 18 yet. So I think if I have gotten anything out of being a teacher, it’s an appreciation for immaturity.
TS: What or who is your greatest love in life?
Klein: I think it’s learning. I feel like if I ever stop learning then I’ve died, at least on the inside, which is partially why I like teaching. I like being able to learn something new. What I have really enjoyed with the past couple of years of my chaotic 20s is learning less about science and more about people, especially kids. You know, immaturity is great. Also learning more about not just kids but everyone and learning how everyone views the world, especially coming out of college, where I am around a bunch of people my age, and now I am kind of thrown into a place where everyone is in such different parts of their life. I’m learning about how different people respond to different challenges and eras in their life. That is kinda crazy but also kinda inspirational.
TS: When or where were you happiest?
Klein: That’s tough. Hopefully in the future. I have always tried to focus on the now. I am like, “What makes me the happiest now, in this part of my life?” But I got to say, I loved college. I think I am happiest when I am around a group of people or friends that know me well.
I kinda wanna be on American Ninja Warrior. I don’t know if that’s a talent, but I have thought about that a lot. I’m like, “What if I could fly across these obstacle courses?” That would be pretty neat.
— Jace Klein
TS: Which talent would you most like to have?
Klein: I kinda wanna be on American Ninja Warrior. I don’t know if that’s a talent, but I have thought about that a lot. I’m like, “What if I could fly across these obstacle courses?” That would be pretty neat. That’s not a talent, but I’m trying to think. I wish I practiced the piano more. My little brother is way better than me. See, that goes back to grit, right? My little brother plays piano. Do I? No. ‘Cause I’m dead.’
TS: What do you consider your greatest talent?
Klein: I feel like maybe this is more like a skill, but generating ideas. Ninety-five percent of them are bad, but I feel like I can generally come up with ideas. If I say “I need help. I am out of ideas,” I am out of ideas. Please help me.
TS: If you were to die and come back as a person or thing who or what would it be?
Klein: I am trying to think of some animal. Honestly, given how much I understand biology, it’s rough out there for most things. People are like, “Oh I want to be a bear,” and I’m like, “Most bears are starving out there.” Crud. I feel like I would probably want to come back as a human, I just don’t know which one. I feel like we pretty much have it made.
