What Can A Personality Test Tell Us About Who We Are?

VEDANTAM: It’s one of the most famous scenes in the “Harry Potter” series. Two lines of kids, newly arrived at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, march into a vast and glorious dining hall. The air glows with light from hanging torches and graceful flying candles. The ceiling looks like the night sky full of stars.

VEDANTAM: The endless dining tables glitter with silver plates and golden goblets. Young students make their way to the front of the hall, where an old and crumpled wizard’s hat awaits them. It is the Sorting Hat.

MAGGIE SMITH: (As Professor Minerva McGonagall) Now, when I call your name, you will come forth. I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses.

VEDANTAM: After judging their personality traits and potential, it decides which house they’ll belong to during their Hogwarts education. Will it be brave Gryffindor, gentle Hufflepuff, sbitious Slytherin?

PHILLIPS: (As Sorting Hat) Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great, you know. It’s all here in your head. And Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness. There’s no doubt about that. No.

VEDANTAM: There is something deeply appealing about the Sorting Hat. It’s wise. It knows people better than they know themselves. It tells them who they are and to which tribe they belong. Are they courageous, loyal, curious or cunning? All humans, old and young, love this kind of insight.

VEDANTAM: I ran into a 10-year-old Michaela and a group of her friends at PotterVerse, a “Harry Potter” convention in Baltimore.

What Can A Personality Test Tell Us About Who We Are?

VEDANTAM: I’d come to the conference to learn more about the Hogwarts houses and the appeal of the Sorting Hat. Michaela and her friends are huge “Harry Potter” fans.

VEDANTAM: All right, so here’s a little test that I want to do, OK? We’re going to pick Michaela.