Attitudes to morals, sex and honesty

     The fascinating personality test below was written by a Sydney
marriage expert who is a qualified psychologist. It began as a dinner
party conversation gimmick, but it has been prepared in this form for
readers to test themselves.
     To do the "test" you must give your honest opinion about morals 
and honesty of the four characters in our story of Sherwood Forest. 
Forget any preconceived ideas you may about them - this is a 
different sort of story from all the others.

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     "The Sheriff of Nottingham captured Little John and Robin Hood and
imprisoned them in his maximum-security dungeon. Maid Marion begged the 
Sheriff for their release, pleading her love for Robin. The Sheriff 
agreed to release them only if Maid Marion spent the night with him. To 
this she agreed.
     The next morning the Sheriff released his prisoners. Robin at once
demanded that Marion tell him how she persuaded the Sheriff to let them 
go free. Marion confessed the truth, and was bewildered when Robin 
abused her, calling her a slut, and saying that he never wanted to see 
her again.
     At this Little John defended her, inviting her to leave Sherwood 
with him and promising life-long devotion. She accepted and 
they rode away together."
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     Now in terms of realistic every-day standards of behaviour, put
Robin, Marion, Little John and the Sheriff in the order in which you
consider they showed the most morality and honesty. There is no "right" 
answer, and the following is the psychologist's estimate of you for 
each of the 24 arrangements.

Don't scroll down until you have made your list otherwise it won't 
work!



Here goes.

ROBIN, MARION, SHERIFF, LITTLE JOHN:
You find it hard to accept the permissive attitudes of others, or to 
convince them of the validity of your own standards. You are not 
disposed to trust people and do not have a very happy life.
(Men) To you "love" involves sex and duty, rather than charity
and forgiveness.
(Women) You blame men for much of the unhappiness in your life.

ROBIN, MARION, LITTLE JOHN, SHERIFF:
Your philosophy of life is a sad hotchpotch of the conventions of 
society, your own convictions and romanticism. You are not unkind, only 
staid and unimaginative.
(Men) You see a woman as weak but desirable.
(Women) Your resent the arrogance of men.

ROBIN, SHERIFF, MARION, LITTLE JOHN:
(Men) We think you are unhappy, although you probably will not admit 
it. As a ruthless authoritarian you are as moral as it suits you and
no more. You do not apply the same rules to men as you do to women.
(Women) How worthless you seem to think women are.

ROBIN, LITTLE JOHN, MARION, SHERIFF:
You are a moralist with conventional ideas, which some people would 
call old-fashioned.
(Men) You probably consider yourself a fair-minded man in a world
which falls badly below your standards. Your inhibitions and sense 
of guilt are in the way of your happiness.
(Women) Unlucky in love? Perhaps you hope for too much in a man. Be a
realist, not a romantic.

ROBIN, LITTLE JOHN, SHERIFF, MARION:
You are conventional and puritanical.
(Men) You moralise and see women as a great conspiracy against man, 
with sex as their principal weapon. You are missing a great deal 
in life.
(Women) Your parents probably played a big part in the formation of
such a guilt complex as yours. Your mind is in chains and it's 
time you did something to free it.

LITTLE JOHN, ROBIN, SHERIFF, MARION:
You are not easy to assess. Basically you are ruled by an inferiority
complex and feelings of insecurity. How do you present yourself to the
world? An idealist, a moralist, a conformist keeping up with Jones's?
(Men) Your conflicting views on sex and morality may lead to every
sort sexual problem. You have always feared women, probably 
starting with your mother.
(Women) It is a shame you have not accepted the ideal of woman as the 
equal (and sometimes stronger) partner of man.

LITTLE JOHN, MARION, ROBIN, SHERIFF:
You are fairly broadminded romantic and reasonably contented. You
value kindness greatly and try to live by your ideals. You do not
conceal from yourself, or from others, you strong need for security,
which may be either emotional or material.
(Men) Perhaps you tend to idealise women and credit them with virtues
they don't possess.
(Women) Your experiences of men have not all been happy, perhaps
because you hope for a little too much?

LITTLE JOHN, MARION, SHERIFF, ROBIN:
You are the slightly romantic realist. You respect truth, and are 
broadminded and flexible. Whether you are a man or a woman you are
probably a happy person. You like people and they can readily make
friends with you. You are not very adventurous, but this does not
bother you.

LITTLE JOHN, SHERIFF, MARION, ROBIN:
You too, believe that morality is another word for common-sense and
suitability, and not something which is universally valid or a 
religious truth. Your feeling for security is strong, and you would 
rate reliability as one of your virtues.
(Men) Your estimate of women as the inferior sex suggests that you are
a little uncertain of them.
(Women) You are more permissive about the morals of others than you are
about your own.

LITTLE JOHN, SHERIFF, ROBIN, MARION:
You are conventional, unimaginative, and something of a prude. It would
be surprising if your love life was a roaring success.
(Man) You have an old-world authoritarian attitude. One thing is sure
- you have some sorry illusions about women.
(Women) You accept a double standard of morality in which women are
very much the "second sex".

SHERIFF, ROBIN, MARION, LITTLE JOHN:
(Man) We find it hard to imagine you leading a full, happy life. The
warmth and give-and-take of love are not for you. Your sex life
is ringed with unreality, and you neither understand nor appreciate
women.
(Women) If you really believe this is the right order, you baffle us       
completely.

MARION, SHERIFF, LITTLE JOHN, ROBIN:
Such an emphatic rejection of ready-made values in probably partly
camouflage. You hate to be thought weak or insecure. You value honesty,
and abominate humbug and hypocrisy.
(Men) Women are very much part of you life, and you are - or perhaps
would like to be - quite ruthless, both with women and life in
general.
(Women) You are tolerant about men and their failings - but we mean
men, for you have no time for boys on men's errands.

MARION, ROBIN, SHERIFF, LITTLE JOHN:
You know the so-called facts of life, but not to enjoy life itself.
You are not a realist and you are inclined to be stubborn.
(Men) Women, you think, are either whores or angels, and you 
over-estimate the differences between the sexes. A woman may find 
you difficult to live with.
(Women) You are not sure whether truth and morality go hand in hand
or are in opposition. You haven't a very high opinion of men.

MARION, ROBIN, LITTLE JOHN, SHERIFF:
If you are not happy - and we suspect you are not - it maybe because
you feel guilty about your own emotions, and lack confidence in your
opinions.
(Men) No doubt you consider yourself a moral man, and a fair one.
Your fuzzy ideas about morality may make their mark on your sex 
life.
(Women) You are too concerned about what others think.

MARION, LITTLE JOHN, SHERIFF, ROBIN:
You are essentially a contented person, even if you consider yourself
a little superior. You are moral by your own standards, for you believe 
that morality is what best suits the occasion.
(Men) You are sexually uninhibited, more romantic than you may appear,
and more dependent on the approval of others than you care to 
admit.
(Women) You like being a woman, you understand what love is, and
frankly enjoy sex.

MARION, LITTLE JOHN, ROBIN, SHERIFF:
We would expect you to be a happy, well-balanced person who likes 
people and is like by others. You question whether many conventional 
views on morality are valid under all circumstances.
(Men) Do we detect a sense of chivalry and idealism under the 
sophistication?
(Women) You will expect high standards form the men to whom you give 
your love.

LITTLE JOHN, ROBIN, MARION, SHERIFF:
You are a cautious type, neutral, and rather insecure. You would agree
with the idea that everybody has his price - and in your own case it 
would not be high.
(Men) You are sexually inhibited with an underlying distrust of women.
(Women) At least one man has made you unhappy, and you are now on your 
guard.

SHERRIF, ROBIN, LITLE JOHN, MARION:
Although you make a brave show of being self-sufficient, beneath this 
you are unhappy and rather mixed up.
(Men) You don't understand women - probably you are afraid of them.
You do not know what love is, and you are more likely to boast 
about your conquests in a bar than prove them in a bedroom.
(Women) If men attract you at all, they probably be disastrously the
wrong sort.

SHERIFF, MARION, ROBIN, LITTLE JOHN:
If you are not living a happy life the cause is within yourself. You 
are a rebel with a trace of spoilt child about you. You value truth 
above morality, but you are reasonably tolerant of those who disagree 
with you.
(Men) any problems you have are not likely to be centred in sex.
(Women) Despite your experience and intelligence you are a bad judge of 
men.

SHERIFF, MARION, LITTLE JOHN, ROBIN:
You claim to be a realist or even a cynic, but you are more emotional 
and romantic and truthful.
(Men) although you are by no means inhibited, your amorous adventures 
are as       much a matter of fantasy as fact.
(Women) You have been hurt in the past by men - or perhaps a particular 
man - and will probably let it happen again.

SHERIFF, LITTLE JOHN, ROBIN, MARION:
Not a moralising pattern, but
(Men) You share with many other men the idea that most women are fickle 
and inferior to men. Perhaps a view that you got from your father? 
Or as a reaction to a domineering mother?
(Women) You have a pretty poor opinion of yourself, haven't you?

SHERIFF, LITTLE JOHN, MARION, ROBIN:
You have a confused, immature sense of values. You are erratic an 
stubborn, and inclined to get angry or sulk when you don't get your own 
way. But at least you are not a moral hypocrite.
(Men) "Love 'em and leave 'em" is the motto of a man who is basically
afraid of women.
(Women) Perhaps you would rather be a man than a women?

MARION, SHERIFF, ROBIN, LITTLE JOHN:
Associate morality with honest and truth more than with religious 
values. You are impulsive and somewhat unpredictable.
(Men) We suspect that you are a would-be lover rather than a very 
successful one.
(Women) You are a realist and a revel, a defender of women's rights. 
You like men but despise weak ones.