Can you hear your own heartbeat? Reader Sarah posted this question in reply to my post on proprioception training because according to a new study being able to detect your own ticker is correlated with better self-esteem, less tendency to objectify oneself and better body awareness in general. Yet it can’t be taught. According to the study either you can or you can’t. My first reaction was to ask Sarah, “What do you mean hear my own heartbeat? People can hear their own heartbeats?!” And then I realized that if I have to ask…
I even went to a quiet room, laid down and meditated as hard as I could on my own heart beat. Nada. Not even a blip. The research holds pretty true for me, anecodotally speaking. I’ve spent my whole life feeling judged for my appearance and never being able to measure up. My self esteem, while somewhat better now, has always been ridiculously low. (True story: The first time my first boyfriend said “I love you”, I blurted “WHY??”). But I’m not sad about this – it’s not new info, frankly – on the contrary, I adore learning new things about myself and this little tidbit was so fascinating to me that I’ve spent the last two days asking every single person I meet if they can hear their heartbeat. (General consensus: Apparently most people can! At least sometimes. I even have one friend who says his heartbeat is so loud that it keeps him awake at nights. So maybe I’m glad I can’t?)
Playing around on ArchetypeMe, the personality-based news site I introduced you to a couple of weeks ago, is also teaching me a lot about myself. Like, for example, the fact I know nothing about myself. After I took the personality quiz I excitedly brought up my personalized news feed (called “The Daily Me”). According to the quiz I’m mainly (47%) a Caregiver, with a sprinkling of Intellectual and Spiritual. That all sounded good, but as I looked through the news stories I discovered that while they reflected exactly what I’d told the quiz I was like… I found them all really boring. This either means that a) I lied to myself taking the quiz and I’m really not the kind of person I think I am or b) I live my life and so others’ lives are way more interesting to me. (Both?) I mean, sure I love helping people out and consider myself a nurturer but I have zero desire to look at a whole slideshow of puppies.
So I decided to look at the definition of each Archetype I’d been assigned:
Caregiver (Woman): Caregivers are nurturing women. They make spectacular teachers, siblings, and of course mothers. Well if I do say so myself…
Intellectual (Woman): While intellectuals enjoy giving answers, they delight most in asking questions, either of others or of the universe. Okay well that is totally true of me too. Nothing pleases me more than being able to corner some person and interrogate, er, ask them all about themselves.
Spiritual (Woman): Spiritual people rely on their dreams and their senses to understand the kinds of things that many of us don’t see or care to see. FAIL. I think I interpret spirituality differently. For me, my spirituality is about my faith in the Divine and trust that people are inherently good. It has nothing to do with dreams or “sensing” or seeing things others don’t. It has everything to do with having optimism and purpose in life.
Thankfully the site also offers an option to check out other archetypes (Charlotte the beta version?) and I had a good time looking through the “rebel” category – which if you know me at all this will make you giggle for days. (Rebel (Woman): Societal values about how women should behave don’t ruin your fun.) I am always ruining my own fun! After reading through all their categories, the archetypes I would have picked for myself without the quiz were different.
And it isn’t because I think I was dishonest, I think it’s because there’s a difference between who I feel like I really am and what I like to learn about. As an Intellectual, I don’t want to read about people like me, I want to learn everything I can about people who aren’t like me at all. Plus, while I don’t consider myself a Fashionista (Fashionista: Innately stylish and drawn to beauty, you make an effort to look your best and you aren’t afraid to let the world know you try), I do love looking at and wearing pretty things.
So once I’d restructured my archetypes to reflect what I want to read about rather than who I think I am, things got really fun. Under the Athlete tab, I got to see a slideshow of President Obama being athletic (love me a good example!) and a note of support to Lance Armstrong that while I’m not sure I agree with was very interesting to read. Under the Rebel tab, I got to see a slideshow of President Obama drinking beer, hanging with Mick Jagger and holding a be-mowhawked baby, which amused me to no end even though I’ve never had a beer in my life, hate the Rolling Stones (I know, I’m sorry – if it makes you feel better I hate most of the music from that era) and feel that mowhawks on kids are fine only as long as the kid chooses it him/herself. And finally, under the Fashionista tab (the men’s version is called “Gentleman”??) I watched a slideshow of Michelle Obama’s best looks, which I enjoyed way more than I probably should have (seriously that woman is gorgeous and her taste is impeccable). Although they left off my personal fave.
In the end, ArchetypeMe taught me something very important about myself: I’m boring. Kidding! It taught me that my best and most defining quality is probably my curiosity and I have endless ways to express that! I’ll leave you with this infographic I found through my ArchetypeMe friend Jasmine (also an Intellectual!) that I think pretty much sums it up.
If you haven’t yet, be sure to take the quiz yourself at www.ArchetypeMe.com!
Which archetypes are you? Can you hear your own heartbeat?? Answer this question in a comment below for a chance to win a $50 Visa gift card! You can find a list of the archetypes on the ArchetypeMe homepage.
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This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here. This sweepstakes runs from 2/13/2013 to 3/15/13. Be sure to visit the ArchetypeMe brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!
I got 42% athlete (that’s dubious at best HAH), 28% intellectual, 10% caregiver, and 20% “others”. And I can’t hear my heartbeat either, no worries.
I can feel my heartbeat/pulse, but not usually hear it, unless you count “hearing” the pulse in my ears (does that make any sense?). Hmmmm.
And I don’t think your results are at all surprising. You read for entertainment. Of course you want something different than what you just did all day!
“I have zero desire to look at a whole slideshow of puppies”
Ok there’s definitely something wrong with you then. Sorry to break it to you.
Like you I’m wondering what the heck hearing your own heartbeat means. Guess that means I can’t either! Ah well.
Caregiver and intellectual.
mami2jcn at gmail dot com
36% Athlete
30% Caregiver (not sure how)
14% Fashionista (???)
20% Others
Some of the questions were really hard for me to answer!
No–I don’t know if I would like it if I could though! When I feel it beating it always makes me hyper-aware and worried that something is wrong. If I was able to start hearing it, I’d be worried that I’d never be able to turn that ability off.
I have PVC’s, so like Amanda I do NOT like to hear my hearbeat. The skipping and jumping make me anxious. It’s only an issue at night with an ear on a pillow, so i doubt I’m particularly in touch with my body.
I often find biofeedback stuff paradoxically UNrelaxing, because the more I am able to measure my body’s feedback, the more I try to direct it in a good direction, which then causes me subconscious performance anxiety which UPS my stress response. Working on all that though!
And you are SO not boring!
I was 40% intellectual, 20% queen/executive, 20% rebel, and 20% other.
I hear my heartbeat. It freaks me out if I think about it too much, I guess because concentrating on it makes me anxious that something is wrong, which makes my heart rate speed up, and it turns into a weird cycle.
I’m not actually that anxious of a person, either. I guess it stems from having had breathing problems before, and having similar issues while trying to control asthma attacks. I don’t want to pay attention to things that should be unconscious and reflexive. Meditating doesn’t work well for me!
I got 33% Intellectual, 30% Creative, 17% Caregiver, and 20% other. I had a hard time narrowing down the choices on some of the questions.
I feel my heartbeatand since you said I am supposed to hear it of course I imagine I hear it now. I have no idea if I actually do. The test says I am an intellectual with 20% caregiver and 20% rebel. I think its broken. Caregiver? I’m kind of selfish so I don’t think so.
35% athlete (definitely…being outdoors and adventurous is one thing I can’t live without)
35% intellectual (also definitely)
10% caregiver….ok? I like people, I try to not be mean, but I REALLY don’t see me as a caregiver. I like to take charge so much I had to train myself to be more sensitive to others….
I’ve had my pulse keep me awake at night because I can hear my blankets moving every time my heart beats! But I don’t think I can actually hear my own heart.
I can sometimes feel my heartbeat, but can’t hear it – which definitely makes sense for me with the self-esteem correlation!
I’m glad you liked my little comic. For some reason I’m having difficulties getting the “It’s Me” link to work properly, are you finding similar issues? I come across a dozen things every day I’d like to link, but it all ends up on Pinterest instead since that one’s working. Gotta love Beta sites ^_^
I’m an intellectual caregiver with a tiny bit of athlete. I can hear my own heartbeat ONLY when I am running balls-to-the-wall and out of breath, I don’t think that counts though. 🙂
I am 40% caregiver, 32% intellectual, and 8% queen/executive (haha at the last one!). I think it’s pretty accurate!
And I can never hear my heartbeat unless I’m working out really hard…
I was a mix of caregiver, athlete, and intellectual!
I can only hear my heartbeat when I am wearing ear plugs at night to drown out the snoring bear beside me. 🙂
36% Athlete, 31% Intellectual, 13% Spiritual
I can hear my heartbeat. Not all the time. But sometimes it is annoying at night. Try laying directly on your year. That seems to make it louder for me.
36% Creative, 32% Caregiver, 12% Intellectual (that stings a bit: thought it would be higher), 20% Other.
Sometimes, if I’m very quiet & meditative, I can hear my heartbeat. Usually, though, I’m too spazzy.
And I have zero fashion sense, but will gladly look at puppies all day.
(Can I just say I love that Mrs. Obama always dresses impeccably, yet doesn’t mind when Bo jumps in her lap & gets dog hair all over her?)
44% intellectual, 23% caregiver, and 13% queen/executive. I guess it makes a certain amount of sense given that I’m in law. And I wish I didn’t hear my heartbeat sometimes! (It’s always at night, and it’s LOUD!)
Yay, I feel famous (in a totally anonymous way = best of both worlds!); I thought that study’d be right up your alley, Charlotte!
I’m sorry you can’t hear/feel your heartbeat… I find it reassuring to hear mine. Grounding. (Though like Crabby and Alli, I’ve had trouble with biofeedback focusing on my breathing. Those anxiety-calming exercises where you breath slowly and count? Totally backfire. Probably because I have mild asthma.)
I’m apparently largely a creative and caretaker, with a bit of athlete, and 20% other. That seems about right. Though I agree with you, Charlotte, that I do actually prefer to read things outside of my own circle of interests. (And although the site is fun – yay quizes! – I dislike having anything try to choose the articles I’ll read; I want to choose my own. It kind of gives me the creeps to think that internet sites are trying to “read” me and gear their choices to that. Yahoo! started to go that direction, but thankfully they seem to have backed off. I read articles eclectically, and I want to keep it that way.)
PS. In your questioning, has anything ventured an idea why some people are aware of their heartbeat, and others aren’t? I assume it’s something physical, in spite of the psychological effects that it may have, since no one can learn to do it.
50% Caregiver, 22% Intellectual, 8% Spiritual
https://twitter.com/sweetums82/status/301765122257469441
I’m 37% intellectual, 22% caregiver, and 21% athletic. The caregiver thing surprises me, actually. I don’t really think of myself as very nurturing. I think I get bonus caregiver points for my profession.
You are SO a fashionista!
I don’t know if I can hear my heartbeat, so much as feel it in my inner ear, if that makes sense. It isn’t an audible sound, but there is more than just feeling it, too. Weird. I never thought about it.
I’m a caregiver, intellectual, and advocate. I’d say it’s incredibly accurate!
I’m 43% intellectual, 30% caregiver, and 7% advocate, with another 20% of “other”, whatever that is LOL
Fairly accurate — give me books or… well, just give me books. Period.
Can’t hear my heartbeat..I am 51% intellectual, 27% caregiver and 9 % athlete and the rest was “other”???
Intellectual athlete fashionista caregiver
Yes, I can hear my heart beat. I love the sense of openness and “aliveness” that I feel when I hear it! It is like the most beautiful sound ever.
Fun website. Will pass it along. I was 34% creative, 27% athlete, 19% intellectual. I’ll buy that pretty much. Might flip intellectual and athlete. Kind of surprised about that one. And no, I don’t think I’ve ever heard my heartbeat, but will check tonight in a quiet room. 🙂
Gaye
Caregiver, fashionista and intellectual.
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/301887294531579905
I am a caregiver (48%), Intellectual & athlete. I cannot hear my own heartbeat.
tweet
https://twitter.com/Kellydpa/status/301887903380951040
Caregiver, Spiritual, Intellectual
tweet: https://twitter.com/akronugurl/status/302036547711143938 .
I *think* I can hear my heartbeat?? Sometimes???
Tweeted giveaway:
https://mobile.twitter.com/mollykate678/status/302038676274290688
I got 39% Caregiver, 26% Intellectual, 16% Visionary and 19% “Other.” It’s weird how depending on how the question is asked, I have a different answer. I can’t hear my heartbeat either, but I’m going to try tonight. Just to make sure.
Mine are Caregiver, spiritual, creative …no athlete, sadly!
I am 42% Caregiver, 29% Spiritual, 9% intellectual, 20% others
Hmm – I didn’t know anyone can hear their own heartbeat. So that means I likely cannot but I will try tonight!
I am an Athlete & caregiver/visionary.. I am not sure if I can hear my own heartbeat – too many other things drowsing it out these days….
https://twitter.com/truth2beingfit/status/302165627832004608 Tweeted….
36% caregiver
26% spiritual
18% intellectual
I have never heard my heart beat (I didn’t even know it was possible!), but I can definately feel it!!!
I was something like 30% Creative, 25% athlete, and 20% intellectual. I suppose that sounds rightish, but it’s weird to think of these qualities in terms of percentages. I don’t really like trying to define myself as one thing or another; I think it’s exhausting.
Also, I totally hear my heartbeat when it’s quiet. Some nights it really hinders me falling asleep. I certainly had self-esteem/ depression issues when I was growing up, and while the depression never really seems to go away, I get a little defiant when it comes to self-esteem. Like….I am pretty aware of what I’m all about, and I am especially intimate with the not so great stuff. But it’s who I am, and damned if I don’t deserve respect for it. You know?
I was intellectual, creative, athlete. I can only hear my heartbeat in very optimal conditions when I can really concentrate.
Sometimes I can hear my heartbeat, but not always. I can feel it sometimes, too.
Oh – I’m Caregiver, Fashionista, Intellectual and Other. (Interesting – I have a part of me that doesn’t know what me is?)
I am 39% Intellectual, 22% Creative, 20% Athlete, and 19% other. If I sit still I can hear my heart beat, but I’m not usually still. I think I have self-esteem issues but not enough to stop me from acting the way I want to. I am conscious of the insecurities but I try not to let them affect my actions….
30% Rebel
Rebels are fearless, anything but ordinary, and often incredibly sexual.
27% Creative
The Creative woman lives to express herself and is happiest when she’s making something, whether it’s a dress, video, novel, song, dessert or website.
23% Athlete
Winning drives you when you’re an Athlete. But so do restlessness and a hunger for excitement.
… i’ll see if that generates the kind of info I crave. The rebel in me already feels like any >creative” content will be too boring and typical… even the description turned me off… i am not a cake maker or a scrapbooker… I guess my rebel side expresses itself through creation, not through being reckless with /towards myself or others…
I can sometimes feel my heartbeat, but I don’t believe I have ever heard it.
I am 38% Caregiver, 31% Athlete, 20% Other, 11% Intellectual.
I’m Creative, Caregiver, Intellectual. I agree with that, I’m not very spiritual or wild or too crazy about being a leader or into fashion.
https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/302871164236230658
43% Athlete, 23 Intellectual, 15% Caregiver. I’ve only been able to hear my heartbeat when I wear earplugs to bed (I’m a light sleeper).
I can hear my own heartbeat, but it is a very uncomfortable sensation
I’m mostly caregiver, then intellectual, then a little creative. when I feel my heartbeat it’s usually when I’m not feeling well.
songyueyu at gmail
tweet: https://twitter.com/syytta/status/303043758742724608
songyueyu at gmail
I got 38% Caregiver, 37% Intellectual, and 7% Spiritual. I think it kinda fits me. I can hear my heartbeat and its gets annoying sometimes.
.
My archetypes are Intellectual, Caregiver, and Spiritual. I can only hear my heartbeat when my head is on a pillow.
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/303307546645626880
I’m 28% caregiver, 26% athlete, and 26% intellectual. And yes! I can hear my own heartbeat!
Intellectual and caregiver.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/303739138312634368
36% Caregiver
29% Creative
15% Spiritual
20% Others
Seems about right. 🙂 I’ve got that middle child mentality. I’ve heard my heart beat when I’m working out….which was actually probably a warning sign for my Supraventricular tachycardia. So I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not…
I am a Creative, Caregiver, Intellectual Archetype. Yes, at times, I can hear my heart beat.
jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com
2nd entry tweet – https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/303975938788569090
jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com
My result was 50% Intellectual, 17% Caregiver, 13% Visionary
2nd Entry: https://twitter.com/mummytotwoboys1/status/304452907338711040
I’m 34% Caregiver, 31% Creative And 15% Visionary!
I Tweeted: https://twitter.com/reinaheather/status/304587751020437504
i am 60% spiritual, 30% creative and 10% care giver – hoping to up the spiritual quota!
36% intellectual, 34% caregiver, 10% spiritual
Caregiver/Spiritual/Intellectual. Nope I can’t hear my own heartbeat and I like to meditate 🙂
Tweeted
https://twitter.com/disneyfan40/status/305812149748514816
intellectual and spiritual. I can’t hear my own heartbeat
https://twitter.com/Merle0304/status/306427947319963650
32% intellectual, 31% athlete, 20% caregiver, and 17% other.
I can’t hear my own heartbeat.
I’m 39% intellectual, 28% caregiver and a 20% visionary!
can’t hear my own heartbeat
I’m 36% caregiver, 30% intellectual, 14% athlete, and 20% other. I can’t hear my own heartbeat.
I’m an intellectual/caregiver/athlete, who definitely can not hear her own heartbeat!
Pingback:New Research: Getting Ultra Ripped May Make You Ultra Weak [The surprising downsides of our obsession with leanness - like, oh, death]
I’m surprised how on target this was…. Except I’m also a bit of a rebel and spend enough time in the gym to be an athlete even though I look nothing like one!
35% Caregiver
A Caregiver is someone who lives to give and needs to be useful.
25% Creative
The Creative woman lives to express herself and is happiest when she’s making something, whether it’s a dress, video, novel, song, dessert or website.
22% Intellectual
If you’re an Intellectual, you’re always seeking knowledge and wisdom.
I took the quiz, but am not sure that it reflected me. I can hear my heartbeat. Funny thing about that is that it usually makes me feel anxious because why is it beating hard enough for me to hear?
I’m a caregiver and intellectual.
https://twitter.com/jen_r_horn/status/309026388516683776
YES I can hear my own heartbeat! Oh, & I’m surprisingly more caregiver than spiritual (which didn’t even show up). =)
Optional entry tweet >>> https://twitter.com/kytah00/status/309525262343741440 !!!<<<
Caregiver, Intellectual, Spiritual – and I can’t hear my heart beat.
Intellectual, Caregiver, and Spiritual.
tweet https://twitter.com/prizepuzzle/status/311189790286565377
i tweeted here:
https://twitter.com/bellows22/status/311291104760844289
tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/311493832745287680
I am 39% caregiver, 28% intellectual, and 13% visionary.
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 @ gmail dot com
I’m 35% Athlete, 27% Caregiver and 18% Fashionista.
I wonder how many women DON’T have caregiver in their archetype 🙂 Mine was Caregiver, Intellectual, Creative.
I took the quiz and results are 52% intellectual, 17% caregiver, 11% visionary. And sometimes I can hear my heartbeat – only when it’s not working correctly!
43% caregiver
19% spiritual
18% intellectual
43% Caregiver
A Caregiver is someone who lives to give and needs to be useful.
22% Intellectual
If you’re an Intellectual, you’re always seeking knowledge and wisdom.
15% Visionary
Visionary women see important things before others do and make new rules that change the world.
Tweeted:
https://twitter.com/anashct3/status/312405236201426944
Thanks for the chance to win!
email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com
I am 41% Caregiver, 29% Intellectual and 12% Advocate
I only hear my own heartbeat when I’m stressed or just about ready to pass out. It’s never a good thing.
33% Caregiver
27% Advocate
and
20% Intellectual! I feel very flattered by my results! LOL
OH and yes…sometimes I can hear my own heartbeat LOL but not ALL the time!
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/MsTofuFairy/status/312637578316742658