A reading of four self-descriptions, with context and choice.
Read four belief-related items accurately, preserving nonbelief, privacy and different sources of meaning rather than ranking purpose, morality or personal worth.
First make all 96 selections. Each part has exactly four items: two positively and two negatively keyed. Valid ratings run from 1 Very inaccurate to 5 Very accurate; reverse items use six minus the rating. Only four valid ratings produce that part’s raw sum of 4–20 and its one-decimal mean, the sum divided by four, from 1–5. Voluntary nonresponse or inability to judge is never zero-filled or replaced with a midpoint; only that part remains insufficient. IPIP’s general instructions use keyed sums. Mean display, mixed order, NA and the all-four requirement are website presentation and completeness conventions. All 24 parts remain visible without a moral total, percentile, six-virtue total or highest-score assignment. Equal values remain equal. A 0.1 gap establishes neither significance, ability nor change, and no five signature strengths are automatically assigned.
What these four items cover
These four items concern seeing yourself as spiritual, believing each person has a purpose, feeling life has no meaning and not believing in a universal power or God. They explicitly include religious belief and cannot be presented as a neutral test of meaning. They also do not fully cover purpose found in secular philosophy, relationships, making or everyday responsibilities.
Higher, lower and differing answers
A higher mean indicates stronger endorsement of this set of spiritual and religious descriptions. Lower endorsement may simply express atheism, uncertainty or another worldview rather than an absence of meaning. Belief in God and experienced meaning are distinct. Retaining the source reverse key establishes neither that nonbelief is wrong nor a hierarchy of moral worth.
A concrete everyday example
Suppose you reflect on something ordinary you want to sustain: tending plants, accompanying family or keeping a commitment. It may matter without being attributed to God or a universal power, or you may understand it through faith. This part cannot declare one interpretation deeper or establish which person has a stronger sense of purpose.
A possible conversation
If you want to discuss it, you could say, “This matters to me, and I’d like to keep beliefs private.” You can also state nonbelief. Others deserve respect without agreeing or disclosing their position. Use the voluntary nonresponse option for private beliefs rather than making an inaccurate or unwanted disclosure just to obtain a complete mean.
Distinctions from related parts
Spirituality may accompany gratitude and hope, but those parts require no religious affiliation; nonreligious people can appreciate help and anticipate the future. Perspective concerns views of life rather than strength of belief. These means cannot combine into a spiritual level or establish that one faith, way of living or value system is superior to another.
Counterexamples and actual conditions
An atheist may have clear commitments and rich experiences of meaning, while a believer may feel uncertain during a particular period. Four items cannot determine enduring purpose or psychological state, and one meaning-related response cannot diagnose a condition. Scores must not support proselytising, exclusion, assigned religious activities or deciding that someone’s worldview needs changing.
An optional observation
If you wish, note one everyday matter important to you and its concrete reason. Belief or nonbelief can remain entirely unwritten and the note private. Join no unwanted activity or change a belief for this observation. Its purpose is distinguishing personal meaning from item coverage, without validating a spiritual level, well-being or a direction for your life.
Raw sums, means and NA
First make all 96 selections. Each part has exactly four items: two positively and two negatively keyed. Valid ratings run from 1 Very inaccurate to 5 Very accurate; reverse items use six minus the rating. Only four valid ratings produce that part’s raw sum of 4–20 and its one-decimal mean, the sum divided by four, from 1–5. Voluntary nonresponse or inability to judge is never zero-filled or replaced with a midpoint; only that part remains insufficient. IPIP’s general instructions use keyed sums. Mean display, mixed order, NA and the all-four requirement are website presentation and completeness conventions. All 24 parts remain visible without a moral total, percentile, six-virtue total or highest-score assignment. Equal values remain equal. A 0.1 gap establishes neither significance, ability nor change, and no five signature strengths are automatically assigned.
Item source and website edition
English phrases and keying follow the official 96-item IPIP-VIA-R short key attributed to Bluemke, Partsch, Saucier and Lechner (2021), with two positive and two negative items per part. This is neither the older variable-length IPIP-VIA nor the VIA Institute Survey, GACS or a Gallup tool. IPIP places its items, scales and inventories in the public domain, including commercial use. No protected VIA Institute items, algorithms, reports, art or translations are used. FermatMind independently drafted the Chinese trial translation and educational explanations. This website edition has no local validation, norms or established language equivalence. English–German research described by the official key and university record establishes neither Chinese validation nor universal cultural fairness. Scores describe this attempt, not worth, tested ability, diagnosis, hiring or career fit.