One of the 243 portraits · MLLLH
The Provocateur
I'd rather start an argument than a spreadsheet.
You throw ideas like stones.
You toss out the idea built to provoke, then watch what happens to it. Structure bores you, feelings run close to the surface, and you would rather be interesting than organized.
Provocative · Restless · Imaginative
The five together
Restless, contrarian and disorganised, you throw ideas like stones, feel the ripples more than you admit, and would rather start an argument than a spreadsheet.
The Provocateur's result is high on Openness, low on Agreeableness, Conscientiousness and Emotional Stability and in the middle on Extraversion. Each band is wide on purpose: a score near a boundary can fall either side on a retake, and the portrait describes the pattern, not a precise point.
About 3 in 1,000 people
0.27% of a reference sample of 596,850 adults share this combination. The Provocateur is an uncommon combination.
Bands are relative to a general adult reference sample. Honesty-Humility is measured in your Snapshot and appears in your report; it is not part of the portrait.
What The Provocateur might recognize
- You'll say the contrarian thing in a meeting just to see who actually thinks it through.
- An idea you tossed out carelessly can needle you for days after everyone else forgot it.
A question worth keeping
How much of what you say is the idea itself, and how much is wanting to see the reaction?
Six lenses
The Provocateur in relationships, at work, and under stress.
In relationships
What you bring, what you need, where it strains.
These six lenses on The Provocateur come with the membership.
Written for this exact combination, alongside 90 trait pages, a strengths constellation and a growth plan.
Read them in the membershipOne band away
Move a single dimension and the portrait changes. These are the ten neighbours of The Provocateur.
- Extraversion lowThe Outsider
- Extraversion highThe Firebrand
- Agreeableness mediumThe Improviser
- Agreeableness highThe Sweetheart
- Conscientiousness mediumThe Truth-Teller
- Conscientiousness highThe Virtuoso
- Emotional Stability mediumThe Tinkerer
- Emotional Stability highThe Prospector
- Openness lowThe Wildcard
- Openness mediumThe Wisecracker
The traits behind The Provocateur
A portrait is a pattern across five measured dimensions. Every trait is reported as a percentile against the reference sample; the three bands and the portrait name exist to make the result easier to talk about, and the percentile is always shown alongside. Each dimension has its own page explaining what it means, what the research says it predicts, and how it can change.
- Balanced band, 30th to 70th percentileWhat is Extraversion?
How much you enjoy being around people, talking, and doing lively things, and how much energy that gives you.
- Quiet band, below the 30th percentileWhat is Agreeableness?
How kind, trusting, and cooperative you tend to be with other people, and how much you put getting along ahead of getting your way.
- Quiet band, below the 30th percentileWhat is Conscientiousness?
How organised, careful, and reliable you are about getting things done and keeping your promises.
- Quiet band, below the 30th percentileWhat is Emotional Stability?
How calm and even you usually feel, and how quickly you bounce back when something upsets you.
- High band, above the 70th percentileWhat is Openness?
How much you enjoy new ideas, art, imagination, and experiences that are different from what you already know.
The Snapshot also measures Honesty-Humility, which appears in your report but is not part of the portrait code. How much you tell the truth, play fair, want only your fair share, and avoid showing off, even when you could get away with more.
Questions about The Provocateur
- What is the Provocateur personality?
- The Provocateur is one of the 243 Wellington portraits: a pattern of bands across the five Big Five dimensions rather than a fixed type. I'd rather start an argument than a spreadsheet. Restless, contrarian and disorganised, you throw ideas like stones, feel the ripples more than you admit, and would rather start an argument than a spreadsheet.
- How common is The Provocateur?
- 0.27% of a reference sample of 596,850 adults share this combination. The Provocateur is an uncommon combination among the 243 portraits in the reference sample, and the share will move as the norming sample grows.
- How do I find out if I am The Provocateur?
- Take the free Wellington Snapshot: 60 questions, about 7 minutes. You answer all the questions first, then you sign in with an email so your answers are saved and your results can be shown. There is no card. Your free results name your portrait and show your five dimensions.
- Is The Provocateur a personality type?
- Not in the sense of a box you are sorted into. Wellington measures continuous traits and reports each as a percentile against a reference sample. The Provocateur names the combination of bands your scores fall in, and a score near a band boundary can land on either side on a retake. Wellington describes ordinary variation in personality; it is not a diagnosis and is not designed for hiring. Read more about types and traits
Share The Provocateur
Post your card
On a phone, Instagram, TikTok and More open your share sheet with the card attached, ready to post. On a computer they download the card and copy the caption, so you can upload it yourself.
The Provocateur: I'd rather start an argument than a spreadsheet. Which portrait are you? Find yours with Wellington.
Is this you, or someone you know?
The free Snapshot takes seven minutes and names your own portrait, with your five dimensions shown alongside it.