According to a study in which clinical psychologist Ramani Durvasula analysed 1,000 coffee lovers and examined common personality styles and psychological traits, how you take your coffee is a good indication of what sort of person you are, although she adds that despite the intriguing results, that “We are no more defined by our coffee orders than we are by our astrological signs.”
Coffee-drinking has a cultural dimension to it that cannot be ignored. Durvasula found that those who drink black coffee are your basic old-school purists. These hard-headed individuals gravitate towards the simple life. But they can also be abrupt, moody, impatient and even averse to change. Interestingly, the French, who drink their coffee black, exhibit many of these tendencies, including a purist’s traditionalism and disciplined approach to food (and life), a great deal of self-possession and a world view that tends not to centre around material things. And, of course, it also explains the famous Parisian irritability
In India, where the famous filter coffee of the south is the gold standard for most coffee drinkers, coffee with milk is the norm.
Those who drink black coffee are oldschool purists. These hard-headed individuals gravitate towards the simple life. But they can also be abrupt, moody, impatient and even averse to change
Latte drinkers, the study indicates, are people-pleasers and comfort-seekers, who can be slightly neurotic. These folks are open, generous, ready to help others and have a tendency to overwork and neglect themselves. In other words, the quintessential Indian.
Americans, famous for their trendy coffees, exhibit the aggressively extroverted, trend-setting, imaginative, childlike and experimental tendencies which Durvasula’s says are typical of drinkers of cold coffee or other creative, ‘dessert’ blends. This analysis also ties in with the celebrated American naiveté which makes them susceptible to quick fixes, as well as the occasional recklessness and unhealthy food choices that go with the ‘to hell with it’ impulse.
Categories that are found across cultures are the select set of coffee puritans, who’ll drink only single-plantation/100 per cent coffee/Columbian/decaf. These folks are self-evident perfectionists, sensitive and health-conscious, with a tendency to be control-freaks and to worry and obsess about things. The more expensive the brew, the more high-maintenance its patrons. At the other end of the spectrum is instant coffee, which attracts laid-back procrastinators who take life as it comes. People who opt for this most affordable and minimum-effort beverage show all the signs of being your average person on the street, someone who’s bad at planning and doesn’t over think things. In other words, the average cup of Joe for the average Joe!
What’s in a coffee cup is a reflection of the person sipping on it. Strong and robust or sweet and luxurious, topped with ice-cream or mixed with chocolate, sourced from high altitudes or bought from the local supermarket, there’s a brew out there for every person - and every mood.
Coffee, anyone?
