The year 2024 seemed to go by in the blink of an eye, yet it was full of newsworthy people and events that relate to the Hogan Development Survey (HDS). That’s right—we’ve announced our 2024 derailers of the year.
Since the inception of The Science of Personality in 2020, cohosts Ryne Sherman, PhD, and Blake Loepp have done an annual review of news and events that loosely relate to the 11 scales of the HDS. It’s become a fan-favourite episode across the 174 countries where people listen.
A quick disclaimer: We’re connecting the psychological nature of the HDS derailers to real events and notable people. We strive to be objective and don’t intend to condone or condemn the items we mention.
Following are the 2024 derailers of the year.
Excitable: Yoon Suk Yeol
The Excitable scale concerns being passionate about new projects or ideas but also easily frustrated or disappointed. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in response to negative public opinion about him. A short time later, he withdrew the declaration and apologised. A short time after that, he seemed to backtrack on his apology for the declaration. This is a quintessential representation of the emotional highs and lows and rash decisions associated with the Excitable derailer.
Sceptical: Joe Rogan
The Sceptical scale refers to mistrusting others. People with high scores on Sceptical tend to question evidence and challenge what’s known. Joe Rogan, a US-based podcaster and self-proclaimed conspiracy theorist, has questioned the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Jr., the authenticity of the moon landing, the efficacy of vaccines, and the existence of UFOs. While it can be beneficial to challenge conventional wisdom, Sceptical people risk doubting facts or spreading misinformation.
Cautious: Democrats
The Cautious scale is about the fear of making a mistake or being embarrassed. Those who score high on Cautious tend to avoid taking risks. The US Democratic Party exhibited this type of caution during the 2024 presidential election. The party convinced President Joe Biden to step down from running and nominated Vice President Kamala Harris to run instead. The Democrats seemed to see Harris as a safer bet and took a less risky path.
Reserved: Bashar al-Assad
The Reserved scale relates to avoiding challenges or confrontation. Another way of describing it is running away from problems. Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad literally left the country when his government was overthrown. It’d be challenging to appear more Reserved than that.
Leisurely: Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar Feud
The Leisurely scale has to do with passive resistance or dealing with problems in an indirect manner. Rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar wrote a series of so-called diss tracks, which are filled with indirect inflammatory accusations against each other. The musical feud escalated this year with the diss tracks involving criminal allegations and leading to the injury of one of the musicians’ security guards.
Bold: Raygun
The Bold scale is about overconfidence, entitlement, and unrealistic beliefs about one’s talent. Australian competitive breakdancer Rachael Gunn, whose stage name is Raygun, had a disastrous performance in the 2024 Summer Olympics. Video of her dance went viral on social media, where she received harsh criticism that her talent was not up to Olympic standards.
Mischievous: Luigi Mangione (UnitedHealthcare Suspect)
The Mischievous scale concerns being charming and compelling, as well as being manipulative and rule breaking. Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, exemplifies the dark side of Mischievous (allegedly, at least). An extreme level of rule breaking is violent, criminal behaviour.
Colourful: Moo Deng
The Colourful scale relates to being attention seeking, self-promoting, and dramatic. In the workplace, people who have high Colourful scores want the spotlight to shine on them. Viral sensation Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippopotamus in Thailand, is more energetic and playful than most hippos. Moo Deng’s rambunctious behaviour, including biting caretakers, has made her the subject of numerous internet memes.
Imaginative: SpaceX
The Imaginative scale is about being creative, sometimes impractically so. It’s being creative in ways that may seem to be ahead of their time or beyond the scope of what’s realistic. US technology company SpaceX launched a rocket booster—and successfully landed it instead of letting it crash into the ocean. This achievement not only saves money (and rockets) but also creatively demonstrates what some believed impossible in space technology.
Diligent: Taylor Swift
The Diligent scale concerns being hard driving, motivated, and perfectionistic. For the second year in a row, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift represents this scale for her 149 Eras Tour shows, 10 million tickets sold, and $2 billion in revenue. She’s said she wants every show to be perfect.
Dutiful: Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore (Starliner Astronauts)
The Dutiful scale relates to following orders and resisting taking charge. People who are high on Dutiful tend to be disciplined about rules, regulations, and protocol. NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were supposed to work at the International Space Station for mere days but became stranded due to shuttle problems. By the time they return to Earth, they will have been gone for months. They’ve taken “working late” to a whole new level.
That’s a wrap for the 2024 derailers of the year! Thank you to the listeners of The Science of Personality for making it a fun, fantastic year.
Listen to this conversation in full on episode 116 of The Science of Personality. Never miss an episode by following us anywhere you get podcasts. Cheers, everybody!
*This blog was originally published on Hogan Assessments
