After writing a five-part series of questions for guessing your constitution by ruling types out, I ran the questionnaire on myself. The result: the constitution least often ruled out was Vesicotonia — which is the constitution I have been diagnosed with. Here is what the exercise showed, and what a questionnaire can and cannot do in Eight Constitution Medicine (ECM).
In Summary
- Standard Sasang questionnaires such as the QSCC II are widely used; my rule-out set adapts the idea from an ECM point of view.
- Aiming for high sensitivity, I kept it to about 25 questions.
- Run on myself, Vesicotonia was ruled out zero times — the lowest of all eight.
- Even unweighted, the raw counts were meaningful. But a questionnaire is a starting point, not a diagnosis.
- The one cheat code that helps prevent almost every disease: sustainable exercise and appropriate nutrition.
Where the Questionnaire Comes From
The most commonly used constitution test in Sasang medicine is a questionnaire — the QSCC II (Questionnaire for Sasang Constitution Classification) is a well-known example, used in Korean university hospitals’ Sasang departments. I adapted the idea from an ECM perspective. Because I wanted a questionnaire with high sensitivity — one that rules types out reliably — it came to about 25 questions rather than more.
I would also like to develop it further: one idea is a constitution-assessment tool that links the questionnaire to diet and lifestyle information.
My Own Result
Here is how many times each constitution was ruled out when I answered my own questions:
- Colonotonia — 2
- Pulmotonia — 2
- Cholecystonia — 5
- Hepatonia — 5
- Vesicotonia — 0
- Renotonia — 1
- Gastrotonia — 1
- Pancreotonia — 2
Vesicotonia was the least likely to be ruled out. The test should really be weighted item by item, but even as raw numbers the result is meaningful. In ECM, “strong” does not mean “safe” for any constitution — and a single person’s result, even the questionnaire author’s, is not validation.
What a Questionnaire Can and Cannot Do
A questionnaire can narrow the field and teach you how foods and habits act on your body. It cannot replace constitutional pulse diagnosis, and it should never be the basis for constitutional acupuncture or herbal medicine. Use it to choose a sensible provisional diet for a few weeks, and to have a more informed conversation with a practitioner.
The Cheat Code
I usually teach the theory of disease. If there is one invincible cheat code for preventing almost every illness, it is sustainable exercise and appropriate nutrition. Understand your body’s characteristics and your constitution — and keep moving and eating well. I will keep looking for better questions and better methods.
Summary
Run on its author, the rule-out questionnaire pointed to the constitution I actually have — an encouraging sign, though not proof. Treat questionnaires as a way to narrow possibilities and learn about your body, confirm with pulse diagnosis, and never lose sight of the basics that protect everyone.
Related reading: Part 5: Saunas, Cold Water and Skin · What Online Constitution Tests Can and Cannot Tell You
