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Want To Broaden Your Mind? Here Are 99 Thought-Provoking Questions To Ask Yourself (Or Your Friends!)
mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor
By Sarah Regan
mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor
Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Editor, and a registered yoga instructor. She received her bachelor's in broadcasting and mass communication from SUNY Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.
Small talk certainly has its place in conversation, especially when you're meeting someone new or trying to make a friend. But if you really want to deepen a connection, that's when you'll want some thought-provoking questions handy.
After all, not only does research show that deep conversations with strangers are actually less awkward than we expect them to be1, but they're also way more effective for fostering feelings of connectedness than shallow conversation. And what do we know about connection? That it's essential to our overall health and longevity.
So without further ado, here are 99 thought-provoking questions to ask a new friend, an old friend, a loved one, or yourself!
Thought-provoking questions about your life
- What are you passionate about?
- What consistently brings you joy?
- Where are you finding the most meaning in life?
- What do you feel has been the most important thing you've done in life so far?
- What lasting impact do you know you've made in the world?
- Have you had any major turning points in your life so far?
- What's your favorite part of your typical day?
- What does your ideal day look like?
- What is your greatest fear?
- Would you change anything about the way you grew up?
- In what ways do you think you have grown as a person?
- What's your favorite thing about yourself?
- What makes you feel loved?
- Have you ever been to therapy? If so, what was your experience like? If not, why?
- What's your attachment style?
- Which of your deep inner longings have you been ignoring?
- When do you feel most alive?
- What is one dream you’d like to see come true this week/month/year?
- What does self-care look like for you?
- What's a question you wish more people asked you?
- Do you love yourself?
- How do you calm yourself down when you're feeling stressed?
- When is the last time you felt deeply inspired, and why?
- Do you identify as an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert?
- What are five things you couldn't live without?
- How do you hold yourself back in life?
- How do you support yourself in life?
- Do you identify as a leader?
- What would your younger self think about where you are now?
- What is your mental age?
Thought provoking questions about the nature reality
- What is the meaning of life?
- What is consciousness?
- What's your relationship to religion?
- Are you a spiritual person?
- What's a conspiracy theory you actually believe?
- What is our place in the universe?
- Do you believe in free will or determinism?
- If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, does it make a sound?
- How do you define existence?
- Do you think time travel is feasible (or a good idea)?
- What do you think happens when we die?
- What is mathematics?
- What comes first: thought or emotion?
- Is everything truly subjective?
- Do you believe the universe operates on order or chaos?
- What's your take on "the matrix?"
- Do you believe in karma?
- Is morality subjective or are there absolute moral truths?
- What is time?
- Do you believe in the Law of Attraction?
- What is infinity?
- What are your thoughts on the Big Bang?
- How much do we rely on other people in order to be?
- Do you believe in ghosts?
- Do you believe in aliens?
- How do you think the world will end?
- Do you believe in souls?
- Where are we before we're born, if anywhere?
Thought-provoking questions about our world
- How connected are you feeling to the world?
- What does the world need more of?
- What does the world need less of?
- Do you think organized religion have a bigger or smaller place in society going forward?
- Do you feel like the world is changing for the better or changing for the worse? How so?
- What from the past is worth preserving?
- In what ways has society changed during your lifetime? What do you think caused these changes?
- What's your latest controversial hot take?
- Do you think humans are inherently good or inherently evil?
- Do you think our society is progressing or regressing?
- What's more important: science or art?
- What does masculinity or being a man mean to you?
- What does femininity or being a woman mean to you?
- How do you feel about your gender?
- What gender stereotype do you wish the world would let go of?
- Do you enjoy discussing politics? Why or why not?
- What's a social issue or cause you're very passionate about?
- Is ignorance really bliss?
- Is world peace possible?
- What is the biggest problem humanity faces?
- What is humanity's greatest hope?
- Do you think religion does more harm or good?
- Which nation do you think sets the best example in our world?
- What role would you like to play in supporting humanity, if any?
Thought-provoking questions about values
- What are your core values?
- What do you value most in a friend?
- What do you value most in a romantic partnership?
- What's the most important quality a person can have?
- What is the meaning of happiness?
- Do you place a bigger value on helping yourself, your family, or the world? How so?
- Is there a motto or principle you live by?
- What’s something your parents have taught you about love that you now realize is wrong?
- What are your relationship deal-breakers?
- Is jealousy healthy in a relationship?
- Which of the following types of intelligence do you value most: logical/mathematical, social/interpersonal, or visual/artistic?
- If money wasn't an issue, how would you spend your days?
- What's your worst habit?
- What's your best habit?
- Who's an older person in your life that you really look up to?
- If you had to pick one of our friends to marry on the spot, who would you pick?
- What's your biggest pet peeve? Why?
- Do you think it's more important to watch out for yourself or others?
Funny & lighthearted thought-provoking questions
- Are you a city person or a country person?
- What element do you resonate most with: fire, water, earth, or air?
- What role would you play in the group of people trying to survive a zombie apocalypse?
- Would you survive being stranded on a deserted island?
- What's your favorite conspiracy theory?
- What is your favorite childhood memory?
- Which word describes you better: carefree or intense?
- Which would you rather be: normal or weird?
- Is astrological sign at all important in a match?
- Do you like scary movies? Why or why not?
- Is there a zodiac sign you would never want to date? Why?
- Do you think TikTok is net good or net bad for our culture?
- Do you believe in twin flames?
- If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
- Who is a celebrity you think is underrated?
- Is water wet?
- If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
FAQs:
What are the most thought provoking questions?
Some of the most thought-provoking questions are questions that have to do with deeper aspects of our lives, the nature of reality, and our world (i.e. What is the meaning of life? What is consciousness? Who are you, really?)
What is an example of a simple and thought provoking question?
A simple and thought-provoking question you can ask anyone is: What is consciousness?
The takeaway
Sometimes we hesitate to dig deeper with the people in our lives, and even ourselves, avoiding these thought-provoking questions for lighter small talk. But the research shows that it's never as awkward as we think it will be, and it only helps us feel more connected to others—so don't be afraid to ask away!
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