Give me deep, random, funny, stupid, and personal questions to ask.
September 6, 2013 5:28 PM Subscribe
My partner and I want to fill a hat with as many questions as possible, so that we can pull a couple of questions out of it each time we're together. We chat a lot but we both think it'd be great to have something else to spark conversations. I think it'll work best if neither of us know what most of the questions are. Hence why I'd like your lists of deep, funny, stupid or random questions to ask that will spark a conversation.
So I want to gather as many questions as possible that could lead to funny, deep, insightful or thought provoking conversations. However I think it would be best if my partner and I don't know the questions. So I'm trying to find lists that I can just copy and paste then cut up without having to look at them. I've been looking on Google and have found some lists. However I thought that the good people of MetaFilter would have some good questions as well. So my question is what are good questions to ask?
The sort of questions I'm after are like these.
Do you think any kind of afterlife exists?
Would you kill an innocent person if you thought it might mean saving a dozen other people?
What’s the most money you’ve ever given away?
What’s the biggest personal change you’ve ever made?
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done?
What do you think would be one of the best steps we could take toward ending poverty around the world?
What is Satan's last name?
Why is it that on a phone or calculator the number five has a little dot on it?
Can crop circles be square?
If ghosts can walk through walls and glide down stairs, why don't they fall through the floor?
So I want to gather as many questions as possible that could lead to funny, deep, insightful or thought provoking conversations. However I think it would be best if my partner and I don't know the questions. So I'm trying to find lists that I can just copy and paste then cut up without having to look at them. I've been looking on Google and have found some lists. However I thought that the good people of MetaFilter would have some good questions as well. So my question is what are good questions to ask?
The sort of questions I'm after are like these.
Do you think any kind of afterlife exists?
Would you kill an innocent person if you thought it might mean saving a dozen other people?
What’s the most money you’ve ever given away?
What’s the biggest personal change you’ve ever made?
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done?
What do you think would be one of the best steps we could take toward ending poverty around the world?
What is Satan's last name?
Why is it that on a phone or calculator the number five has a little dot on it?
Can crop circles be square?
If ghosts can walk through walls and glide down stairs, why don't they fall through the floor?
What happens if Pinocchio says 'my nose is going to grow now'?
Be careful with that one though, I was asked it five years ago and I'm still mulling it over.
posted by Ned G at 5:37 PM on September 6, 2013 [4 favorites]
Be careful with that one though, I was asked it five years ago and I'm still mulling it over.
posted by Ned G at 5:37 PM on September 6, 2013 [4 favorites]
Chuck Klosterman's Hypertheoreticals are fun conversation starters.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 5:41 PM on September 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by no regrets, coyote at 5:41 PM on September 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
If you had three wishes that had to all be "spent" on you and you could not wish for more wishes, what would you wish for?
posted by jessamyn at 5:42 PM on September 6, 2013
posted by jessamyn at 5:42 PM on September 6, 2013
Invisibility or flight?
posted by jessamyn at 5:46 PM on September 6, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by jessamyn at 5:46 PM on September 6, 2013 [4 favorites]
What do you think is at the edge/end of the universe?
If you could be a farmer, what would be on your farm?
posted by littlemisslaika at 5:54 PM on September 6, 2013
If you could be a farmer, what would be on your farm?
posted by littlemisslaika at 5:54 PM on September 6, 2013
There are whole games for this that my parents used to play. Scruples, it was called. Poke around and I'm sure you'll find modern versions.
Also, there's a ship going to Mars, and you can go, but something physically changes in your body when you go, and you have to stay there for the rest of your life. Do you go?
posted by vecchio at 5:56 PM on September 6, 2013 [2 favorites]
Also, there's a ship going to Mars, and you can go, but something physically changes in your body when you go, and you have to stay there for the rest of your life. Do you go?
posted by vecchio at 5:56 PM on September 6, 2013 [2 favorites]
You could buy a copy of this book and unbind it to put in the hat.
posted by procrastination at 5:57 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by procrastination at 5:57 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
After somebody uses the transporter in Star Trek, are they the same person, or does reconstituting them out of different molecules mean they're a different person and the original version ceases to exist?
posted by aimedwander at 6:02 PM on September 6, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by aimedwander at 6:02 PM on September 6, 2013 [5 favorites]
Was Jesus diploid or haploid?
If you could have something named after you as a memorial what would you choose? (building, park, school, that kind of thing)
posted by sciencegeek at 6:19 PM on September 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
If you could have something named after you as a memorial what would you choose? (building, park, school, that kind of thing)
posted by sciencegeek at 6:19 PM on September 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
Have you ever faked an orgasm while masturbating ?
posted by therealshell at 6:27 PM on September 6, 2013 [6 favorites]
posted by therealshell at 6:27 PM on September 6, 2013 [6 favorites]
What's the difference between an alligator?
How long does a string?
posted by Bruce H. at 6:33 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
How long does a string?
posted by Bruce H. at 6:33 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
What would your DJ name be?
posted by Inkoate at 6:38 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Inkoate at 6:38 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
When did you consider yourself an 'adult'?
What's your earliest memory?
Do you define yourself based mainly on your intentions, your actions, or something else?
If required, could you saw off your (unconscious) partner's leg to save them (a la the Grey's Anatomy episode)?
What motivates you to improve yourself?
posted by FiveSecondRule at 6:45 PM on September 6, 2013
What's your earliest memory?
Do you define yourself based mainly on your intentions, your actions, or something else?
If required, could you saw off your (unconscious) partner's leg to save them (a la the Grey's Anatomy episode)?
What motivates you to improve yourself?
posted by FiveSecondRule at 6:45 PM on September 6, 2013
Would you rather be really really big or really really small?
posted by oceanjesse at 6:52 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by oceanjesse at 6:52 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
Remember the transporters in Star Trek? What if transporters really existed and the way they worked was that your current body was destroyed while at the same time an exact copy of your body, with the exact same brain and thoughts, was created at your destination? Would you be willing to use one?
posted by Redstart at 6:55 PM on September 6, 2013
posted by Redstart at 6:55 PM on September 6, 2013
Bald or hairy
posted by oceanjesse at 6:56 PM on September 6, 2013
posted by oceanjesse at 6:56 PM on September 6, 2013
Boxers or briefs? (Sorry, just had to do that).
Why do we park on drive ways and drive on parkways?
If you could have a salon with 10 historical figures from any time period, who would you put in the room all together?
What music do you want at your funeral?
posted by tafetta, darling! at 7:05 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
Why do we park on drive ways and drive on parkways?
If you could have a salon with 10 historical figures from any time period, who would you put in the room all together?
What music do you want at your funeral?
posted by tafetta, darling! at 7:05 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
Anything but "what's your most embarrassing moment"
posted by oceanjesse at 7:11 PM on September 6, 2013
posted by oceanjesse at 7:11 PM on September 6, 2013
What was your most intense dream?
posted by oceanjesse at 7:14 PM on September 6, 2013
posted by oceanjesse at 7:14 PM on September 6, 2013
My boyfriend and I have had fun with chat box which could have been made with this question in mind down to the size of the cards.
posted by janey47 at 7:15 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by janey47 at 7:15 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
For what conspiracy theory do you secretly hold beliefs?
posted by oceanjesse at 7:15 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by oceanjesse at 7:15 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
Would you be disappointed to learn that 200 years from now you will have no living descendants?
What do you think the ideal human lifespan would be?
What do you imagine sex is like for the opposite sex?
What would you like about being the opposite sex? What would you not like?
Which do you prefer, odd numbers or even numbers?
Do you have a favorite number?
Is beauty purely subjective or can someone be wrong about whether something is beautiful?
If you won a large amount of money, would it make you happier?
Does a person's happiness level depend mostly on the good or bad things that have happened to the person, or on something else?
Do you think the best part of your life has already happened? If not, what's your guess about when the best part will come?
posted by Redstart at 7:25 PM on September 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
What do you think the ideal human lifespan would be?
What do you imagine sex is like for the opposite sex?
What would you like about being the opposite sex? What would you not like?
Which do you prefer, odd numbers or even numbers?
Do you have a favorite number?
Is beauty purely subjective or can someone be wrong about whether something is beautiful?
If you won a large amount of money, would it make you happier?
Does a person's happiness level depend mostly on the good or bad things that have happened to the person, or on something else?
Do you think the best part of your life has already happened? If not, what's your guess about when the best part will come?
posted by Redstart at 7:25 PM on September 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
have you ever masturbated to a cartoon character (e.g., betty boop or jessica rabbit)?
what was the last thing you remember shoplifting?
does p=np, and why or why not?
and from the ongoing new york city mayoral debate, the classic dead kitten question: kittens have been spotted on a subway track. how long, if at all, would you be willing to stop a train full of commuters at rush hour to go in and rescue the kittens?
posted by bruce at 7:46 PM on September 6, 2013
what was the last thing you remember shoplifting?
does p=np, and why or why not?
and from the ongoing new york city mayoral debate, the classic dead kitten question: kittens have been spotted on a subway track. how long, if at all, would you be willing to stop a train full of commuters at rush hour to go in and rescue the kittens?
posted by bruce at 7:46 PM on September 6, 2013
You can give one object (the same object) to everyone in the world. What is it, and why?
Does 0.9999... equal 1?
People evolved from bird like creatures, rather than ape like creatures, and can fly. How do you think society would be different? Specifically, would there still be a need for roads?
You can issue a guaranteed effective drone strike on one person, with no collateral physical damage. Who is the target?
Would you take a one way mission to mars trip?
You have to drink four pints of a liquid per day (not water). What is it?
What is the most commonly held belief that you personally find deeply offensive?
Would you rather be a giant, or microscopic?
What potentially nearly possible scientific achievement are you most excited about/scared of?
posted by Jon Mitchell at 7:50 PM on September 6, 2013
Does 0.9999... equal 1?
People evolved from bird like creatures, rather than ape like creatures, and can fly. How do you think society would be different? Specifically, would there still be a need for roads?
You can issue a guaranteed effective drone strike on one person, with no collateral physical damage. Who is the target?
Would you take a one way mission to mars trip?
You have to drink four pints of a liquid per day (not water). What is it?
What is the most commonly held belief that you personally find deeply offensive?
Would you rather be a giant, or microscopic?
What potentially nearly possible scientific achievement are you most excited about/scared of?
posted by Jon Mitchell at 7:50 PM on September 6, 2013
If you were transported back in time as in Twain's An American Yankee in King Arthur's Court, what modern inventions would you introduce and what modern inventions could you actually reproduce in that era? For example if you said automobile, could you actually make an automobile?
posted by sciencegeek at 8:08 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by sciencegeek at 8:08 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
What's your favorite kind of rock and why?
posted by oceanjesse at 8:11 PM on September 6, 2013
posted by oceanjesse at 8:11 PM on September 6, 2013
Have you ever had an ephinany? I asked that of my husband when were first dating. I learned a lot.
posted by bananafish at 8:22 PM on September 6, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by bananafish at 8:22 PM on September 6, 2013 [5 favorites]
Would you rather be liked or respected?
Did your parents love all their children equally, or did they have favorites?
Would the world be a better place if no one ever used recreational drugs or alcohol?
What long-lost childhood possession of yours would you like to see again?
If you had to pick a new first name, what would it be?
posted by Redstart at 9:09 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
Did your parents love all their children equally, or did they have favorites?
Would the world be a better place if no one ever used recreational drugs or alcohol?
What long-lost childhood possession of yours would you like to see again?
If you had to pick a new first name, what would it be?
posted by Redstart at 9:09 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
What is the stupidest thing you did during the Summer after high school ended ?
posted by Mr. Yuck at 9:12 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Mr. Yuck at 9:12 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
My ex and I had fun with questions that began, "Tell me a story about...". It didn't really matter what the subject was, but it was usually some sort of everyday object or phenomenon, like a rock, a storm, a pet, a bus trip. I remember one time I asked for a story about a tree and it led to us both sharing stories about the trees we used to climb as kids. The point is that it gives you an excuse to tell a story from your past that otherwise might never have come up in conversation. Even after nine years, we still learned new things about each other from listening to those stories.
posted by embrangled at 9:14 PM on September 6, 2013 [8 favorites]
posted by embrangled at 9:14 PM on September 6, 2013 [8 favorites]
You have a single ticket for one return trip in a time machine. What time and place will you go to visit? Will you use your trip to sightsee or make money?
posted by Joh at 9:43 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Joh at 9:43 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
What was that about hats?
posted by mannequito at 11:33 PM on September 6, 2013
posted by mannequito at 11:33 PM on September 6, 2013
Which of the places that you lived was your favorite? Where would you choose if you could choose anywhere to live? What would be your last meal? Describe your dream house. Who is on your celebrity cheat list? How many kids should we have? What would we name them? If you won the lottery how would you spend the money? How would you spend your time? If you had to work but didn't need the money what would you do and why? What would you like you like to study? What is your least favorite chore? What is your favorite body part? Least favorite? If you could visit any other planet which would it be and why? Is there life outside of earth? What would you like your child to be like? If you could have one new talent imparted on you such that you could perfectly perform it, what would it be?
posted by dpx.mfx at 1:52 AM on September 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by dpx.mfx at 1:52 AM on September 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
It sounds like you might be interested in thunks...basically questions which have no right of wrong answer. I use them with my pupils and they spark great conversation and debate. As well as the website I linked to I have found powerpoints of hundreds of them on the UK-based teaching resource site TES.
posted by schmoo at 4:49 AM on September 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by schmoo at 4:49 AM on September 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
What do you think about when you're alone?
If you were Zeus and you turned into an animal to have sex with a mortal which animal would it be?
Which horseman of the apocalypse would you be an understudy for?
Would you really mind if teh Borg assimilated you? What if they asked for your consent?
What are some crazy music videos you've seen?
Are there any movies you loved but hated the guts out of the ending?
Who's your fantasy celebrity boyfriend?
If you could fuse one religion and one sport into a single sports game which ones would you combine?
What would happen if Superman's pod had landed in teh Middle East?
What if you owned an inn and only had one room and Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha and Ctulu showed up. Who gets the room? What would you say to the others?
Have you ever giggled at a funeral?
Most inappropiate boner.
If you were a b-movie which would it be? Doesn't have to exist.
Disney or Warner brothers?
posted by CyborgHag at 7:23 AM on September 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
If you were Zeus and you turned into an animal to have sex with a mortal which animal would it be?
Which horseman of the apocalypse would you be an understudy for?
Would you really mind if teh Borg assimilated you? What if they asked for your consent?
What are some crazy music videos you've seen?
Are there any movies you loved but hated the guts out of the ending?
Who's your fantasy celebrity boyfriend?
If you could fuse one religion and one sport into a single sports game which ones would you combine?
What would happen if Superman's pod had landed in teh Middle East?
What if you owned an inn and only had one room and Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha and Ctulu showed up. Who gets the room? What would you say to the others?
Have you ever giggled at a funeral?
Most inappropiate boner.
If you were a b-movie which would it be? Doesn't have to exist.
Disney or Warner brothers?
posted by CyborgHag at 7:23 AM on September 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
Which are smarter, cats or dogs?
posted by Halo in reverse at 9:42 AM on September 7, 2013
posted by Halo in reverse at 9:42 AM on September 7, 2013
If your home were on fire and you did not have to worry about saving any of the five P's (people, pets, photos, papers, prescriptions), what one item would you choose to save?
posted by Ginesthoi at 2:41 PM on September 7, 2013
posted by Ginesthoi at 2:41 PM on September 7, 2013
Response by poster: Thank you all for your questions. I've been out all day so only just had a chance to check back on here. I'm looking forward to printing them all out and finding out what our answers are.
posted by Ranting Prophet of DOOM! at 4:00 PM on September 7, 2013
posted by Ranting Prophet of DOOM! at 4:00 PM on September 7, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
If someone gave you the power to save just one animal species on earth, which would it be?
Why is yawning contagious?
If you had three wishes from a non-tricky genie, what would you wish for?
Where would you go in a time travel machine? Would you stay?
What do you most regret and wish you could re do?
What's the absolute best vacation you can imagine?
Do people really get any wiser as they get older?
posted by bearwife at 5:34 PM on September 6, 2013 [1 favorite]