These questions have no right or wrong answers.
Because sometimes asking the right questions is the answer.
- How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
- Which is worse, failing or never trying?
- If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
- When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
- What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?
- If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
- Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
- If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
- To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
- Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
- You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?
- If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
- Would you break the law to save a loved one?
- Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
- What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
- How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
- What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?
- Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
- If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
- Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
- Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
- Why are you, you?
- Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
- Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
- What are you most grateful for?
- Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
- Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
- Has your greatest fear ever come true?
- Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?
- What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?
- At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
- If not now, then when?
- If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
- Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
- Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?
- Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
- If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
- Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
- Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?
- When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
- If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
- Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?
- What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
- When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?
- If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
- What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
- When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
- What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?
- In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that?
- Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?
Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
And check out these books for more thought-provoking questions:
- The Book of Questions
- If… (Questions For The Game of Life)
- The Complete Book of Questions: 1001 Conversation Starters for Any Occasion
Photo by: Sanctuary
daab says
Damn! funny and intelligent questions 😀
Elyse says
Such wonderful questions, they’re really quite thought-provoking.
Difficult to answer, for me, because as my friends and family say I barely have an opinion.
Karen says
#1 is my favorite question of all time! Answer: old enough to know better but young enough to try it anyway…
Jack says
Now you got me thinking. What would I do differently in the future is what I have to consider.
alex mwesigye says
if you are able to answer these questions, you are doing self reflection and self criticism.
all of them are applicable to my/your life
Elizabeth Arrocena says
Hi, the funniest thing is, all these questions makes me think, there’s no such a thing like “time” and it doesn’t mean everything is over “time” is a concept we’ve created to make us feel usefull. thank’s for these questions, I had a -de ja vu- wish.
Ilene says
i love #50. it’s how my life has been since pretty much forever, and i’m finally making my own decisions. thank goodness. i’ve never felt better.
Lenn&MJ says
This is a very thought provoking column. It has opened our minds to a wider spectrum of knowledge!
Thanks for making us think!!
<3
Berry says
I read this post and just knew I would have to answer these questions. I wish I had had this list 5 years ago when I quit my ‘predestined’ life which culture had shoved on me and started living my own.
1.How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
23
2.Which is worse, failing or never trying?
Never trying
3.If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
I don’t ^_^ But if others do them it might be because of their cultural ‘software package’ uploaded into their brain as they grew up.
4.When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
Probably said, but this is not a bad thing. Its a western materialist meme that thought counts less than action. We exist on both levels of existence.
5.What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?
Global Unequality. We need balance in this world, not unchecked growth. That includes the inequality between humans and animal species, even between humans and inert material like stone. Check out http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk for the reasons.
6.If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
Permaculture designer.
7.Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
Doing what I believe in.
8.If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
I would still have been a product of my surroundings, but knowing that I had a shorter life I might have made more of an effort to break the trance.
9.To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
A large degree! I am self employed, travel the world, have broken with my past and look to the NOW!
10.Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
Doing the right things and also the right ‘none-things’. Duh!
11.You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?
Why would I respect and admire people that do shit like that?!?! The writer of this article needs to come up with better questions!!!
12.If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
Make up your own mind at every turn, but trust the love of the universe.
13.Would you break the law to save a loved one?
I have 🙂 Every demonstration or direct action I do is for my loved ones: The earth and everything and everybeing on her.
14.Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
Yes, in myself 🙂
15.What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
I’ve taken about 5 years to deprogram myself from my culture. Still not done.
16.How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
See answer number 15 😉
17.What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?
See the entire world and call everybeing my brother or sister. My lifespan is holding me back 🙂
18.Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
My spirit of resistance.
19.If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
I would move to the world. Oh wait, I’m already living there! No borders! No nations!
20.Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
Yes actually. Button freaks only!
21.Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
Tough nut that… I’d rather be shift between the two at different times.
22.Why are you, you?
Because I chose to live this life before I entered this human shell and forgot about before.
23.Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
I hope so. Maybe I move around too much to really make deep friendships.
24.Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
Losing touch.
25.What are you most grateful for?
Knowing for sure I am part of nature and nature is part of me, therefore making me part of this evolutionary journey.
26.Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
Lose all my old ones.
27.Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
I think it is only possible to know truth (not THE truth, there is no such meme). And knowing truth comes from traveling through its opposite.
28.Has your greatest fear ever come true?
Yes, and I came through it just fine. So stop making excuses and JUMP!
29.Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?
Yes. Because that time made me change the direction of my life from career towards my actual life and what I fulfills me.
30.What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?
Running around in nature. It makes it special because I still do it and have regained my ability to perceive as I did then. Try lying on your belly in the grass, with your face 2 inches from a beetle. Then stare at it for half an hour. Thats childhood for ya! 😉
31.At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
When I was crying my eyeballs out. Which felt amazing as I have not done that in SOOO long.
32.If not now, then when?
We are not in the middle of nowhere, we find ourselves in the middle of Now Here.
33.If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
My life. What every person can do is prepare for death and know that whatever is on the other side, its alright.
34.Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
Every time I see a bird and a bird sees me!
35.Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?
Because religions are full of memes that promote Duality. Duality is the concept that everything is divided. You from me. Us from them. East from West. Good from evil. Up from down. This is utter BULLSHIT. Yes it exists in the world we see, but it is no law of the universe! It is a human invention! We can change this around.
36.Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
It is not possible to know these things because Duality is a fallacy. There is life, and thats it.
37.If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
I already have quit my job, and not for a million dollars but because I stopped believing in what I worked for (the pharmaceutical companies). I am extremely poor if you look at my bank saldo. But hey, time is money and I’ve got all the time of my life!
38.Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
I would rather have noone do any work and all of us focusing on creating an abundant future, rather than a stratified society. Every time you pay for gas, buy a burger at McD’s, pay your taxes, you are feeding the upper class and stealing from the lower classes. All around the world people die because YOU pay taxes and buy gasoline. Sorry for that, but I had to go through that same speech for me to change my mind and quit my job.
39.Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?
Today is NOW, start believing in that. Not days.
40.When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
Its what life seems to be about, journeying through your fears to reach into the other side and bring back pretty things.
41.If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
I would stay in silent meditation and prepare myself for death.
42.What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
The Felt Presence of Direct Experience (thats a term coined by Terence McKenna).
43.Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?
No.
44.When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?
Every single Now of your entire life.
45.If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
Because it hurts to re-write your programming.
46.What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
Why would I care if anyone judges me? I make my own life, others can do the same. If they want to look down on me, they’re just not paying attention to their own life. Keep your eyes on the road and let your right brain do the driving 🙂
47.When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
The last time I meditated.
48.What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?
Love. By responding to someones blog where they spoke of a difficult moment in their life. And by planting six little tomatos this morning.
49.In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that?
I hope so, but I will probably be very busy ^_^
50.Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?
After reading my responses… What do you think? 😀
With love for the Earth,
Berry
bhargav says
Really awesome questions bro…. they let me know what i am… you bet I’m gonna share them with friends.
Actually I’ve read only a few question at random. And since for 1 hr.. my mind has been thinking, thinking…..
Thanks for posting these.
EddieStarr says
Thank you for this article, I am always open to questioning my experiences of life, and comparing them with others. YaY Progressive Thoughtfulness.!
Nicole McConney says
I enjoyed reading your list. Gives one a lot to think about.
tigercity says
thanx for these questions, I’ve used them in my job in fact – which is teaching english & it gets people thinking.. as for myself, I’ll try and answer them personally in the near future.. time for a siesta now however – priorities!
aLone. H says
Why do religions that support LOVE cause so many wars…..???
Jet Set Sally says
How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? .. 18!!! lol … that’s the million dollar question!!!
Naz says
If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
Oh man I loved this so much .. it made me have a real deep thought
syed tabish says
Great life questions! Very thought provoking! Thanks.
kaitlin says
numbers 20,24,and 26 i think are the best ones on here. number 20 for its humor of course, but the other two you really have to think about. it puts you in a state of mind you’re normally not in, or never think about. those are two questions people should wake up and think about every single day.
Lillianne says
I just wanted to share my thoughts after seeing that another has done so also. Its fun to be able to read along with the comments of other. When other people in the real world just have the time to discusses this questioner with you.
Thanks for reading 🙂
Here are my answers
01. 27
02. Never Trying
03. Because for some people good things happen to and other people good things don’t happen to. Its as easy as that.
04. Yes.
05. Getting every living human the opportunity of acknowledging who Our living God is, his son Jesus Christ and their salvation threw him
06. The one I’ve chosen ?
07. Doing what I believe in
08. Differently? The only thing I’ve reconsidered at times is being more self serving. Or valuing gain. Cause rejection is really getting an ass I hate kissing.
09. None. Besides the mistakes.
1o. Depends. I always try to do the right thing. Yet when my ignorance is a flout then all I can worry about it trying to do try to do my best at what I’m working on.
11. 1) Ask them to please stop. Its not right to criticize others.
2) Tell them I know the person and they must look at the matter from both sides.
3) Leave if they continue anyway.
12. To Breath.
13. Depends. Whose doing the right thing? If their guilty then the law will do justice. If the law is based on a religious tradition with not reasoning or justice. Then the law needs to be changed.
14. Insanity is not something I understand yet. There is demonized and not willing to understand reason by their own choose. To me all true artist, inventors, outcasts are all creative in our own special way.
15. I’m always been weird because I’ve always loved talking to kids a whole lot younger than me instead of just being around kids my own age.
16. I wish I can answer that question. Yet a plain answer just doesn’t seem to satisfy what I’m looking for. One can say “We’re all different” Yet we all drink water and make us happy. Love makes all happy. So its hard to understand it.
17. Go out on a date ?. This small town society and my parent’s name. Here everyone knows all and wants to know all. So even if we don’t know each other they most likely know my parents or one of my sisters. I just want a date where no one will know existed.
18. Most likely yes. Yet its now become so much a part of me that I no longer can tell if its something that is needed to be removed to begin with.
19. San Francisco, CA. There are no sterotypes, so many new things and international that it doesn’t matter who or what you are. You are free to be who ever you want to be. There is always something to do. Everyone is single, open, artistic, I can go on and on about the place ? I’m so happy for the time I had there.
20. Yes, its to please my persistence weather it works or not I need something to do besides stand there.
21. I’m already a joyful simpleton I want to try being genius now ?
22. Cause of the elements that surrounding me. Provoking and pushing me to a certain direction.
23. Yes. “Treat others as you would want to be treated” I always say
24. Losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you. Getting ignored from one that once cared seems worse than getting cursed from someone you hate.
25. To be alive with God ?
26. Rather lose all my old memories. Don’t help me none kicking myself over something I can never change. Its easier to change who you are when you no longer know what you’ve been.
27. Yes, yet that doesn’t mean their there aren’t some other true possibilities that come alone with it. There are more than one way to get the job done.
28. Most likely yes. Yet once here its no longer a fear. Cause after passing your still alivc. Most likely it was a unwanted secret that finally came out. —No cause I can’t ever remember what it was.
29. I’m sure I can think something up… Mad at my sisters for bringing my parents so much pain. It shouldn’t matter yet when brought up by others its like its right where we left off.
30. A summer camping trip. Some loved me and I loved someone back. It was so special because they loved me with my faults and everything. An were there for me when no one else in the world was. It an experience that I never knew existed.
31. When in true love 🙂
32. When time permit
33. I haven’t achieved it yet. If I drop everything and start on it now. There will be a lot children that will be effected on what they need to learn to grow.
34. The best conversation ever, no. The special connection to their ora or volubility yes 🙂
35. The Religion or the love they proclaim isn’t always true. There are those who speak about love and don’t live it. Then there are those who speak about love and follow the religious law of love and live by what is meant to be followed
36. Yes because threw God who is Good. You can know all things Good for he is good.
37. Yeah. Because I want to now start working on my own Corporation I want to invest and develop.
38. More work I’d actually enjoy doing.
39. Yes, only because I’ve been there done that before. Today is my cusion’s High school graduation. Yet because I’ve been to so many of those already and we’re not close. It hard to really value
40. Last week. My dog died two weeks ago. Going outside in the dark. Even though I didn’t want to think it something in side of me wanted to believe he was still there.
41. If everyone or even myself would die tomorrow. I wouldn’t change my schedule. “Live every day as if it be your last” I always say.
42. Excepting, living and knowing that you have a purpose to live for. A gifted skill to process.
43. Most likely. Its not like this life’s society will be much for living for later on anyway.
44. Always. I know it sounds like I seek benefits. Yet its for the benefit of others before myself. Which to me is the right thing to do.
45. Because I Hate to fail. It lowers one worth. Yes you get up and do it again. But failing so many times in a roll is never a pleasant emotion.
46. I would freely be who I really am. I would enjoy and love life. I would be happy to be who I am. Yet I represent the pride shadow of my parents. My siblings have done so much to destroy that, I just find the need to help re-build that. For my parents sake.
47. Everyday
48. I love to be meaningfully touched (hugged, held hand, leaned on, etc). –No, not to the level of meaningful
49. No
50. I’m letting others make it for me. Trying to help others most often means helping those that want the help. An want a certain process with.
True you can’t please everyone but it doesn’t stop me from try to help them to begin with.
Burning Tree says
I love these questions. I use one every week on facebook!
Hailey says
Well that was very interesting. How do you just come up with those questions is my question. And I also wonder how long it took you to do this to really go down deep and pull it out? And how did you even think about doing that? Was it like a dare or something? I think you are very talented because I am a strait A student and I could not do that.
Ba says
Thank you. Seriously, thank you. That’s all I have to say. I love these questions.
Kruz says
Gracias. Thank you for these thought provoking questions.
somasekhar says
Hats off to you! Really, I love the questions you have put together here.
Tashi Bhutia says
Wonderful, really thought provoking!
aspen says
Way to encourage people to think for themselves! 🙂
Meredith says
These questions are insane to think about. I like the one about happiness being the national currency and the whole if the average life span was 40 years one. Awesome! Thank you!
umang says
These questions are just fantastic! Thanks.
Slim says
I love this post. These are questions I ask myself all the time and think about regularly. Funny part is… I still don’t know the answers. But I think that’s the point.
Charismatic C. says
Your questions are great! I will respond to each of them everyday starting today if that’s okay with you! Thank you.
Best Regards,
Charismatic C. 🙂
Emily says
Number 12 🙂 If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
I would make sure they know to love everyone equally. Great things happen when, equality is achieved 🙂
Monique "Katie" O'Donnell says
Dear Marc and Angel,
I came across our blog while researching questions and loved your post. I loved it so much I just had to repost it on my blog. I gave you guys credit and hope that maybe some of my readers will follow you and your words. I hope they love and enjoy your words as much as I enjoyed your posts.
http://ODonnellKM.wordpress.com
thanks for sharing,
Love Katie
Paul says
Reading all this i have come to thinking…
I need to ask myself questions like these more often.
I´ll add #1 #50 #22 #10 and #46 to my own list =)
Bill says
To RobFonner (28 April 2011)… SNAP !
Same question. Same age.
I seem to have been asking “Why am I me?” since I was 5 and 6 years old.. and am now 56.
wali says
This is perfect… These questions really make me feel easier and to think about things differently.
Thanks.
Melissa says
I absolutely love this compilation of questions and would like to create a post on my blog that links back to it. I find myself copying and pasting this URL to share with others and finally decided to reach out to see if this will be okay with you.
Marc says
@Melissa: As long as you link back to our original article, you absolutely may. 🙂
Amanda says
Heres a question: Would you rather know more from experience or have a higher IQ?
Alyna Asal says
Thanks for these inspiring questions. Very helpful.
Melissa says
Hey Marc, I finally started the 50 question series. Here is the link where I introduce your site http://acedoubleyou.com/faq/ . Thanks again for compiling the questions, and please stop by sometime.
Simon Toby says
Hi Marc,
I coach people in the Netherlands in their carrier to think about where they want to go and how to achieve that. I’m using a few of these questions when I send them home. It give some interesting input the next session.
Kind regards,
Simon for the Netherlands
leena says
Thanks for all the inspiring questions…..i just love it!!!!
This is really helpful.
jeevan says
nice collection of questions?
helpfull to all…………
sue says
i’m trying to do some soul searching and i am glad that the internet led me to these questions. tonight’s date with myself is going to be very interesting. thank you.
Tunji Ishola says
Hi Marc,
This is great and very thoughtful. I particularly like “No 12.If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?”
One of the best pieces of advice I will offer my newborn baby is never to run away from pain but embrace it because the avoidance of pain is the beginning of stunted growth.
Thanks alot.
Tunji.
Cindy Chew says
I am really glad I found this blog in Stumbleupon.
I couldn’t help posting my first comment here.
What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
That’s the quote that leaves the deepest impression to me. Because I am working on it now.
THANKS!
GreasyHooks says
I always love a good thought-provoking read. Great Post!
johnnykc says
I am glad to have arrived here. I love these questions. Nice job.
aisha says
Really interesting questions. They lead us to think about difficult aspects of our lives that freshens our minds.
Julie Takase says
Such an inspiring list of questions! Thanks.