All too often, we get caught up in the everyday mundanity of life, forgetting the bigger picture. Perhaps it’s time to have a conversation about it all – yes, life and the more profound things!
You may be wondering how to break the ice, though? Well, these thought-provoking questions are perfect for initiating a meaningful dialogue with students, family, and friends alike!
Feel free to omit, adapt, or edit these questions to suit your students!
Thought-Provoking Questions
1. What are you doing to make the world a better place?
2. What three things do you think you could improve about yourself?
3. What do you think the purpose of life is?
4. Do you believe in a creator or gods? If so, which?
5. What do you think happens to you after death?
6. What three new skills did you learn this year?
7. What were you doing on this day one year ago?
8. Where do you see yourself in one year?
9. Do you believe in fate or destiny?
10. If you had no fears in life, what would you do differently?
11. Do you think it is better to live a longer or a fuller life?
12. Do you feel like you are really living or merely existing?
13. Have you ever experienced something you could not explain? If so, what?
14. What unusual interests do you have?
15. What dreams have you put on hold in your life, and what can you do to kickstart these again?
16. What did you want to be or achieve when you were younger?
17. Do you think money makes you happy? If so, why?
18. Do you think that people should be limited in their options to travel or do things in the world based on their nationality?
19. How much money do you think is the perfect amount to earn?
20. Do you think that travel helps us to be less ignorant, intolerant, and prejudiced? If so, in what way?
21. What special skills do you possess that you think you could share with others for their benefit?
22. Do you think life or school is a better teacher?
23. How do you think the universe came to exist?
24. Do you think lying is ok? If so, in what situations, and why?
25. Why do you think power corrupts ultimately?
26. Do you believe that gender equality truly exists or is just spoken about but not really practiced?
27. What three things do you think we could do as a society to progress gender equality?
28. What three things do you think we could do as a society to reduce hate crimes?
29. What three things do you think we could do as a society to avoid violence and wars?
30. What three things do you think we could do as a society to get rid of prejudice and hatred?
31. What five things do you think are fundamental human rights?
32. Do you think animals feel as much as we do regardless of their size?
33. Do you think giving to others is an integral part of life? If so, why?
34. Do you think time spent with family and friends is time well spent? If so, why?
35. How often do you practice gratitude?
36. Do you have any grudges or anger you haven’t let go of or forgiven?
37. Do you think that forgiveness is an important thing to practice in life? If so, why?
38. What three things do you think your parents struggled with in their time that you’re thankful that you won’t have to?
39. If you didn’t need to work for money, what would you devote your time to, instead, and why?
40. Do you believe in the reincarnation of the soul or life after death?
41. Do you think that there is truth in astrology? If so, why?
42. Do you think we understand a lot or very little about life?
43. Do you believe any current religion, belief system, or creed knows the absolute truth about life?
44. What life experience do you think will make you the happiest when you are older?
45. Do you think that someone wealthy is automatically a better person than someone poor?
46. Is a boss someone who leads by example or tells others what to do?
47. Have you ever had a near-death experience?
48. What makes you happiest at the moment?
49. In what instance do you think it’s ok to break the law?
50. Which old laws do you think you need to change or get revised in this current day and age?
51. Do you think morality outweighs the law or the other way around?
52. Which endangered species do you think will be alive in 100 years?
53. How large do you think the population of earth will be in 100 years?
54. What ecological issues do you think your kids will face in their lifetime?
55. If the average human life span was double what it is now, what would you do differently?
56. If people only lived to 20 years old, how would you live your life differently?
57. Would you ever adopt a child rather than having your own?
58. Do you think it’s ok for boys and men to cry?
59. Do you think girls are less capable than boys at certain things?
60. Do you think it’s ok for a woman to be physically stronger than a man, or vice versa? If so, why?
61. Do you think someone should be limited or expected to act or dress in a certain way because of their gender, race, or financial status? Explain your answer.
62. What three personality traits do you appreciate most in other people?
63. What three personality traits are you most proud of cultivating in yourself?
64. Do you think life would be boring if we all had the same religion, beliefs, culture, and race?
65. What two things do you think women could do to foster gender equality?
66. What two things do you think men could do to foster gender equality?
67. Do you think people should have the freedom to express hate speech?
68. Do you think that freedom has its limits before turning into a bad thing?
69. Do you think that freedom can be a bad thing, for example, if used to repress or hurt others?
70. What social issues do you think people will struggle with the most in fifty years?
71. What clothing do you think will be fashionable in fifty years?
72. What do you think future personal devices, smartphones, and computers will look like in thirty years?
73. Do you think it’s better to try and fail or better to succeed and never fail?
74. Do you think that children should be rewarded for trying, not just succeeding?
75. What advice would you give to your children if you had any of your own?
76. What advice would you give to your grandchildren if you had any of your own?
77. Do you think that suffering is a necessary part of life? If so, why?
78. Do you think it’s necessary to go through hardships in life? If so, why?
79. What spiritual beliefs do you have?
80. Should all food wastage be given to the poor before it spoils?
81. Do you think it’s ok for a starving child to steal food?
82. Do you think that it’s wrong for some people to be denied rights because they don’t have a nationality or passport?
83. Do you think that a nationality is a right? Or, do you think the concept of a nationality actually goes against the right to freedom and not being enslaved in a country or suffering prejudice by others not allowing you there?
84. Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?
85. Do you think that it’s right that we segregate ourselves based on our likes, beliefs, and cultures?
86. Do you think humans could learn to be more tolerant of those who are different?
87. If you could change any three things about the world, what would they be and why?
88. What recent valuable life lessons have you learned?
89. What do you think you will look like in 20 years?
90. Do you think that wealthier European nations should be more proactive in helping to alleviate poverty in previously colonized countries?
91. Do you think that women’s bodies and sexuality are often misused to sell products?
92. Do you believe women and are more valuable and deserving of appreciation and rewards if they are attractive?
93. Do you think that some forms of love are more self-gratifying than giving to the other person?
94. Do you think many people love their ego, money, and status more than they care about others around them?
95. What do you think success is, really?
96. Do you think you can be called a success for achieving things other than making money?
97. Do you think it’s more important to be successful in life or moral?
98. Do you think that many “successful” people are immoral?
99. Do you think money and personal possessions make someone more important than another person?
100. Do you think that everyone should have a right to food, water, and a piece of land regardless of the financial status they are born into?
Conclusion:
Hopefully, these thought-provoking questions lead to some valuable discussions about life and other important issues!
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