The 65 Most Thought

Whether it’s on a long drive, on a nighttime walk, or during quiet time at home, there are moments in life in which you might find yourself left alone with your own thoughts. And while that may sound like a horrifying way to pass the time (like Saw or Hereditary-level scary), these times of solitude can also provide moments of clarity if you let them.. When faced with an inordinate amount of alone time, your first instinct might be to put on some Miley Cyrus — specifically from her rocker chick Plastic Hearts phase — to drown out the sound of your own anxiety-riddled shame spirals. You might replay recent interactions you’ve had on repeat, trying to understand how something you said went from innocuous side comment to embarrassing shame spiral. Surely, you think, there must be a more productive way to entertain your brain than bearing witness to your own neuroses!

Though we could recommend meditating to fill the void, trying to relax when you’re new to the “sitting in silence” game can feel like a slog. Instead, try a little self-stimulation (no, at least for these purposes, not like that … though we respect the self-pleasure hustle). Below are 65 lighthearted, thought-provoking questions that should help you take stock of your life, or address whether you really needed that fourth dirty martini last night. (Or give you some material for your group chat — or first dates even — at the very least.) Who knows, maybe you’ll even surprise yourself by getting, dare I say, a little deep.

1. What book had the most significant impact on your life?

2. Do you feel older or younger than your age?

3. If you found out the world was ending in a year, how would you spend your time? Remember that the world would be ending in a year for everyone else, too. How would that affect your options?

4. What is the lie you tell yourself most often?

5. What are the day-to-day things you do that really make you feel good? Do you find yourself doing them as often as you’d like to? If no, why not?

6. If there were a way to download your memories into a searchable spreadsheet, would you do it?

7. If you could have a second chance at one event in your life, what would you choose? What would you do differently? How would your life be different now?

8. What is your favorite thing about yourself?

9. What do you wish you could change about yourself?

10. What is keeping you from changing the things you’d like to change about yourself?

11. If you could choose to be any animal, what animal would you choose to be?

12. If you could have the credit for creating any piece of art — painting, music, movie, etc. — which piece of art would you choose? Would you choose based on the money and fame that the piece of art would get you, or would you choose a piece of art you really loved?

13. How much time do you think you’ve spent watching TV in your life? And do you think it’s multiple years? How does that make you feel?

14. If you could tell your younger self any one thing, what would it be?

15. In your life, have you been happier when you’ve had a lot of options, or when your options were limited?

16. If you had to make the case that you were living in a Truman Show situation, what evidence would you use?

17. If you could spend a day talking to an animal, what animal would you choose and what would you want to learn from them?

18. If you didn’t have to work to make money, how would you spend your time? What would you do or create?

19. What is your worst habit, and what is keeping you from dropping it?

20. What superpower would you choose if you were given the ability to develop one superpower?

21. What do you think the world will look like in 300 years?

22. Would civilization be better off if the internet had never been created?

23. How would you describe the idea of a color?

24. Can you explain to yourself how glass is made?

25. Do you know how a moat is filled with water? Think about how, exactly, the water might get in there.

26. What is a boulder? 

27. What does it feel like to remember something?

28. Is humanity inherently good or evil?

29. Do you know the anatomy of a turtle? Do you really?

30. Do you remember the first thing you learned about natural science? Do you still know the details of it?

31. If you had to give a speech detailing all of the knowledge you have right now about astronomy, how long do you think the speech would be? What would you say?

32. Do you know what accounts for changing tides?

33. Would you rather spend time floating alone in space, or floating alone at sea?

34. How many internal organs can you name?

35. Many celebrities have tiny little real teeth under their large, perfect fake teeth. Take a second and think about all of those little teeth. What would it be like if suddenly all of the celebrities lost their big fake teeth?

36. How do you think people would react if the moon disappeared?

37. How do you think people would react if we suddenly had two moons?

38. Do you think you’d like living underwater if you suddenly became a mermaid, or would it be too scary?

39. Does it make you mad that trees are more beautiful in their short flowering stages, or are you okay with the fact that we mostly see them with green leaves (or with bare branches)?

40. Do you think you’ve ever seen the same wild animal multiple times?

41. What if aliens invade our planet and they’re really hot?

42. Do you think it’s scarier to imagine that humans are the most intelligent life form in the universe, or that there is a more intelligent life form out there?

43. Do you think you’ve ever encountered a ghost? If so, how does that impact your belief of an afterlife?

44. If you were a ghost, what location do you think you would haunt? Is it the same or different from the location you’d want to haunt?

45. Do you remember that thing people used to say about how you swallow eight spiders a year while you sleep? It’s not true, but do you think you’ve swallowed any? What bug do you think you’ve eaten the most of by accident?

46. If you could know everything the U.S. government knows about alien life forms and their access to our planet, would you want to know it, or would you rather live in ignorance?

47. Similarly, if ghosts exist, and they populate your living space, would you rather be able to see them or would you prefer they stay invisible to your eye?

48. What is the most life-changing decision you’ve ever made on a whim? Can you imagine what your life would be like if you hadn’t done it?

49. Do you think it’s scarier to think about how much of our life is formed by things that are out of our control, or how much of our life is formed by things that are within our control?

50. What do you know about your neighbors that they don’t know that you know? What do you think they know about you that you don’t know that they know?

51. What do you think is your most justified paranoia? (For example: that someone could be watching you through your computer’s camera.) How do you justify it? (For example: that Mark Zuckerberg covers his computer’s camera, and he seems like a guy who should know whether or not he should.)

52. What if you found out that there is another Earth out there, the complete mirror of our own in every way, and that another you existed on it. Would you want to meet the second you?

53. Listen to yourself think. What does your mind voice sound like? Do you think your mind voice is inherent to your mind, or do you think you developed your mind voice based on hearing your speaking voice?

54. Does social media make you happier or sadder in general? If sadder, why do you keep participating in it?

55. What do you think dogs dream about? Do you think fish dream? What do you think fish dream about, then?

56. Do you find your relationships with friends, family, and loved ones fulfilling? What might you change in how you show up to those relationships?

57. Are there ways you might get better at dating yourself? For example, maybe it’s time to finally go on that silent retreat you’ve been Googling for six months.

58. What is your stance on cheating within a monogamous relationship? Do you think it can ever be excusable? If so, why?

59. Do you really, truly love yourself? Toxic positivity aside, do you think you are worthy of receiving someone else’s love?

60. Are there any past relationships you still haven’t healed from? Some of those wounds can stick around for years after a partnership ends, even when you’re happy living life solo or have already moved on to someone new.

61. Are you able to comfortably communicate your desires? Your likes and dislikes when it comes to intimacy? If not, how can you work to better understand yourself physically?

62. What’s your relationship to sex? Is it something you enjoy or something that makes you want to hide under the bed? Why?

63. Have you ever fantasized about going on a dating show like Love Is Blind (moral quandaries aside)? Is this year your year?!

64. Have you made peace with the way you behaved in past relationships? Have you forgiven yourself?

65. How would you feel about dating someone significantly older than you? What about significantly younger?

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