Beautiful question, this one. You want to be acknowledged. In some ways, maybe most of all you want to be acknowledged by yourself. This question invites one moment to do exactly that. Asking it is a gift. So go ahead and give it. (And if your friend is reluctant to answer, ask again. We often aren’t used to answering this kind of question…) Continue reading What is a characteristic you like about yourself that you rarely acknowledge? →

Do you know how I’m crazy? It’s 3:48am and I’m writing about the questions I like for a made-up blog. Dang, I gotta get to bed.

This is a good question though. Ask your friends. Maybe they’re lactose intolerant but eat ice cream all the time anyway. Maybe sometimes (just to check for mind readers) they scream suddenly in their imagination just to see if anyone nearby gets startled.

Always remember: you can’t trust “normal” people. Continue reading How are you crazy? →

There’s not a real “point” to this compare and contrast. I just think it’s an interesting thought exercise.

When I was five years old I so badly wanted the ninja G.I. Joe action figure that had a sword that he could hold in his hand or carry in the sheath on his back. I had dreams about it. Man, it was so cool.

When I was 25, more than anything else in the whole world I wanted to be in the same place already as my then girlfriend (now wife). At that point, the long-distance phase of our relationship had already gone on for 2.5 years and there was no end in sight. (All told, of the first 5 years we were “together,” 4.5 of them were long distance. These days when people ask “Wow – what’s your advice for people in long-distance relationships?” I say, “Don’t do it.” But if you absolutely have to, don’t EVER, EVER go beyond 2 years. If you hit the 2 year mark and you’re both still into it, someone needs to relocate. You don’t learn anything new after 2 years. It’s just painful.)

5 years old vs. 25 years old. It’s just interesting how we change. (You can try this same thought exercise at different intervals if you have the time. 10-20-30… Or 5, 15, 25, 35… Whatever you like.) Continue reading What did you want most in the entire world when you were 5? And 25? →

By now you’ve probably heard of the SUNY Stonybrook study that was featured in a 2015 New York Times article about the questions to ask in order to fall in love with anyone. (Many of the questions appear here on WBQ.) But what you may not know is that the study separated the deep questions into three tiers of increasing intimacy. Participants started with Level 1 and made their way up to Level 3. This question right here is straight out of Level 3. And I happen to think that it’s one of the deepest of all the Level 3 questions. The deepest of the deep! To answer this question you have to 1) talk about something that you never share with anyone, 2) admit that you actually have a desire to share this thing, and 3) concede that you currently don’t have anyone in your life with whom you are comfortable bringing this thing up. Daaaang! Now that is next level. It almost goes without saying, don’t open with this question. Gotta build your way there. Let us know how it goes! Continue reading “I wish I had someone with whom I could share…” How would you finish this sentence? →

When researchers talk about types of intelligence, they will mention, for example, “logical mathematical” intelligence (characterized by aptitude with reasoning, numbers, and critical thinking) or “interpersonal” intelligence (characterized by sensitivity to other people’s moods, motivations, and feelings). There are many other “official” types of intelligence. But if you were to name and describe a type of specific intelligence that you possess, what would it be? I can tell you that my dad is a troubleshooting GENIUS. He can diagnose and then address the root issue in dang near anything: a sputtering engine, a crashing computer, an a/c unit on the fritz. My sister’s longtime boyfriend possesses “food deliciousness intelligence.” Haha. Seriously. He’s not a trained chef and I’ve never seen him cook from a recipe but he has the ability to understand what kinds of ingredients and what kinds of flavors will make something amazing. He can also taste a sauce in a restaurant and if he likes it, he’ll go back home and re-create it from what he tasted in the sauce. It’s crazy! And delicious! What kinds of intelligence surround you? Continue reading What type of intelligence do you possess that could never be measured on a standardized test? →