This week in a viral thread, redditor u/FamiliarStreets asked, "What is a seemingly mundane question you can ask somebody that will tell you a lot about their personality?" and, WHEW BUDDY, there were some ~revealing~ questions shared.
So here are just a few of the simple questions you can ask people if you want a peek into the deepest depths of their souls:
1. "As a kid, what was your go-to selection from the ice cream truck?"
2. "What would you do if you won the lottery?"
"For me, it's a non-invasive way of listening to people's attitudes on finance in general, and also how they feel about the rich."
3. "What is your vision for a perfect world?"
"I had a T.A. ask me this once, and I said 'round,' LOL."
4. "What was the last thing you did that gave you child-like joy?"
5. "How do you go about eating a muffin?"
"I got this one in an interview once. I learned a lot about muffin anatomy that day, but, then again, it was for a job in a bakery."
6. "What would you do if you came home and found a penguin in your freezer?"
"This was my favorite question I heard in an interview. It ended up not only being a funny ice-breaker, but a good personality tell."
7. "What are you having for dinner tonight?"
"It’s really cool to hear about what people like, what their culture is like (because food is a huge part of that), and, generally, just how they live. Expensive or cheap? Quick or elaborate? Adventurous or safe?"
8. "What book world would you like to live in?"
9. "What's your favorite dinosaur?"
"In my last year of college, I took a prehistoric history class and was loving it. I (a history major) commuted by light rail to school, and would end up spending the hour or so on the train congregating with other history majors.
One day, I asked the group this. Most of the people gave standard answers like 'velociraptors,' or said that they hadn't really been interested in dinosaurs since they were kids, which was fair enough.
But one guy said, 'I don't believe in dinosaurs' and went on to say that the Earth was only 6,000 years old. This was a guy that was studying history, for the sake of teaching children history, and he was denying that most of the Earth's history existed, despite learning otherwise in all of our classes.
I lost a lot of respect for him that day, so now, having a favorite dinosaur is a barometer test of mine."
10. "What's something that you like doing, and you're good at?"
"This is one of my standard questions when interviewing someone at my job. I don't really care what the answer is, I just want to see the person's passion, effort, and creativity."
11. "How much vacation and sick time did you take off last year?"
"This one is specifically for job interviews. Ask your prospective supervisor.
This is great because both extremes take pride in their answer, and so they will answer you honestly. The no/low vacation boss is proud of how hard they work, but really, it's a bad sign if they don't take any time off. It likely means they're coming in when they're sick, they're not recharging by taking vacation, and the expectation — even if unstated — is that their staff should follow their example. You'll feel guilty every time you call in sick or take vacation time.
You want the boss who says something along the lines of: 'I always take my vacation time and encourage my staff to as well. I called in a couple times last year when I came down with a cold, etc.' That's a good boss."
12. "What do you know Tim Curry from?"
13. "What your favorite compliment you've ever received?"
"It tells you a lot about what people think of themselves, and what they personally value (be it physical appearance, intellect, etc.)."
14. "Do you put the cart back when you're done shopping?"
15. "How would you describe the internet to a caveman?"
"It will show you how they look at what the internet is used for. For example, some might say it's 'a source of information,' or it's 'a way to connect people who are far away.'
I had one person say they 'wouldn't explain it to a caveman, because they wouldn't go back in time without AC.'"
16. “What was a situation where you realized ‘Oh shit, I’M the asshole here?'”
"Way too many people try to give me a clearly made-up story, or one where they still come out as the hero in the end somehow. A few will tell a story where they were a total jackass, but use it as an excuse to brag.
It’s rare you get someone who admits to a time they truly fucked up and were in the wrong, but those people are the most honest."
17. "Do you think the concept/consequences of a post-apocalyptic world is, in some ways, interesting?"
"I saw this on a dating site of all places (I forgot which one, though). It really resonated with me. It shows whether a person is interested in abstract thinking and imagining. Most people on the site just said, 'No.'
I even had a conversation with someone who was like, 'No? Why would you want the world to end?!' I also don't, but the idea of how the world ended, how it would be, what society would look afterwards — is interesting. I don't match up well with anyone who would vote 'No' on that question."
18. "What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?"
"If they don't get the reference, it tells me everything I need to know."
19. "What’s the last thing you did for the first time?"
20. "Mine's not a single question, but by the third date with a guy, I ask them to go bowling..."
"In my opinion, you can learn a lot about a person by the way they approach bowling. Do they take it too seriously and get competitive or angry if they don’t do well? Do they act disinterested or bored with the game? Do they try to teach me how to play, or just try to be goofy have fun with it?"
21. And finally — "What's your favorite color?"
"It's so simple, but it tells you so many things in so many ways. If they tell you without hesitating, it means they've probably thought about it before, and it must be a color they really like that makes them feel at home or makes them happy.
Whenever I meet someone and they tell me their favorite color, it becomes a part of them to me!"
Now it's your turn! What's a seemingly mundane question you believe reveals a lot about someone's personality? Share yours in the comments below!
