Open-ended Questions
Open-ended questions are great to keep a conversation going for hours. Here's our list of the best questions to spark a great conversation.
✍️ September 28, 2020
Communication is such a powerful tool that connects all of us. In order for people to truly know each other, you need to freely express yourself! Share your ideas, opinions, and feelings. Let your friends and family know you better.
Social events are the perfect settings for people to mingle and talk to one another. But it can be really hard to think of what to talk to, right? Running out of talking points and topics can ruin the mood and lead to awkwardness.
We come to the rescue with these effective and awesome open-ended conversation starters and questions for adults and young adolescents that will definitely let you open up and connect with others on a different level:
10 Best Open-ended Questions for Adults
1. If given the chance, would you do your life over? Why or why not?
This might be commonly asked but it still makes you think hard. It lets you assess whether you really like the outcomes of the decisions you’ve made so far.
2. What would make you truly happy and why?
The answer to the cause of genuine happiness is a constant mystery until one finds it. Your friends’ answer will let you know if he’s happy or not.
3. Do you believe in marriage? Why or why not?
We all know that marriage is not always a bed of roses. Don’t be afraid to express your preference on how to live your life. No one will judge you!
4. Tell me about your family and how everyone’s like.
Knowing about one’s family will surely paint you a picture of how the person was brought up.
5. What do you think will be the long-term effects of this pandemic on the world?
A question so timely and relevant. Everyone’s thought about it but not everyone’s given the chance to express what they really think.
6. What is a characteristic that you want your child to inherit someday?
This question will let you know how a person views himself or herself. Does he/she acknowledge his/her good traits?
📖 Suggested read: Questions to Ask Yourself | 100 Questions
7. Where do you want to be in five years?
Another common question that everyone has a hard time answering no matter how many times they encounter it. The future is quite scary because it’s unknown.
8. Tell me about your idea of true love.
Everyone has a different notion of how true love should be. You’d be surprised at how varied their answers would be.
9. How many kids do you want? Why?
Some would say “the more, the merrier”, some would say just one! Don’t forget to really make them tell the reason behind their answer.
10. Tell me your thoughts about gender equality and the LGBTQ community.
The world needs more discussions like these among people. You need to express your thoughts and support one another in these trying times.
10 Best Open-ended Questions for Young Adolescents
1. Who is your role model in life and why?
Your mom? Your dad? Gandhi? Oprah? There are a lot of awesome and inspiring people in this world to aspire to be.
2. What do you want to be when you grow up?
A daunting question that always scares the hell out of undecided young people who just want to get by in life.
🤓 Suggested read: Good Icebreaker Questions
3. Do you think you’ll survive to live in another country on your own?
Independence is something young adolescents think they currently want in life. Some of you even want to be as far away from home as possible. Not everyone can do it, though!
4. If you were to die today, what would be the one thing you’ll regret not doing?
“You only live once” or YOLO is a famous mantra for the youth of today. Regrets are missed opportunities that you know will never pass by again.
5. What is your idea of a healthy relationship?
Superficial and toxic relationships are so common right now. However, a drama-free relationship can also be boring. We all have that perfect type of relationship in our head that no one asked about.
6. How will you name your first baby someday and why?
A child’s name is a super, big deal. Picking it is as enjoyable as picking a new phone! It’s a lot more permanent, though, that’s why you really gotta think it through.
7. Have you ever tried a diet that worked?
A lot of people are conscious of their health and body. There are a lot of prescribed diets and routines that some people say works. Share something you can attest to!
8. What type of boy/girl attracts you?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Everything is relative when it comes to attraction. What or who you like might not be the same for others.
9. What are the pros and cons of social media?
There are a lot of debates about this. Being a millennial, you should have your own voice about this!
In-depth questions are good exercise for everybody’s brains! Questions in life cannot always be answered by a mere yes or no. You gotta put yourself out there and make a stance. Your opinions matter and you never know, others might be inspired by you!
Want more? Follow the link below to know more about how to start engaging and interesting conversations for you and your friends!
