Stop Asking: 17 Simple Questions That Feel Impossible to Answer
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Answering common inquiries about oneself, whether in a job interview or during casual conversations with acquaintances, can frequently be more daunting than expected. Sometimes, the monotony of recounting the same life details can become tiring, causing individuals to long for a break from the continual questioning.
An online forum conversation starter asked, “What is a simple question that’s hard to answer?”
The answers resonate with most of us.
1. What Are Your Strong Points?
Humility doesn’t allow most of us to think about our strong points, and this question is difficult for most people.
One user says, “This is harder for me than my weaknesses. I’ve examined my weaknesses a lot. I don’t tend to dwell on why I’m awesome.”
As one user says, this one’s strength is listing his weaknesses.
2. Why Do You Want This Job?
Why does anybody want a job at all?
One user says, “Right? I can’t really think of a better motivation than to put a roof over my head and food in my stomach.”
Someone agrees, “Not to mention, wanting a job to feed your kids is great motivation to be a great worker and benefit the company!”
3. What Do You Want for Dinner?
Deciding what you should eat looks like an easy decision, right? Except, for some people, it just isn’t.
Why is that?
Someone explains, “In my experience, people who deal with a lot of stress have difficulty deciding on dinner, too. Imagine using up all your willpower by 3 p.m., trying to coast through work until 5, then driving home for an hour through traffic just to get asked, “Hey, what do you want for dinner?”
Makes sense.
4. Can You Tell Me Something About Yourself?
Where do you even start with this question?
One contributor answers, “No future, no past, I am but a momentary collection of atoms addicted to the internet.”
Now we’re even more confused.
5. How Are Babies Made?
The bird and the bees seem like a simple concept, but explaining it to a child is harder than quantum physics.
Many parents have walked away from this conversation or made up enough stories to last up to teenage years.
6. How Are You?
The simplest answer to this question is usually almost always a lie. A user says that they truly hate being asked this question.
One user says, “The first thought when someone asks me this: “Should I tell the truth, or… nope.”
Someone adds, “I’m here.” It says nothing yet gets the point across.”
Good enough. We’re all here, trying.
7. What Are You Thinking About?
Umm… a lot. And the moment someone asks you that, don’t you start thinking about their question?
One of the best answers is to confuse people with an impossible answer, like a user who says, “Why do antelope and cantaloupe sound so alike when they have absolutely nothing to do with each other?”
8. What Are Your Weaknesses?
There’s a thin line between being real about yourself and making yourself look like a total loser. That’s why some people struggle with this seemingly easy question.
The best answer is to give something positive about yourself and make it look excessive, which still sounds pretentious. Darned if you do, darned if you don’t.
9. Describe Color to Someone Who Has Never Seen It
From the moment Fuschia, Turqoise, and Zaffre entered the room, colors became complicated. We will not even get into all the shades of blue there are.
How, then, do you describe color? As one online user shares, it’s hard enough to describe color to someone who has already seen it before.
10. How Many Kids Do You Have?
At face value, this is a simple question that needs simple numerical answers. However, this question is difficult and heartbreaking when you’re a parent to angel babies.
One conversationalist shares, “5 [kids] but then I have to tell a stranger one of my kids died. 4 seems like a lie. Simple question. Hard answers.”
That’s why minding our own business is a virtue.
11. Where Do You See Yourself in X Number of Years?
We’re all in a race to have a better future, but sometimes, we just don’t know what the future will look like. Sometimes, life gets so uncertain that we don’t even know where we see ourselves the following week.
One online user answers, “If I could predict the future, I’d be winning the lottery every single day, not applying for a dead-end job working for peanuts and being fed bulls***.”
12. Why is The Sky Blue?
One user says this feels like something easy to explain, but you’d have to get deeply scientific to explain it.
Trust most kids to ask this at least once in their lives.
13. How Are You Feeling?
This question gets a little complicated unless you’re sitting in a doctor’s office. The complexity largely depends on who is asking; sometimes, it’s difficult to decode feelings.
You don’t want to download all your traumas on an innocent, concerned acquaintance.
14. Are You OK?
Which part of your life should you address when asked this question? It’s broad and generic, and you really aren’t sure the person asking is dressed for the weather you’re about to unleash on them.
One user sarcastically said, “My vital signs are normal if that’s what you are asking.”
15. What’s For Dinner?
Just like, “what do you want for dinner?” Most mothers will admit that this question is one of the hardest they get daily. Despite anticipating it, it still makes you angry that everyone in the house has to turn to you for the answer.
A few mothers have been known to have some not-very-palatable answers.
16. What’s Wrong with You?
Whether directed at a child or adult, we don’t like to be singled out and told there’s something wrong with us through a question. This tends to cause reactivity and isn’t a productive question.
17. Why Are You So X?
Angry, happy, confused…. whatever the end of this question is- it implies that the feelings someone is expressing is unwarranted. We are all entitled to our emotions, as long as they don’t harm others.
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