51 QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT AND REFLECTION - PSYCHOLOGY

The questions to think about are one of the most important tools of our life. According to experts in psychology and personal development, the quality of our life is the quality of the questions we ask ourselves.

And, if you want to improve how you feel or the situations in which you are involved, there is nothing better than learning to ask yourself the right questions.

However, we cannot find the right questions for ourselves. It is very easy to get involved in the routine and continue doing the same thing day after day without ever wondering if that is really what we want, or where it will take us to do it.

Therefore, in this article we bring you a list of questions to think about. Some of them will help you to have more clarity about your daily routine, while others are designed to make you reflect on more complex aspects of the world, on philosophy or on your values and beliefs.

Please note that there are no right or wrong answers to these questions; each of us has to discover for ourselves what we really think, without help from anyone.

You may also be interested in this list of open questions or these to get to know someone better.

Let's go there!

List of questions to help you think and reflect

1- What would you like people to say at your funeral?

This question is very helpful in realizing how you really want to live your life. You may find that what you are doing right now is not really that important; Or on the contrary, you may discover that you are on the right track.

2- If you lost everything tomorrow, who would you go to to feel better?

Some philosophers believe that the most important thing in life is human relationships. Therefore, this question makes you wonder who really has a significant role in your life.

3- If you could send a message to the whole world, what would you like to say in 30 seconds?

If you only had half a minute to express what you really believe, what would you focus on? What would you like others to know about you, your way of thinking and seeing the world?

4- If you could only transmit 3 lessons to your children, what would they be?

What is the most important thing that you have learned throughout your life? How do these ideas affect the way you live day to day? Once you identify them, the next step is to discover if you are really following them, or if on the contrary you have moved away from their teachings.

5- If you had enough money to never have to work again, how would you spend your time?

Many times we dream of winning the lottery or of getting rich overnight, but what do we really want that money for? What would you do with your life if you didn't have to go back to work for another day?

Once you find out, you can start working to get closer to your dreams little by little without having to become a millionaire.

6- What five words would you use to describe yourself?

How do you see yourself? Although it can be difficult to reduce our own personality to just five words, doing it is very useful to know what we value about ourselves, and what we don't really like.

7- What would you do differently if you knew that no one was going to judge you?

Many times we spend our lives acting in a certain way out of fear of what others think of us. If you detect that you are doing it, ask yourself: do you think this will lead you to be really happy? What can you change right now so that you are more equal to what the rest think?

8- What are the opportunities that you most regret having missed?

Maybe it's about a couple that you didn't tell how much you really cared about, or that time you were able to go on a trip but didn't. In any case, finding out what you would like to have done differently will help you think about what you want to change in the future.

9- If you were born again, what would you do differently?

The first years of our life can be difficult, because we still do not know how the world works or what our role is in it. Therefore, if you were to be born again, what would you change, with all the knowledge you have now? How can you apply that knowledge in the future?

10- How do you celebrate the good things in your life?

Various studies show that gratitude is a fundamental component of human happiness. If we only focus on what we do not have or what we lack, it is practically impossible to be well. That's why learning to be grateful for the good we have is a critical skill in leading a life worth living.

11- When was the last time you tried something new?

It is very easy to get carried away by routine and settle into the same old things. However, people need novelty, growth.

So if you find that you haven't challenged yourself in a long time, what would you like to prove that you have never done? Discovering it (and doing it) will bring you a little closer to the life of your dreams.

12- If someone spoke to you in the same way as you speak to yourself, would you still have a good relationship with that person?

Many times, we are our worst critics. We beat ourselves up for things that are out of our control, we torture ourselves when something goes wrong…

However, this negative self-talk does not help us at all. If you find that you are not speaking to yourself with the respect you deserve, you can always prove the voice in your mind that it is wrong.

13- What do you really enjoy doing? Do you do it often? If the answer is no, why don't you do it more?

Sometimes we are so busy with obligations, to-dos and routine, that there is no room in our lives for the things we really enjoy. For this reason, it is important to ask yourself from time to time what it is that really motivates us, and to find time to do it.

14- If you could travel back in time and change just one thing, what would it be?

We cannot always be proud of how we have performed in the past. Finding out what you would most like to change will give you an idea of how you really want to act in the future if a similar situation arises.

15- If you could make one wish, what would it be?

What do you want the most right now? Once you find this answer, you already know the next step: get down to work to get closer to it little by little.

16- What can you do now that you couldn't a year ago? What would you like to be able to do next year?

One of the keys to happiness is mastering skills progressively. Our brain is prepared to face challenges, so if you give it something to take care of, it will reward you with well-being and greater joy. What would you like to learn this year?

17- If you only had one year to live, how would you use it?

It seems that sometimes we believe that we will live forever. However, the reality is that nobody knows how much time you really have; So why not spend the most on worthwhile activities and tasks? You don't have to be about to die to consider what you want to do; you can start right now.

18- How do you spend most of your free time, and why?

One of the most common excuses people make for not doing anything new is that they "don't have time." However, if we examine their habits, most of the time we will notice that they spend hours in front of the television or aimlessly surfing the internet. Ask yourself a question: how could you better use that free time?

19- What scares you the most?

Experts say that fear signals the next step to take. If something terrifies you, ask yourself why; And ask yourself what is preventing you from doing that fear, and how you can free yourself from its dominance.

20- Who are you really? Without using your name or your profession, how would you describe yourself if you had to write about yourself?

One of the most difficult questions to answer is who you really are. Normally we allow ourselves to be labeled by the rest, based on what we usually do; but on many occasions, this does not really represent us.

How would you really like to describe yourself, and what can you do to make yourself look a little more like that description?

21- What are you going to do tomorrow to get one step closer to your dreams?

The most powerful questions are those that guide action. Reflecting is very useful, but in general, reflections that are not accompanied by changes in our own lives fall short. What would you like to change in the short term, and what can you realistically do to get closer to it?

22- What makes a person beautiful?

There are those who opt for the physical, what can be seen, the "palpable", but does that really make a person beautiful? Others claim that beauty comes from within.

Many times we let ourselves be carried away by what is seen and we ignore what the other transmits to us, that energy. A beautiful face does not determine that a person is beautiful, that is subjective. Beauty is different for each person.

23- How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?

Surely you have encountered at some point in your life with people who do not look their age, or who do, but whose personality makes it seem that they are younger or older.

This is not related to chronological age itself, but to the way people feel. It is literally an attitude.

If you have reflected on this, perhaps you have also wondered about the experiences that you are not living now and that are probably more difficult to carry out as the years come.

24- Do you believe in love? Do you consider that love transforms?

It has nothing to do with romantic, platonic or first sight love, but love as feeling, as the most fundamental value of the human being.

For each person the meaning of love is different, but to make an approximation, it could be stated that it is that intangible something that makes us feel good, at peace, strengthened, unites us to the other and brings us closer to doing good.

Have you reflected on this kind of love?

25- How do you react to what others say about you?

There are two ways to respond to what others say about us; reactively or proactively.

However you answer, the judgments of others do not determine who we are as people.

26- Do you identify with the hero or with the villain?

On countless occasions, there is a tendency to idealize the hero and belittle the villain. If you've ever asked yourself this question, there's nothing wrong with the answer at times being that you're the villain.

Nor is it the correct answer when you only opt for the hero, each person can be one or the other depending on the stage of his life in which he is.

27- Does your happiness depend on where you are now?

For some people, happiness is achieved when we have the dream job, when we manage to pass a career or other training, or when the person who is considered "ideal" comes into our lives.

For others, happiness depends on money, professional success or achieving other types of goals.

According to experts in positive psychology, most of the time people are still not happy when they get what they wanted so much. On the contrary, happiness would depend on having a minimum of economic stability and having good personal relationships.

28- Does destiny really exist or is it determined by our actions?

Much has been written about predestination. Although it is something that is not known for sure, the fact that you reflect on destiny may be indicating that you need a change in your life, in your way of thinking and, why not, even in your way of dealing with the rest.

29- Which option do you consider the worst? Fail or not have tried?

Sometimes we stop doing things out of fear of making mistakes, because of the consequences that doing those things would bring us, or for many other reasons.

Trying to do so will take you away from any doubts that may arise as to what could have happened if you didn't do what you want to do.

30- If you could know your future, would you dare to know it?

It is closely related to the idea of destiny, knowing what the future holds can be very interesting and encouraging.

Although on the contrary, we can run into something that is not to our liking, coupled with the fact that the illusion to do things and achieve goals would be totally displaced. Also, knowing what is going to happen could change the course of events.

31- How much of what do you really need?

It is a question related to those gaps that people try to fill by filling themselves with material things, either out of compulsion or because they succumb to the consumer demands that the market for goods and services in today's society promotes.

Do you need it or do you just want it?

32- Do you do what you are passionate about?

First of all, do you know what you are passionate about? If you already have the answer to that question, great! But do you practice it? To find out, you would have to check if it fills you, pleases you and motivates you.

If all three conditions are met, you are one of the lucky ones who do what they love.

33- Do you consider that something is missing in today's society? What is it?

Society has virtues and defects, asking yourself this question will reveal what you consider precious, and it can also lead you to reflect on ways to implement it.

34- Is there eternity?

It is common in life to find that things, dreams, goals and situations have a beginning and an end, even our own existence.

Although some religions raise the idea of transcendence, this is a question that is always present in our thoughts.

35- So far, what has been the most important lesson that life has taught you?

You have surely overcome a lot of obstacles to get to where you are now and to be who you are now. It is also very possible that some of them have not been easy to overcome.

The experiences are always individual and in that journey it is quite likely that the learning has been there. What have you learned?

36- What do you think would be the three words that others would use to define you?

Do not be afraid of the answer to this question, perhaps those words are only a reflection of what others see, but do not know.

On the other hand, knowing how we are, our weaknesses, can be used to work on them and turn them into strengths.

37- Are you the kind of friend you would like to have?

Another question that invites us to reflect on our way of acting before others, but especially before the people we choose to love without being our relatives: our friends.

Sometimes we expect a lot from others without stopping to think about what we offer, how we are behaving, or if we are loving or unconditional.

If you expect all those things from your friends, allow yourself to give that to them as well.

38- Do you consider that the end justifies the means? Would you break the rules by being true to your principles?

It is always good to reflect on what we would be able to do to achieve our deepest desires, taking into account factors such as the time and effort that these goals demand.

In addition, we must also think about whether we would be able to set limits or not to achieve our objectives.

39- What is your motivation? What is it that keeps you going every day?

Motivation is powerful, it allows the action of our steps to achieve goals. It is necessary to contact our will and reflect on what moves us to continue, what keeps us interested.

Do you feel that something drives you? Therein lies your motivation.

40- Is there any special memory of your childhood? What makes you treasure it?

There is a saying that goes: “to remember is to live again”. When we remember, we reproduce sensations and feelings that we experienced in the past.

It's nice when those memories are tinged with joy, as it's always gratifying to go back there.

41- Are you leaving for later what you can do now?

Sometimes we find ourselves in a constant attitude of putting things off, tasks, responsibilities, and making excuses to do them.

When this happens the most convenient thing is to reevaluate what motivates us and what we are passionate about.

42- Would you want to be rich and famous in exchange for 15 years in your life expectancy?

Human beings have a life expectancy determined by our genes, lifestyle, occupation, environmental conditions, among other aspects. However, we do not know how many years we will live.

If it was something you could choose or decide, would it be worth trading 15 years for fame and money?

43- Is there something you are proud of?

It does not matter if it is because of a material thing, because of a situation that you have overcome or because of a special person in your life.

No matter what others think about it, being proud puts you in a state of joy.

44- Do you find satisfaction in learning?

Learning is an action of life that only ends with our existence. All situations, people, emotions, circumstances teach us something at a given moment. Do you enjoy learning from others?

45- What have you learned from your failures?

Some claim that failure also teaches us and that to succeed it is necessary to go through failure first.

Failure provides tools that allow us to evaluate our actions and the steps we take to reach our goals.

Do not waste failure, it is important to reflect on what you have learned to succeed in the next attempt.

46- Is there something that arouses your curiosity?

Is there something that awakens your desire to learn, know, experience? The human being and many species of animals are inquisitive by nature, that is to say, curious. But it must also be recognized when something does not concern or concern us.

Knowing what arouses your curiosity will allow you to discover the things that you should be spending time on. This way you will enjoy more, you will acquire more knowledge and you will become better at it.

47- Do you have reasons to be grateful for?

Every day there are reasons to be thankful for. Think about it for a moment, surely you are in better condition than other people.

Be grateful for what you have, for what you are, because you can feel and reflect. For the simple fact of being alive.

On the other hand, feeling grateful will allow you to be happy. You cannot feel grateful and sad at the same time.

48- Can you list three wonderful things that have happened to you today?

When you find yourself thinking negatively about your day, either because you are bored or because something did not turn out the way you expected, try asking yourself this question, as it will remind you of the beauty around you.

49- When was the last time you were aware of your breathing?

The dynamics of society sometimes unconsciously “disconnect” us from what we feel, we go as “automatic”.

This is why it is very likely that we lose track of when was the last time we took a moment to breathe deeply and silence the flurry of thoughts.

50- What can you offer from yourself that increases joy in others?

A life well lived is a life that makes you smile when you look back. In the end, the purpose of life is to be useful and to enhance the happiness of others.

The more we overflow with happiness and feel more satisfied with ourselves, the more we can pass on our love and joy to others. Fill yourself with joy so that you can enrich the lives of those around you.

51- Regarding your fears, have any of them become reality?

Fear is the feeling of anxiety associated with the anticipation of some event or experience that we imagine. It's unpleasant, but it prevents us from acting recklessly.

Most of the times we tend to imagine the worst possible scenario in which a situation can end, are you one of those who imagine the worst? Does what you imagine ends up happening? If the answer to the last question is no, you may be facing an unfounded fear.

References

"18 thought provoking questions" in: High Existence. Retrieved on: January 17, 2018 from High Existence: highexistence.com.
"120 Best Thought Provoking Questions to Ask" in: Ice Breaker Ideas. Retrieved on: January 17, 2018 from Ice Breaker Ideas: icebreakerideas.com.
"101 Thought - Provoking Questions" in: Omnipositive. Retrieved on: January 17, 2018 from Omnipositive: omnipositive.com.
"202 Philosophical Questions" in: Conversation Starters World. Retrieved on: January 17, 2018 from Conversation Starters World: conversationstartersworld.com.
"74 Thought Provoking Questions" at: Udemy. Retrieved on: January 17, 2018 from Udemy: blog.udemy.com.
"The begginerˈs guide to changing your negatives thoughts." Recovered from The Health Sessions: thehealthsessions.com
"10 questions that will transform your life." Recovered from Huffpost: huffingtonpost.com
"Have reflective questions to ask at end of class." Recovered from Brilliant or Insane, Education on the edge: brilliant-insane.com
"22 questions about your life you need to ask yourself." Recovered from Euroresidentes: euroresidentes.com
"30 deep questions that will force you to think and reflect." Recovered from Personal Development: sebascelis.com.

51 QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT AND REFLECTION - PSYCHOLOGY - 2025