“So why don’t you start by introducing yourself and telling us a little about you?” That’s a request I'm sure we’ve been asked at some point of time or another, be it by teachers on the first day of school, or from interviews to conversations at social gatherings to simple reflection within oneself.
Taking into account the popular frequency of this query, you’d think by now you’d be prepped with a concise answer, right? Wrong. Because this is just one of those Q’s where the answer changes with each scenario. It’s also one where what you say gives your audience their first impression of you. And considering that first impressions supposedly last forever, you want to make it a good one.
Questions, if framed correctly can provide you with great insight of another person, as well as keep up an effortless conversational flow. Below are some such questions that can serve at providing you with unlimited material and making you a great convo partner, as well as providing you with some insight about yourself.
Getting to know you questions
These are some basic starters that will help you gauge the other person and quickly establish familiarity in a light manner. Another plus is that they’re a better alternative to the usual ‘what are some of your hobbies’ constant.
- What’s the meaning of your name? Why did your parents choose it for you?
- Are you originally from the place where you’re staying currently?
- Do are some of your favorite things to do in your downtime? And by that, I don’t mean the usual drawing, reading stuff.
- Do you have any phobias? If so, why do you think you have them?
- Who was your first friend?
- Which was your least, and favorite subject?
- Which is one place you want to travel to before you die?
- If you were confined to your room for some reason, what things would you want to have with you for that time?
- If you could get a tattoo, what would it be and why? Also, where would you put it? If you already do, what does it symbolize?
- What would you title your autobiography if you wrote one?
Questions about your preferences
Something to help you get to know more about yours, or your new friend’s likes and dislikes!
- Deep-fried snacks or sweet dessert?
- Romedy or action-thriller movie/series fan?
- If we were in a situation where a bus we were traveling on broke down and we had time to while away, would you choose to take a walk with me and get a snack if I asked you?
- If I opened your wardrobe right now, what would be the most prominent color?
- Non-fiction real, or fictitious fairy-tale lover?
- Ballards or Rap music? And while we’re on the topic of music, which genre do you prefer the most?
- Which song or band have you been listening to most lately?
- Do you like spending time with people, or prefer solitude?
- Beaches and treks, or shopping and hanging out at someone’s house?
- Are you a serious in-the-moment, decorum-maintaining type of person, or do you love being silly and having a good laugh?
- Do you like dark humor or light jokes?
- Do you sleep with a blanket or an extra pillow?
- Are you an introverted ninja, or an outgoing assassin?
- Do you like you maternal or paternal side of the family more?
- If someone came over to your house with a gift, would you rather it be flowers or some snacks of some kind?
- Would you rather buy a cute show-dog, or adopt a stray?
Funny introspective questions about you
Presents you with an opportunity to lighten the mood and have a good laugh.
- What is something that happened to you that you still cringe about simply by its memory?
- Let’s say we met on a reality TV show, and you had to convince me to buy a pet hamster from you. How would you do it?
- What is the most embarrassing thing that happened to you this week?
- What’s the weirdest dream you’ve had lately?
- If you could trade bodies for a day like in the movie Freaky Friday, who would you wish to swap with?
- What’s something that you always find puts you in an awkward situation? (Like approaching someone, making eye contact, etc.)
- You get a chance to talk to your crush alone in some public setting and he/she confides to you that they’re interested in some other person who’s in proximity to where you both are currently. Do you help him/her out, or do you try to divert their attention to you? If the latter, how do you convince them otherwise?(C’mon, even if you choose the former, deep down everyone chooses the latter)
- What’s a weird talent that you secretly possess, but only friends know about?
- What’s one kind of scene in a movie or show where you can never watch the screen? For example, murder scenes or the tense moments leading up to a jumpscare in a horror movie.
- You’re babysitting this kid, and the kid keeps refusing to sleep because he believes there are monsters under his bed. How do you convince him to sleep?
- Have you had some part of your routine in the past that you’ve changed drastically now?
- Do you have some habits that are considered unconventional by the, ah, ‘societal norms’? (biting instead of licking an ice-cream/lollipop, pouring you milk in first before your cereal, wearing your shoes on your bed, etc)
- If you could be an animal for a day, which one would you be and why?
- Would you trust a friend with your life? Which of your friends would you implicitly and blindly trust, and which one would you rely on the least?