80 Hypothetical Questions That Are Seriously Thought-Provoking

Conversation is an ever-changing art. Sometimes, you have so much in common with the person next to you that icebreakers are totally unnecessary. Other times, well… other times, they are all that you have. But, helpful as they are, these conversational aids can sometimes grow tired. So, in the interest of keeping your exchanges anything but standard, we're bringing you a list of hypothetical questions to use during your next encounter. These prompts won't just get everyone talking—they'll also help uncover certain opinions you didn't even realize you had. Read on to learn more!

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What Are Hypothetical Questions?

A hypothetical question revolves around suppositions instead of facts. They are typically applied to an imagined or situational context instead of what's actually going on around you. If your area were experiencing a heatwave, you might ask someone, "How are you staying cool in this heat?" But if you lived in a temperate or typically cooler climate and asked a neighbor, "How would you stay cool in the event of a heatwave?," that would be a hypothetical question. See the difference?

These kinds of questions pop more frequently in conversation and structure communication than you may think. For instance, hypotheticals are a big part of what's known as "Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning," a framework for categorized educational goals, including memorization, analysis, application, and creation. Hypotheticals are often used during legal proceedings, as well.

Of course, there are less formal areas where you can use these prompts. Hypothetical scenarios often make their way into social situations. They're a great way to get to know people better or inspire a lively conversation among folks you're already familiar with. If you're looking for some material for your next meet-up, then we encourage you to keep reading below and try out these hypothetical questions on the people in your life.

Hypothetical Questions for Friends

1. What rules would you instate if you were appointed the world's first king or queen?
2. If someone paid you $100,000 to spend a week in an abandoned house with one person without eating or sleeping, would you do it?
3. What would you do if you discovered a secret that would change the world but might cause harm?
4. What would you eat if you could only eat one food for the rest of your life?
5. Would you travel to the future and be present at your own funeral if you could?
6. Would you take a job that pays $10,000 a week but requires you to sit in a pitch-black room and do nothing for 12 hours daily?
7. You get one text, no more than 150 characters, sent to everyone's phone. What does it say?
8. If you could erase one thing from existence, even the memory of the thing, what would it be?
9. If you could design a planet, what would it look like?
10. If you were offered a billion dollars to be locked in a room for 60 minutes, with the possibility that when you exit the room, you could be 60 days—or 60 years—in the future, would you do it?

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Hypothetical Questions to Ask Your Crush

11. If you could time travel, which historical period would you visit, and what historical figures would you meet?
12. If all jobs were paid the same, what would you do?
13. Would you rather meet your soulmate at 15 years old or 35 years old?
14. Would you rather go to bed with your partner every night or wake up next to them every morning?
15. Would you rather sleep in the same bed with someone you like but never share a meal, or share every meal you eat and never share a bed at night?
16. Would you rather have more influence over what your partner looks like or how they behave?
17. What's the first kind of cuisine you'd like to order after taking a long trip?
18. Would you rather never hold someone's hand again or never kiss them again?
19. If I were to open your closet door right now, what would fall on me?
20. After a bad day, would you rather someone listen to you talk about your troubles or order your favorite food for you?

Funny Hypothetical Questions

21. If you could enter a painting and become part of the artwork, which painting would you choose and what would you do inside?
22. If you had to prove you were human and not an AI in 5 minutes via a text conversation, how would you do it?
23. If you could create a band with any fictional characters, who would be in your band, and what would your band name be?
24. If you could choose the next crazy fake health trend, what health trend would you create?
25. If you were insanely wealthy, what weird eccentricities would you indulge in?
26. What two animals would you like to swap when it comes to the sounds they make?
27. How would the world change if men gave birth instead of women?
28. If you could have a song that played whenever you entered a room, what song would you choose?
29. If your pet all of a sudden spoke one sentence out loud and then never spoke again, what would be the most strangest thing they could say?
30. If you could have a dance party with any historical figures, who would you invite and what moves would you teach them?

RELATED: 171 "This or That" Questions to Get to Know Someone. 

Hypothetical Interview Questions

31. If I told you that you failed, what would be your first reaction?
32. How would you react if you were required to accomplish a task that made you unhappy at work?
33. How would you handle a situation where you had to adjust your schedule to prioritize a different obligation over completing something you're currently working on?
34. How would you plan to work on a large-scale objective that greatly affects the success of the company?
35. How would you inform leadership of a major problem in workplace practice?
36. What if you were expected to work with a difficult client or manager on a task?
37. How would you make a great impression on a client during a meeting?
38. What if you were assigned writing tasks that required you to express your creativity?
39. How would you deal with a co-worker who is slow to respond with information you need to carry out a specific task?
40. What techniques would you use to persuade a colleague or manager to see your point of view regarding strategy or technique?

Hypothetical Questions for Parents

41. If you could dedicate an entire month to one activity, what would you pursue?
42. If you could meet a distant relative from the past or from the future, who would you choose and why?
43. How would you react if your child adopted a parenting style that is completely different from your own?
44. If your child were offered their dream job in another country, would you encourage them to take it?
45. Would you encourage your kids to follow their dreams or to instead pursue careers that pay well?
46. If your child started pretending they were a superhero all the time, how would you keep them safe?
47. How would you react if your child told you they did not want to attend college?
48. How would you discipline your teen if you found out they were stealing from you?
49. Would you let your adult children live with you rent-free?
50. If you could go back in time and give your parents one piece of advice before you were born, what would you tell them?

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Hypothetical Questions for Kids

51. If you had access to a magical book that brings stories to life, what book would you choose and which characters would you invite to join you in the real world?
52. If you could build your own treehouse, how would you design it and what special features would it have?
53. If you could get a magic object, like a flying carpet or an invisibility cloak, what would you choose?
54. If you could explore the deepest parts of the ocean, what creatures would you hope to discover?
55. If you could create a new social media platform just for kids, what features would it have and how would it make everyone's life more fun?
56. If you were stranded on a small island, what three things would you want to have with you and why?
57. If you had a magical pencil that made your drawings come to life, what would you draw?
58. If you could create a brand new holiday, what would it be for and how would people celebrate it?
59. If you could invent a new flavor of ice cream, what would it be?
60. If you could have a secret hideout in nature, where would it be and what types of animals would you befriend?

Hypothetical Questions for Couples

61. If you could choose one career path for me, what would it be?
62. If we had unlimited resources, what philanthropic activities or causes would you want us to support?
63. If we were to create a signature dance move together, what would it be?
64. How do you feel about maintaining privacy within the relationship?
65. If you found out I had been hiding a secret about our relationship, what would you do?
66. What would you do differently if you could revisit the very beginning of our relationship?
67. Which television game show would we do best competing on together?
68. How would our lives change if we decided to have children?
69. How would our lives change if we decided not to have children?
70. If we could start a business together, what type of business would you want it to be?

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Hypothetical Questions for Adults

71. Would you leave your name and address if your car bumped into another car and no one witnessed it?
72. Would you rather live for another 50 years and never leave your house or live for another 10 years and be free to go wherever you want?
73. Would you rather be pain-free for the rest of your life or debt-free for the rest of your life?
74. Would you choose to know your future if it meant forgetting your past?
75. If you could make one thing that is now legal illegal and one thing that is illegal legal, what laws would change?
76. If you could go back in time and learn something sooner, how would it have changed your life?
77. If you were chosen to be the first human to make contact with aliens, would you want to?
78. If you could start a secret society, what would be its goals and who would you include?
79. If you had an animal or plant renamed in your honor, what would you want to carry your name?
80. What amount of money per month will you need to give up your cell phone for good?

Benefits of Asking Hypothetical Questions

1. Stimulates Critical Thinking: Hypothetical questions encourage individuals to think deeply and consider various possibilities and outcomes, enhancing their problem-solving skills.
2. Encourages Creativity: By imagining different scenarios, people can explore creative solutions and new ideas that they might not have considered otherwise.
3. Improves Decision-Making: Answering a hypothetical scenario can help individuals practice decision-making and foresee the potential consequences of their choices.
4. Enhances Communication Skills: Discussing hypothetical questions can improve one's ability to answer ideas clearly and persuasively.
5. Builds Empathy: Hypothetical questions often require individuals to put themselves in someone else's shoes, fostering empathy and understanding.
6. Strengthens Relationships: Engaging in hypothetical discussions can be a fun and insightful way to connect with others, deepening mutual understanding and trust.
7. Encourages Reflection: Hypothetical questions can prompt individuals to reflect on their values, priorities, and goals, leading to personal growth and self-awareness.

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Drawbacks of Asking Hypothetical Questions

1. Can Lead to Overthinking: Hypothetical questions may cause individuals to overthink situations that are unlikely to happen, leading to unnecessary stress and anxiety.
2. May Cause Confusion: They can sometimes be confusing, especially if the scenarios are too complex or unrealistic, making it difficult for individuals to provide meaningful answers.
3. Potential for Misunderstanding: Hypothetical questions can be misinterpreted, leading to misunderstandings or miscommunication between individuals.
4. Might Be Seen as Irrelevant: Some people might find hypothetical questions irrelevant or impractical, especially if they prefer concrete, real-world issues over imagined scenarios.
5. Can Be Time-Consuming: Engaging in discussions about hypothetical situations can be time-consuming, potentially taking time away from addressing actual problems or tasks.
6. Could Lead to Unproductive Debates: Hypothetical questions can sometimes lead to unproductive debates or arguments, especially if participants have strong opinions about unlikely scenarios.