12 Fascinating ‘Would You Rather’ Questions to Share

Hypothetical conundrums and dilemmas offer an entertaining way to initiate thought-provoking conversations. Even though these deep questions are designed to be fascinating and fun; would your answers surprise those around you?

The abstract yet philosophically styled questions commonly found in quizzes and games like ‘Would You Rather’ go from delightfully nonsensical to intriguing and even profound. Designed to potentially offer an amusing snapshot into someone’s personal attitudes/wisdom; exploring reasoning in this way can deliver an engrossing look into who we are.

Some of these questions were difficult to answer because they naturally initiate discussions that sometimes border on overthinking; I also noticed that — like many of us — I wasn’t immune to leaning towards answers I felt were expected of me or that shone a more favourable light. Despite this, I’ve answered as openly and honestly as I can; this was certainly a fun activity to take part in, especially as some of it was really eye-opening!

Feel free to use these questions on your own blog or social media, etc.; don’t forget to tag/link back to this post so I can visit/show your responses some love!

Here are my answers to 12 fascinating ‘Would You Rather’ questions …

1. Would you rather swim in a pool full of peanut butter or a pool full of honey?

While I occasionally enjoy thick, gooey peanut butter on my toast, trying to swim through it would be extremely difficult — if I had to decide on which one to splash about in, it would be the slightly looser viscosity of honey.

2. Would you rather get a tattoo or a lip piercing?

I’m currently planning/designing my next tattoo (I already have a few) so this choice was incredibly easy — I’d choose to get inked every time! I wouldn’t get a lip piercing because at eleven years old I experienced a severe reaction to the metal studs used to pierce my ears. I had them removed and let the holes close; I’ve not considered anything else like that since but think they look pretty cool.

3. Would you rather live the rest of your life in the city or in the countryside?

My childhood was spent growing up between the two; I love both equally and find my preferences for one over the other goes through cycles. I’ve been living among cityscapes for the last ten years and often feel the call of the wild — getting back to country living is where it’s at for me right now.

4. Would you rather be super smart or super-rich?

This one seemed completely logical to me; I’d choose being super smart over super-rich as there’s a high probability that I’d be able to utilize my intelligence to make lots of money (if that was my goal). As a personal trait within myself and others, I admire and appreciate intelligence much more than wealth — although that gets tested by question 10 (sorry bestie)! 

5. Would you rather permanently give up social media or never watch another movie again?

Social media and movies have some pretty awesome positives; both provide an opportunity to connect with a range of globally diverse viewpoints, people, news and storytelling. A key difference, however; is social media has a deeply negative side that’s increasingly more difficult to avoid due to its now ubiquitous role in our day-to-day existence.

As films are not accessed or consumed in the same way, they tend to retain a more beneficial — and optional — presence in our lives. Despite all this, I would nevertheless choose to stick with social media; its ability to keep us informed and knowledgeable about what’s going on in the world is currently unmatched. Like many, I just need to make sure I’m using social media in a responsible and healthy way.

6. Would you rather read your favorite book for the rest of your life or only be able to watch your favorite TV show?

Even though I’ve been fortunate enough to encounter some incredibly impactful books — and I love reading — I’m leaning towards choosing to watch my favourite TV show. This is not because I necessarily favour one activity over the other (it’s all but impossible to decide between the two); but watching my favourite television series is something I can share with my husband because we’d both pick The Office.

7. Would you rather be able to read peoples minds or have the ability to immediately understand and speak in any language?

A lot of thought went into what it would be like to be able to read people’s minds; including the myriad of complexities around what my responsibilities would be regarding what I discovered (and if I could switch this skill on/off). I came to the conclusion that being able to hear someone’s innermost thoughts — even with the best of intentions — represents a huge invasion of privacy. Therefore, my preference is for speaking and understanding any/all languages; it’s more likely to remain a positive way to connect with people.

8. Would you rather be trapped in a romantic comedy with your enemies or trapped in a horror film with your friends?

I don’t have any real enemies, but there have been some people I’ve cut out of my life because they were harmful and toxic. As there’s no scenario where it would be sensible or safe to spend any time with them again; it looks like my buddies and I are going to be riding out a horror film together! It will probably be extremely scary (again, sorry bestie), but we’d work effectively together and keep each other from harm.

9. Would you rather have the power to pause your life or the ability to rewind it?

If the power to rewind my life meant I could go back to see/experience things again; then return safely to my present-day existence (without disrupting the space-time continuum thingy) — this would be my preferred choice. However, if rewinding means I have to relive my life once more from that point onwards, I’d have to pass.

Pausing is likely the safest option (potentially less to go wrong); but I can’t ignore the incredible gift it would be to once again spend a few precious moments with loved ones who’ve passed away, for example.

10. Would you rather win $25,000 or have your best friend win $100,000?

Let me preface this by stating I always want to see my best friend doing well and thriving — and boy, would $100,000 support her with that. It’s equally clear that $25,000 would be a life-changing amount for me …

I hate admitting this, but if there was a guarantee that she wouldn’t know she missed out on a fortune because I chose to opt for the $25,000 — I’d take it (but I would use some of my winnings to help her out financially). Alternatively, if we’re both aware it’s an either/or scenario then I’d collaborate with her to receive the $100,000; agreeing to split the winnings 50/50. I have no doubt she’d share the money with me if she knew what the choices were!

11. Would you rather be the centre of attention or go unnoticed?

My preference would be to go unnoticed; I’ve never been drawn to being the centre of attention. I’m relatively comfortable being sociable, but I don’t necessarily want to be the focal point of any gathering. 

12. Would you rather know how the world began or know how it ends?

This question led to quite a few engaging conversations and deep dives into the theoretical physics of The Big Bang Theory; and what we’ve learnt about the expanding universe we live in (thanks to the mathematical studies of Einstein, Freidmann and Lemaître).

To say this was fascinating is an understatement; even though I’m fairly well-informed about aspects of the science behind our planetary beginnings, there is clearly so much I don’t know/understand. I instantly wanted to read more — which is why I’d like to find out how the world began. To obtain definitive knowledge about how all this started would be incredible — definitely more life-affirming and wondrous than comprehending how it all ends.

Exploring my answers to these questions was far more compelling and illuminating than I had expected. I think they reveal quite a bit about my ideals and current circumstances — and how these two things can both support or be at odds with each other.

I’m immensely relieved all of these scenarios were speculative and that I got through them (it felt like the blogging version of the Kobayashi Maru — if you know, you know); it was definitely uncomfortably fun! I hope you enjoyed finding out a little bit more about me from behind the blog and that you have a go at answering these enigmatic puzzles yourself — be sure to tag Transatlantic Notes/link back to this post if you do.

Which question/s do you find most intriguing? Did any of my answers surprise you?

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Further Info:

Play an online version of ‘Would You Rather’ where you get to see how your answers measure up against other respondents

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