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90 Deep Existential Questions To Ask Anyone

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Deep existential questions make you think about your place in the world. Whether it’s considering our role in the universe or contemplating the existence of God, these topics will make you think deeply about life.

Existentialism concerns questions about humanity’s very existence. A common existential conversation might consider what happens after we die, for example.

There are also plenty of funny existential questions you can ask too, for the witty among you.

In this list, you’ll find plenty of questions about existence that will lead to some profound and funny discussions with a wide array of people.

Best Existential Questions

existential question about finding happiness
  • Do you spend your time wisely, working towards goals in life that will really make you happy?
  • What behavior or thing from your life would make you happier if you eradicated it?
  • Has consumerism led to a degradation of our values and goals in life?
  • People often move far away for work, has this led to a degradation of responsibility among family members?
  • Does everyone need love in their life to truly be happy?
  • Can you have more than one soulmate in life?
  • Will artificial intelligence ever be able to mimic the creativity of a human?
  • Should we feel sad about getting older?
  • Is one lifetime enough or do you need longer to appreciate the richness of life?
  • Should happiness come easy to us, or should we have to work hard to find it?
  • Will human life ever extend beyond our solar system or will a “great filter” lead to mass extinction?
  • Is humanity moving in the right direction with regard to morality and the world we live in?
  • Do you have a right to be happy, or do you have to earn it?
  • What genetic enhancement could make humanity a better species?
  • Do humans have a limit to their creativity?
  • Are we alone in the universe?
  • What’s the meaning of life?
  • Do our lives benefit from the hardships we go through? What would life look like without hardships?
  • Will the human race become extinct in the next 100 years?
  • Is there a God?
  • When is the use of violence justified?
  • Are all people born equally, or are people born with more or fewer opportunities than others?
  • Do we all have what it takes to make our dreams a reality?
  • Is what we perceive reality, or is it a construct of our imaginations?
  • Does absolute power corrupt absolutely?
  • Do you think there is life on other planets, and do you think it’s identical to ours?

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existential questions dreamsbecome a reality

Funny Existential Questions

  • Is a hotdog a sandwich?
  • Can you ever be in the wrong place at the right time?
  • If you’re a prisoner in your own mind, how do you free yourself?
  • What came first, the chicken or the egg?
  • What was the best thing before sliced bread?
  • If a tree falls in the woods, and no one is around, does it make a sound?
  • If Schrodinger’s Cat remains trapped in the box, is it simultaneously dead and alive?
  • Would a group of monkeys, typing for an infinite amount of time, eventually write the complete works of William Shakespeare?
  • How would a vagrant feel if they were put under house arrest?
  • Can atheists get insurance for acts of God?

Deep Existential Questions

  • What do you think goes through your mind at the moment your life ends?
  • Do you think money has any real value or is the value in the time and energy we put into earning it?
  • What’s the point in continually growing? Is there any shame in remaining where you are in life?
  • If you could put together one sentence to give others about life, what would you say?
  • Is there an afterlife?
  • Do you think humans are born with ethics or do we learn them through life?
  • Are we really free as people, or are we controlled in some form throughout our lives?
  • Why do you think we dream, and do you think that dreams come true?
existential questions dreams come true

Next: Rapid fire questions

  • What’s a big mistake that all humans are currently making?
  • Do you believe in fate, and do we make our own?
  • What certain parts of my life have made me feel the most uneasy?
  • Do you think certain lifeforms have more of a right to life than others?
  • What is a person? Is it the mind, the soul, or the body and organs?
  • What past activity has most made you feel alive?
  • Does truth really prevail without evidence?
  • What should all humans have to experience once in their lives?
  • Is suffering necessary to live a meaningful life?
  • Would you enjoy watching your previous life back?
  • What does current civilization need to do to make the world a better place?
  • Do I spend money on things that I need or things that I want?
existential questions money for the things i want or the things i need

You might also like: Critical thinking questions

  • Will poverty disappear in the future?
  • Will we be punished for our sins after we die?
  • How do we know we’re not currently living in a simulation?
  • Is it possible to live a truthful life?
  • Is there enough time to do everything you want in one lifetime?
  • If you know your cause of death, would it change how you live your life now?
  • Do you think animals and humans both have the same meaning of life?
  • Would you rather feel like you are part of this world or out of it and different to everyone else?
  • Can people really change when they say they will?

You might also like: Deep conversation starters

Existential Questions To Ask Your Partner

existential questioning deliberate questioning
  • What do you think of humanity? Do you think we are going in the right direction?
  • What makes you as a person so special?
  • How can my questioning be more deliberate?
  • What moral standards do you judge yourself on?
  • How much of your life so far have you felt truly alive?
  • Do you think that people can truly be soul mates? What does the term soul mates mean to you?
  • How do you give fully give yourself to someone without losing who you are?
  • What does commitment look like?
  • How do you encourage yourself when times get tough?
  • What’s the best thing humans can do to remain happy?

Next: Hard questions to answer

Thought-Provoking Existential Questions

  • Do you think life is unfair for most people?
  • What would the world look like without humans?
  • When does human life begin?
  • When people say live a good life, what does a good life look like?
  • Why, through history, have conflicts existed?
existential questions questioning conflicts

You might also like: Mind blowing questions

  • As humans, do you think we really understand the reason for our existence?
  • Is there a difference between living and living in the present moment?
  • Do you think there’s a parallel universe identical to our own?
  • Is it possible we have a much bigger purpose in this universe that we don’t yet know about?
  • Is happiness the result of chemical reactions in our body, or does it have a deeper meaning?
  • Do you take time to observe the earth? If so, what do you see?
  • Do you think someone can exist without living?
  • For two people to connect, what do they need to have in common?
  • Why do I feel the way I do?
  • Why do I not sometimes see the value in things that others do?
  • If I show my emotions to others, does that make me weak?
  • If life is so short, why do so many people do things they really dislike?
existential questions life is short

Next: Topics to talk about

  • Should I follow my dreams or ignore them as fantasy?
  • How do we know that the path we’ve taken is the right one?
  • Is there any such thing as freedom?
  • How do you know when you’re doing the right thing in life?
  • When I’m no longer here what will people remember about me?
  • How do you know when the right time is to let go of something?
existential questions letting go

You might also like: Self-reflection questions

  • What harsh truths do you ignore?
  • Is there a secret formula for happiness?

Looking For More Questions?

Questions that make you think – A set of questions that will have the cogs in your brain working overtime!

Open-ended questions – A set of questions designed to lead to debate and interesting conversations.

Deep questions to ask – Some questions to ask anybody if you want to get to a deeper level of conversation.

A photo of Tom who is the Co-Founder of Questions About Everything

Tom Stevenson

Co-Founder of Questions About Everything

Tom is a travel writer and Co-Founder of Questions About Everything. He grew up in the UK and enjoys spending his time traveling to new places, supporting Liverpool FC, and blogging about his adventures. He spent two years teaching English in Barcelona and frequently utilized question games and conversation starters as part of his lesson plans. As an EFL teacher, he took full responsibility for planning and delivering lessons, frequently employing creative and diverse questions to engage the children in conversation. Learn more about Tom on our About page.

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