50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind

Apr 26, 2010 — 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind

Photo by Sanctuary. Questions by Marc and Angel hack life.

These questions have no right or wrong answers.

Because sometimes asking the right questions is the answer.

This post is in English for my international friends who are from time to time browsing my blog and also because I didn’t want to translate 50 questions into Latvian.

This is also my thing #26 from 101 things in 1001 days.

How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? I never feel that I’m old enough and I always thought that 23 years suit me just well.
Which is worse, failing or never trying?
Definetly worse is never trying. Even if you feel disapointed when fail you would always regret for not trying at all. As in the movie Bucket list Edward and Carter realized this at the very end of their lifes.
If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
I guess thats because of the nature of habits. You do what you are used to do and are afraid of anything unusual. But you just have to start to realize how much you were missing.
When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
Yes, I am usually very courageous talking about things I plan to do rather than doing those things. I hope to change this in me.
What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world? I will not be original, but I really would like to stop and prevent in the future all wars on Earth because that’s the most damaging thing that can be.
If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich? Santa Claus :)
Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing? I guess I live in a kind of compromise. I try to do what I believe in which is not always possible so I have to settle sometimes too.
If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently? I would get married and make children much younger. I would not waste my time learning unnecessary things. I would travel more.
To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
Actually I feel that I have started to controll my life just recently, before this I was flowing in a mass current. I did what I thought people want me to do and what I was best at, but I didn’t think so much if this is what I really wanted to do. Now when it has changed, I feel myself much more happy.
Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things? I’m more worried about doing the right things, because if I do something I think I do it the right way or I don’t do it at all.
You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?
If the criticism is unjustified I try to justify it without not telling that she is my friend. If they do distateful and unjustified criticism then why do respect and admire those people in the first place?
If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
The Golden Rule – do to others what you would like to be done to you.
Would you break the law to save a loved one? Yes.
Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
Yes, in modern art museum.
What’s something you know you do differently than most people? Write. I think everyone does it differently. I don’t know if I’m in a way unique with something that I do.
How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
Because each of us is different, like different things and understand life differently.
What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?
Travel around the world. I’m afraid I will not be able to get back into business after such a long professional gap in my life.
Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
Yes, real estate. It ties me to one specific place which is not good as I want to be mobile.
If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
New Zealand – it has both sun and snow, skiing and surfing, it has beautiful nature, people there speak language I understand, it is far away from everything, people there are the most happiest on the World even though they are not earning the most, there are not many poisonous species like in Australia. These are of course just facts and words, I cannot answer this question unless I see this country.
Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
No, but I do get quickly in the elevator, because I belive it senses that I’m in a hurry and then it goes faster.
Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
Worried genius. I like being worried even if I’m not genius, otherwise life gets boring.
Why are you, you?
Because this is how my parents raised me.
Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
Probably not, because I think similar people can’t stand each other for a long time, that’s why my girlfriend is very opposite to what I am.
Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
I think it’s worse losing touch with a good friend who lives right near me. Actually since I’ve moved far away from my friends I think I sarted meeting them more often.
What are you most grateful for?
For parents that raised me and how they raised me.
Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
After watching movie The Notebook I want to say I would rather never be able to make new ones, but as I’m young enough I go with lose all of my old memories.
Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
You should never assume that something is true just because it was told to you by someone.
Has your greatest fear ever come true?
Perhaps I should think what is my greatest fear then. No, it hasn’t.
Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?
No, it doesn’t matter at all…
What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?
Christmases. Because then whole family got together.
At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
Last summer before and after moving to live abroad.
If not now, then when?
Now.
If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
There is always something to lose.
Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
Yes, after meeting someone who I hadn’t seen for so long that I didn’t know what to say.
Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?
Because it’s all about power and wars are caused by people not religion even though they are sometimes being performed under the name of religion.
Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
Nothing is white or black, if you look at the B&W picture you would see that it’s mostly contains grays.
If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
Maybe I would quit my job (in general, not my current job with which I am quite happy), but I would definitely not stop working.
Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
More work that I’m actually enjoy working, because then it wouldn’t be work, but passion.
Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?
Yes, this day I have lived almost exactly hundred times before, how did you know?
When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
Four months ago.
If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
I would ask everyone to visit me so that we all can meet each other.
Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?
I don’t need to be attractive or famous to fulfill my dreams, but if I will fulfill my dreams I may become famous anyway.
What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
Routine – it’s missing in one of those.
When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?
When you really know that it’s right.
If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
Because we are afraid to be judged not to make a mistake.
What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
Stop thinking what others think about me.
When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
Recently when I was afraid that I’m not breathing right, which most probably I’m really not.
What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?
I love to travel and yes, I have done it recently.
In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that?
Probably not.
Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?
Nothing is black or white. I hope it gets whiter though.