I love this question, because honestly, the simplest questions are often the hardest ones to answer. After all, just because something is short doesn’t mean it’s easy to understand.
What is the meaning of life? Do you believe in god? What happens when we die?
See what I mean?
Here are 15 more questions that sound simple, but are almost impossible to answer.
15. But not just anything. The right thing.
Can you tell me something about yourself?
14. Interviews are the worst.
Can you tell me your strong sides? What are you good at?
This is harder for me than my weaknesses. I’ve examined my weaknesses a lot. I don’t tend to dwell on why I’m awesome.
13. A bit existential.
How many parts can you remove from a thing before it stops being the original thing?
it depends on the parts you take out. remove the limbs and its still the same person, but take out the brain and now the person is gone, and so is your medical license
12. That’s…specific.
Where do u see yourself in 10 years?
100% still sneak attacking my husband’s nipples when he gets out of the shower. He claims he hates it, but he does this very specific smile every time that I absolutely adore. “I’ll stop doing it when you stop laughing.”
Sorry, babe. You’re stuck with me for life.
11. There is a simple answer but that’s not the one you’re going to choose.
Mommy, how are babies made?
10. The money. Obviously.
Why do you want this job ?
Job hunting right now, found a fricking BARISTA position that asked you to, no joke, “submit a short essay on your personal definition of the word “honour””
IT’S MAKING COFFEE NOT CAPTURING THE AVATAR YOU WHACKADOODLES.
9. Let’s just stop asking this.
Where would you like to eat tonight?
8. It’s so unimaginative.
What’s your biggest weakness?
My biggest weakness is ____ but I’m doing ____ to get better at it.
Most recently I said this and got a job offer from the company:
My biggest weakness is estimating projects. Especially with larger projects, it can be difficult to come up with an accurate estimate for the whole project. I’ve found that what really helps me is to break up the project into smaller tasks and estimate the the smaller tasks then come up with an overall estimate of smaller tasks. Still difficult sometimes, but I’m working on it.
7. Why would someone ask this?
Describe the taste of eggs to someone who has never eaten them?
6. No is a pretty simple answer.
Does this program ever stop?
In 1983 at the UniForum in San Diego, I was displaying my new source-level C Debugger, CDB. I had a printed command sheet that included the ‘F’ command, which supposedly did a “Find and Fix bug.” This was, of course, a joke because if I could do that then the rest of the debugger was unnecessary.
Most people would glance at the commands and then start asking questions. One fairly serious gentleman actually spent the time to look at all of the commands. He looked at me with one raised eyebrow and asked, with a German accent, “Find und Fix bug?” I nodded and gestured to the keyboard. “Give it a try.”
Now I had intended to have a whole list of silly responses, but this was a last-minute hack and I only had time to put in 1.
He typed it, and then spent the longest time staring first at the answer on the screen and then at me and then back. He finally broke out into a full-throated laugh.
The man was Herr Direktor Dr. Hans Strack-Zimmermann of Siemens. He was in the process of almost single-handedly pulling Siemens into the world of UNIX.
And the message that made him laugh? “Things look good, but you may have a halting problem.” Turns out his doctoral thesis had been on the Halting Problem. Siemens ended up being one of my largest customers for the debugger.
5. Hmmm.
Describe color to someone who has never seen it.
4. This made me spittake.
Is it in?
The answer is “I don’t know” to ruin everyone’s everything.
3. Just assume they don’t really want to know.
How are you ?
Brain: should I say “good” or “okay”? Ends up saying: I’m gay
2. Every single day.
What do you want for dinner?
I imagine most people can tell you what they want for dinner. I want pizza, so that’s what I’m gonna get. The issue is when it comes to getting food with someone else.
“I want pizza, but I’m fine with anything else. I don’t want to force my want of pizza on them. Maybe they don’t want pizza, and really want something else. Maybe there’s a food they really want, but don’t wanna say because they’re worrying about what I want. I’m just not going to say and let them decide.”
…Can you tell I have an anxiety disorder?
1. So tough.
What is love?
Its the hardest question of all. Outside of somebody asking me to explain quantum physics.
Well, I don’t know about you but I’m off to ruminate.
Drop some more of these head-scratchers on us in the comments!
