DEEP
CONVERSATION
TOPICS
Emotions
• Do animals experience emotions? Ifso, do they experience emotions in the same
way humans do? If not, how do they experience the world and what dictates their
behavior?
• How are emotions useful for humans and the human race?
• Are emotions necessary for human survival? Why or why not?
What is the most beneficial emotion? How about the most destructive?
Do people have a right to be happy or should they have to earn it?
Future of the human race
• What do you think about the singularity? The idea that eventually artificial
intelligence will advance to the point where computers are more intelligent than
humans.
What are the pros and cons of colonizing other planets? How could this help or hurt
the human race?
• What is most likely to bring about the extinction ofthe human race? How can it be
avoided?
Will humans as a species ever be able to work together as a whole to achieve a
goal? What is holding humans back from working together on a global scale?
Will humanity continue to advance technologically or will we fall back to how we
lived for thousands of years or fall back further to how we lived for a hundred
thousand years ago?
• What would be the best possible scenario for how the world will develop in the next
25 years? What do we need to do to get there?
Human Nature Questions
• Is human nature constant or is it molded by culture? Can human nature be
completely changed by culture or society?
• Are humans better at creation or destruction?
• What are the best and worst parts ofhuman nature?
If pressing a button meant you received 5 million dollars but it also killed 5 people
somewhere in the world. would you press it? What if it killed only 1 person or killed
20 people? What ifthe people were people you knew?
• If you had to sum up the whole human species in 3 words, what would those words
be?
What aspects of humans have made us a successful species?
• Is what we perceive reality or just a construct Of our minds? Can our minds
correctly interpret reality or is reality subjective?
• What is the best way to explore human nature: psychology. philosophy. or biology?
• Is tribalism, people separating themselves into "us" and "them" groups, a learned or
genetic trait? Can it be overcome? If so, how?
• How does tribalism and creating in groups and out groups (e.g. race, religion, sport
team fans, people with a hobby, etc.) help and hurt society?
Life and death
• What is a year of life worth? How about a day?
• What is the purpose of a human life?
• If sacrificing your own life would save the lives of a specific number ofstrangers.
how many strangers would need to be saved for you to sacrifice your own life? What
if the people were friends? How about family?
• Ifyou died today, how would you be remembered?
• Are some lives more valuable than others?
• What does the ideal life look like?
• What does it mean to die well?
• How would you like to die? Comfortably in bed surrounded by family, doing
something you love. or some other way?
• Who do you know who is living life to the fullest?
• Ifyou were given an envelope with the the time and date ofyour death inside,
would you open it?
If you died today, what regrets would you have about your life?
• Is taking a life ever justified? Ifso, where is the line? When is a person's life
considered forfeit?
Personal Questions
• What are the highest and lowest points ofyour life?
• How have your strengths help you to succeed? How have your faults hindered you?
What are your biggest goals for your life? What progress have you made in attaining
them?
• Who are you really? Who is behind the mask thatyou show to the rest Of the world?
What is holding you back from being the person you want to be?
Society, culture and the World
• Should governments make laws to protect people from hurting themselves?
• What is the most uplifting thing happening in the world right now? What is the most
tragic thing?
What does honor mean to you? How important is it to you? Does your culture value
honor? What exemplifies honor in your culture?
• How important are morals in a healthy society? What are the most important
morals for citizens to have?
• In the distant past. a person's life was very similar to their grandparents' and
grandchildren's lives. How has the rapid pace oftechnological advancement
changed society?
What is a miracle that happens every day?
• How important is freedom of the press to a healthy society?
• What are the most important factors in maintaining a well functioning society? What
does it mean for a society to function well?
Should the government be involved in making laws to regulate moral behavior? If
so. to what extent?
• With the invention Of the internet and the advent Of big data and crowd sourcing, it's
finally possible for citizens to govern themselves directly. Is it a good idea for the
masses to directly govern themselves or is governance something better left to
professional politicians?
• What is the purpose of art in society?
DO people have an obligation to help others or should people be responsible for
helping themselves?
Can people with vastly different cultural backgrounds live together peacefully?
Uber Humor
Steve holt'
uberhumor.com