If You Could, What Would You
If you could type anything you wanted in the Google search form, what would you type? I typed “if you could” “what would you” and came up with some interesting questions:
- What would you plant if you could only plant 7 flowers?
- If you could relive your life over again, what would you change?
- If you could have an author (or two) over for dinner, what would you serve for dinner?
- If you could be a bird, what would you choose to be?
- What would you say if you could make a call to God?
- If you could change the storyline of any RPG, which RPG would you choose and what would you change?
- If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?
- What would you give if you could choose anything and who would you give it to?
- What would you do if you could be miniaturised?
- If you could change anything about your sport, what would you change?
- If you could be reincarnated, who or what would you come back as?
- If you could write a Dune novel, what would you write about?
- If you could observe one event from history (but not affect its outcome) what would you choose?
- If you could design a floor plan what would you change?
- and the list goes on…
I was surprised to find so many of these. It never before occurred to me how often the phrases “if you could” and “what would you” show up in the same question, usually a question asked during an in-depth interview, in a personality quiz, or as an ice breaker in a close conversational round. It’s as though the pairing up of the phrases in any query automatically requires the responding person to reveal something more about his psyche, his character, and his very soul.
It’s been said that character is what we do when no one is looking. Aristotle said it better: “We are what we repeatedly do.”
But what if we haven’t had the chance to make certain choices in life and do something to reveal our character? Well, we have the “if you could – what would you” question. It’s not the same, but it’s close if we’re honest. And we convince ourselves that through such a question we can gain a better understanding of the person providing a truthful answer.
So I have to ask:
If you could ask or answer any question, asked by or posed to anyone, what would you ask or say?
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8 thoughts on “If You Could, What Would You”
If you could find the ‘Answer’ to the ‘Question’, the ‘Question’ would be to the ‘Answer’.
If I could say what I wanted to say , I would have never asked at all, If I could have asked what I wanted to, I would have never said it at all.
Who is John Galt
Whoa VJ, That’s pretty deep.
I was thinking more along the line of Barbara Eden (circa 1966)asking me "Hey, wanna smooch?" and I’d answer "Uhm,.. okay."
Hmm… I was thinking more along the lines of getting some "If you could – what would you" questions (or answers to some of those I already listed), but "Who is John Galt" and "Wanna smooch" work for me. How about "Wanna smooch John Galt?"
blargh! "Wanna Smmoch John Galt?" doesn’t seem to work for me.
How about: Excluding world peace, if you could have one non-materialistic wish, what would it be?
That one’s easy. 🙂
Peace of mind.
I would ask God what the winning lottery numbers would be for the next 5 years. I would use the money to help end hunger, and buy myself a really cool sports car.
Okay, now that my fever has receded, I have just about enough strength to answer these:
> What would you plant if you could only plant 7 flowers?
Red roses, tulips, orchids, daisies, carnations, pink roses, white roses.
> If you could relive your life over again, what would you change?
I’d take back some of the harsh words that were said by me to others unitentionally or even intentionally. I’d correct some of my actions that caused hurt to someone else unknowingly or knowingly. I would undo my bad karma points, I guess.
> If you could have an author (or two) over for dinner, what would you serve for dinner?
Hmm. The first course would be ‘cream of theme’ soup served with warm pun rolls. Main course would be sauteéd ‘climax’ and baked ‘idea chops’. Also, ‘plot au gratin’. Dessert of course, would be ‘epilogue brûlée’.
> If you could be a bird, what would you choose to be?
Siberian crane. Not only is it a majestic bird, it is also a symbol of true love in Japan, because it is always faithful to its partner even after death. And I value fidelity more than life itself.
> What would you say if you could make a call to God?
Please take away the suffering and illnesses and bitterness and crimes from this world.
> What would you give if you could choose anything and who would you give it to?
Happiness and smiles. Anyone and everyone.
Here’s a question for you:
If you could ask for any one superpower, what would you ask for?
Flight! 🙂
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