20 Self-Discovery Questions to Bring You Closer to Learning Who You Are

You’re never too old for self-discovery questions. You can always learn more about yourself because you’re always changing. Here’s what to ask.

Do you really know yourself? Most of us would say, “duh!” simply because we’re inside our own heads. But the thing is, unless you ask yourself a few self-discovery questions now and then, you don’t really explore much of who you are.

We just tend to go about life as we are without ever wanting to dig a little deeper. The truth is that your life can get a lot better when you know more about yourself. You can understand your own emotions and finally learn why you do the things you do.

Having a lot of conflict in life usually means you don’t know yourself well

This could be conflict with others or even internal conflict. Being unhappy in life has a lot to do with misunderstanding the way things work around you and that has to do with not truly getting why you feel and think the way you do.

When you explore yourself through self-discovery questions, you open yourself up and you figure out why you’re so conflicted. This lends itself to problem-solving and before you know it, the conflicts in your life slip away. You’re left happy and overall in a great place mentally and emotionally. [Read: How to resolve your own conflict and cut out the drama]

Self-discovery questions to unleash the real you

It’s not always easy to sit down and look inside yourself. If it was, more people would feel a lot better about who they are. In order to really find out more about yourself, ask these simple self-discovery questions. You’ll walk away having learned an awful lot.

#1 What do you care about most in life? Not many people sit down and really digest this one. What’s something you care about the most? Think really hard about this. Is it your family? A passion of yours? A cause? Finding out what this is can help shape your life. [Read: How to stop caring about trivial matters in 15 steps]

#2 How do you feel about death? This one can be hard for people. But think about your thoughts surrounding death on all fronts. Are you afraid to die? Are you terrified of loved ones dying? What do you think happens afterward? These are all important, deep things to consider about yourself.

#3 What’s the most immoral thing someone can do in your mind? Knowing yourself has a lot to do with your morals. What’s the absolute worst thing a person can do? This will help you discover your moral limits and what the most harmful thing really is to you.

#4 What’s the biggest problem with the human race? There’s just no denying that the human race is pretty messed up. What do you think is the biggest issue we have as a species? Is it the need for power? Is it the fact that we take and take without giving?

This can not only help you see the world in a certain light, it’ll also help shape your actions to be better than the problems we have.

#5 Will the world ever find true peace? Speaking of human issues, do you think there will ever be a time when the human race is at peace? Think deeply about this and you may discover certain things about yourself you didn’t know before. [Read: How to get to know yourself and reveal your life’s truest passions]

#6 What’s the worst thing you would do morally for someone you love? If you had to do something awful to protect someone you love, what’s your limit? Knowing this can help you discover something about yourself many people would never even consider.

#7 How would you describe yourself in 3 words? If you had to tell someone everything about yourself using only 3 words, what would it be? This shows you the most important things you think about yourself and even what you hope others see in you.

#8 How would someone else describe you in 3 words? This is a lot different simply because we see ourselves differently than other people see us. What do you look like to other people? This will help you see the qualities you put emphasis on in yourself versus what other people really see.

#9 What’s something that worries you in life? We all have worries but what’s your biggest? Figuring this out can help you find a solution for it so you can worry less and live your life a lot more. It can also point out where your stresses come from specifically. [Read: Should you really worry about justifying your life choices?]

#10 What do you need in life to be truly happy? This is something more people need to think about. What truly makes you happy in life and what is just extra stuff that doesn’t really make a difference? Cutting out that extra stuff can actually help you feel more fulfilled.

#11 Do you value money more than time? What would you rather have? If given the choice, would you rather be rich or have more time on this earth? The truth of this question will show you an awful lot about your values.

#12 What gifts do you have? Everyone has some. Are you gifted in the arts or with communication or intelligence? Figure out what yours really is and it’ll help you narrow in on a direction your life should take.

#13 What’s something about yourself that no one else knows? We all have secrets. That being said, think about something that nobody knows about you that maybe isn’t necessarily a secret. Do you have a special skill or desire? Think deeply about yourself and see which parts of you are hiding away. [Read: 33 guilty pleasures that are best kept a secret]

#14 What’s something that you have that nobody else does? Much like we all have gifts and talents, we all have a quality that nobody else has in the entire world. What’s yours? Finding out why you’re so unique can help you feel more confident about yourself.

#15 Is there anything that keeps you awake at night? Are there any worries or fears that make it hard for you to sleep? Pinpoint those very things and then work to accept and even fix them if you can.

#16 Are you a prominently negative or positive person? Everyone leans toward one side or the other. Which are you? The great thing about learning this about yourself is that you can actually change it if you’re prominently negative. This can help make your life a lot more enjoyable.

#17 Are you happy with the direction your life is headed? We all have a certain path that’s laid out in front of us. What does yours look like and how do you feel about it? Do you enjoy it? Are you happy with it? If you find that you have negative feelings toward the way your life is headed, change it. [Read: How to be happy in life and live it to the fullest]

#18 What would you like your life to look like when you’re old and grey? Think about when you’re an old person and your life is mostly behind you. What do you want it to look like? Are you happy with a family that visits every day or are you alone?

#19 What has been your biggest mistake in life? We’ve all made mistakes. What’s one that has really been the most impactful? Knowing this can help you discover just how deep the regrets for those actions run.

#20 Do you tend to learn from your mistakes? After you make mistakes, do you learn from them or do you forget and try to push them aside like they never happened? Believe it or not, this can mean a lot for you and your future.

[Read: Get to know who you really are with these in-depth questions]

Asking these self-discovery questions can show you a lot more about yourself than you realize. Answer them honestly and you might just become closer to finding out who you truly are.