Deep Thought Prompts For May

Come in and make yourself uncomfortable…

Hello Prompt Warriors and welcome to the next installment of Twisted Prompts!

I have painstakingly crafted this list over the course of several weeks to ensure there was a decent mix of things to coax you from your typical writing boxes and make you think. I did not go easy on you.

A few reminders before we begin…

If you find one or more of these prompts offensive, I genuinely do not care, so whining about it is pointless and wastes everyone’s time. Ya know what isn’t a pointless waste of time? Writing about it! But do not just say you are offended. WHY are you offended? It’s entirely possible that they’re SUPPOSED to offend you.

Nothing I do is accidental and nothing is ever quite as it seems. These prompts were designed through the use of psychology, philosophy, and a little FBI training. Some of them are simpler than others with of course a few revolving around animals. All of them reveal something about you.

I am not going to be analyzing or judging your responses. There are no correct answers. Some of them don’t have answers at all. I do not provide a word maximum or minimum. If you need to argue with yourself in writing to make sense of something — DO IT.

They are numbered but not ordered. I provided you enough to write one daily but you do not have to go in the order I put them in. Jump around as you see fit. Combine them if you’d like — they’re designed to allow for that. Though many of them contain multiple questions this month to try to push you to really consider your responses.

No one is forced to do anything so if a prompt really bothers you — skip it. But personally, I’d say that’s the prompt that is calling for you to respond to it the most. Challenge yourself to examine what you think, why you think it, and what things mean.

Publish your responses anywhere you’d like as long as they will accept them. I only ask to be tagged so that I may see them. Invite anyone you think may want something new to think about and write about to play along. Just remember… playtime in my sandbox often leaves you feeling dirty 😉

Happy writing! 😎😂😈

May Prompts

1. What does it mean to be a “good person” vs. a “bad person”? Is anyone ever solely just one or the other?
2. A lot of Harry Potter fans turned on the story in light of JK Rowling’s transphobia. Does who an author is as a person diminish their work? Or a movie director, actor, sports star, etc. Can you be a fan of someTHING without liking the human behind it? Explain your response.
3. Freud believed humans had two basic drives — Eros and Thanatos. Life and Death. Do you agree or disagree with this assessment? Explain your response. (If you don’t know them, read about them here).
4. Who are you? *Note: This answer may NOT include what you do, what you study, or any mention of family members. Think harder.
5. What do you think are the top five most intelligent animals and why?
6. The age of sexual consent varies by state and by country. In some places, it is as low as 11 years old. What factors should go into determining this and who should get to decide? Why?
7. There is a machine-operated loaded gun pointed at your head. There is another one in your hand. In front of you stands a complete stranger. Kill them — or you will be killed. A timer is ticking and if you do not kill the person in front of you the gun at your head will fire. Would you take a life to save your own? (*Note — firing at the machine does nothing. You are also held in place so running is not an option. You can not beat the system. You must make a choice).
8. Do you believe that your life serves a greater purpose? If so — what do you believe that purpose is? If not — do you believe life itself has meaning? Is that meaning the same for all people?
9. No one is happy all of the time but do you consider yourself an overall happy person? Why or why not? Was this always the case? If not, how, when, and why did it change?
10. How many people (and which people), if any, do you feel you truly know completely? What is it to truly know someone? Is it even possible?
11. If you could choose any animal in the entire world to protect you, knowing this animal would only protect you and never turn on you — what animal would you choose and why?
12. “Youth is wasted on the young”. People often say that they wish they had the wisdom of age back when they were young. If you could instill only one major lesson in that of your younger self — what would it be and why is it important?
13. Nature vs. Nurture — which plays a bigger role in who you become? Explain your response.
14. Are crimes always wrong or does intent play a role? If a mother steals extremely expensive medication that will save the life of her child — is she a criminal? Explain your reasoning.
15. How much do you care what other people think of you and why? Is it only certain people or all people? How do you feel when someone simply doesn’t like you?
16. If you suffered a severe brain injury and were being kept alive by machines, how long would you want your loved ones to wait before turning the machines off? Explain your choice.
17. Are certain people born evil or do they need to become that way? What does it mean to be an evil person? What should happen to them and should it happen before they ever have a chance to act on their evil?
18. Mass shootings are a problem in America. Do you agree with this statement? If you disagree, tell me why. If you agree — how do we stop them? What’s the answer?
19. Pedophilia is a sexuality. That statement is a fact— in psychological terms, sexual attraction is determined in your brain and it is not a choice. Given that fact, is it truly wrong to be a pedophile? Who determines the basis of right vs wrong in human sexuality? And should someone be punished for something they did not choose?
20. Are you (or would you want to be) an organ donor? Why or why not? If you are — are there certain things you would not donate (eyes, skin, etc.)? What determines those choices?
21. How much of your life and what has happened in it so far do you believe was controlled by yourself? If you didn’t control it — who or what did? Explain your response.
22. Are animals bound by a sense of morality? Explain your response.
23. Do you have a death plan for yourself? If so — what is it? If not — write one now. Design your funeral (if you have one), what you would want to be done with your remains, and what you’d hope to be said about you. Go as in-depth as your mind allows. Leave a note at the end with how this planning made you feel.
24. Does going through hardships make people stronger? Why or why not?
25. What constitutes human rights? Be specific. What are we, as humans, entitled to? Life? Liberty? Free speech? Guns? The pursuit of happiness? What makes the difference between rights and privileges? Is there a way to LOSE your rights as a human? If so, how? If not, why not?
26. Are humans more, less, or equally as important as animals? Does your answer apply to all animals or only specific animals? Explain.
27. How much did your parent's relationship with each other impact your view of relationships as a whole? Be specific on what was involved and how it created and/or altered how you are in relationships.
28. Is war necessary? Is it reasonable? Is it just? If both sides believe they’re right — how can either be wrong? What, if anything, justifies a war?
29. If you had to pick five events or occurrences in your life that shaped/altered you permanently — what would they be and how did they factor into who you are today?
30. How do you deal with pain? Separate physical and emotional pain and give a response for each. What specifically do you do to get through it, handle it, survive it, etc? Do you think you have a high tolerance for pain? Is that tolerance higher for physical or emotional pain? Why?
31. Why do people get frightened at horror movies/books or cry at sad movies/books when they know that what they’re seeing/reading is not real? What movie/book scares you? What movie/book makes you sad?

That’s it! If you answer them all I will be highly impressed. They are meant to push your buttons and your boundaries.

Believe it or not, they will keep getting harder from here. I will push you a little more every month. This was harder than April, but not as hard as June will be. 😉

Don’t forget to tag me in your responses.

Autistic Widower (“AJ”), Brett Jenae Tomlin, The Sturg, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Trisha Faye, Karen Schwartz, NancyO, Katie Michaelson, Bernie Pullen, Michelle Jimerson Morris, Amy Frances, Julia A. Keirns, Ravyne Hawke, Pamela Oglesby, Harry Hogg, Tina, Pat Romito LaPointe, Brandon Ellrich, Misty Rae, Karen Hoffman, Susie Winfield, Vincent Pisano, Paari, Marlene Samuels, Ray Day, Randy Pulley, Michael Rhodes, Lu Skerdoo, Pluto Wolnosci, Paula Shablo, Bruce Coulter, Ellen Baker, Leigh-Anne Dennison, Jennifer Marla Pike, Carmen Ballesteros, Marlana, MSW, Patricia Timmermans, Keeley Schroder, Jerry Dwyer, Teisha LeShea, Jacinta Palmer, Rachella Angel Page