Thought Provocation Prompts For August

Welcome to my rabbit hole — care to take a leap?

Hello Prompt Warriors!

MAKE SURE YOU READ THE PREAMBLE — DON’T JUST SKIP TO THE PROMPTS! I am no longer a part of The Challenged Publication and neither are my prompts.

It is August. It is hot. So you know I’m pissed off and hoping it goes by quickly. But let’s start the mind-twisting right here — as I’m typing this, it’s actually not. It’s May 28th. I’ve published the prompts for June, completed the prompts for July and now I’m sitting here getting August started.

But by the time you start working on this, I promise you it will be hot and I will be pissed off about it. Unless climate change means that it’s snowing. You never know.

Starting this month and going forward — these are no longer going to be called “Bonus” prompts. I don’t like the term and I work too hard on these for them to be considered some sort of second act. They are completely separate, completely my own thoughts, and they are copyrighted.

*Edited to add: with the new pay rules I went through these prompts again and while I don’t fully understand the new parameters of what qualifies for the higher pay (I’ve never understood Medium’s pay guidelines, the change isn’t much different 😂), I think my prompts always have. So may the odds be ever in all of our favor. I’ve always created prompts that surround human nature… when they’re not about animals. So I think it will turn out fine for us all.

Let’s get the typical complete lack of rules and regulations and standard disclaimers out of the way.

These are carefully and painstakingly crafted to push you outside of your comfort zone and writing boxes through the use of Philosophy, Psychology, Criminology, and a few about animals to give your mind a break. They should require deep thought. If they don’t — I’m clearly running out of ideas and I suck. But don’t give me some automatic knee-jerk instant response. This isn’t Raman. Do not add water. Think hard and dig deep.

I did go a bit easier on you this month than in July. Some months will be more brutal than others. The name of the game last month was to RETHINK everything. This month — just think. Some of them will make you uncomfortable. Some of them do not have an answer at all. Some of them are simply things to think about while typing out loud. Argue with yourself on a screen. Sometimes it’s necessary. As I do not set a word maximum or minimum — whatever that looks like is what it looks like.

They are numbered to provide you with enough prompts to do one every day of this month, however, they’re not ordered. If you want to jump around — go for it. If you want to combine them — go for it. But read them in full and don’t ignore follow-ups and examples. They’re probably there for a reason. As I tell you every month: nothing I do is accidental and nothing is ever exactly as it seems. Search yourself before you respond.

I will not be judging or analyzing your responses — there are no right or wrong answers (if there are answers at all) but I do ask that if you partake in my prompts — whether you dabble in one or two or a few or you do all of them, please tag me so I can see what you did with them. Also, please be sure to add a link to this post so that others may join in the pure insanity!

There are many publications that accept prompt responses. I don’t have a pub and I don’t want to make one. I just write prompts that twist your mind a bit. Tis what I do. I encourage you to spread the responses to different publications to widen your audience potential. I especially encourage you to use ones that are part of the boosting program considering the topics that unfold here.

Playtime in my sandbox may leave you feeling dirty 😉 but I highly encourage you to set your minds free and rethink what you think you think. Because you might just shock yourself!

Happy writing! 😎😂😈

August Prompts.

1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY The Sturg!!!!!!! I hope you do something much more fun than writing about my twisted topics but I made sure it wasn’t about asking you to contemplate whether or not you’d kill someone… or eat them… you are welcome 😂😂😂😂 Happy, happy birthday my dear friend 💕 Let’s talk about the Bystander Effect. This is the principle that the more people there are that witness something (like a crime or someone in need of help), the LESS likely it is that anyone will call for help. People assume someone else must have and then no one does. This is what happened to Kitty Genovese. Thirty-eight people witnessed her murder, an attack that lasted 35 minutes before she died. They heard her screaming for help. No one called the police. There have, unfortunately, been many examples of this since. Especially in large cities. Do you think the bystanders that do nothing should be held accountable? There are Good Samaritan laws in several places but they mean different things in each individual place. Should people be prosecuted for seeing something and doing absolutely nothing about it? Do you think it would change things? Do you think the Bystander Effect changed over time and still happens now? Explain your thoughts and feelings on both the effect and the Good Samaritan laws.
2. Let’s discuss the overturning of Roe V. Wade. I have no interest in your thoughts on abortion specifically — I want to know your thoughts on the other consequences of this travesty. What else is affected? What are the potential consequences? Does it frighten you? Should it go back into effect? Think before you respond.
3. This prompt was an idea inspired by Karen Schwartz: Philosophy is constantly changing. The very nature of it is to study, examine, and reexamine why things are, what things are, how we think, how we should think… and people evolve. In that light — go back to a prompt from April or May or June that you have ALREADY responded to. Link your first response in the post and then rethink it. Answer the prompt again. Have your thoughts on it changed? Did you realize more about your answer that you want to add on? How did that evolution come to be? If you can’t think of anything immediately — I encourage you to force yourself to do so. Look at your response and rethink it and explain what other responses you could have used — and why you didn’t.
4. How do you define emotional stability? Do you think you’re an emotionally stable person? Why or why not? Were you ever at one point and then it changed? Were you ever emotionally unstable and then it changed? How did that change happen? If you feel you’re not currently emotionally stable, what do you need to happen in order to achieve that stability? Now — take that idea and put it in terms of relationships. What is a stable relationship? What qualities need to be involved to create a stable relationship? Have you ever been in an UNSTABLE relationship? What made it unstable and how did it affect you? Go into as much detail as you’re comfortable with but remember… discomfort is typically the point of my prompts. Push yourselves.
5. What country has the BEST animals? Would you go there just to see them? List the animals that make it the best.
6. The world, and each individual life on it, is full of harsh truths. Things we know but wish we didn’t. *Examples: climate change, starving children exist all over the world, Trump has not been assassinated {😂}, police have, can, and do murder People of Color, Nazis are still a very real part of the world we live in, hatred and bigotry are everywhere, etc. — these are harsh truths in the world, how you define them in your own life is up to you to determine. What harsh truths do you IGNORE? — Answer both about the world (or country) and about your own life. Why do you ignore them? Does it help you to ignore them? Is it actually possible to truly ignore them? Explain.
7. Take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Test. If you’ve ever taken it before — trust me — and take it again. What type are you? Do you agree with this assessment? Would that assessment hold true of you 5 years ago? How about 10 years ago? Do our personalities constantly change or are they always the same even despite changes in our lives? Explain your thoughts on the test results and personality as fluid or stable.
8. What does it mean to have a good life? What things are required for you to consider your life to be good? Do you consider your life good? Is there always room for improvement or is there an ultimate goal that once achieved creates total satisfaction? Be detailed.
9. In today’s modern world — we have access to news as it’s happening. Including crimes. We hear about things long before they ever go to trial. With that in mind — is it even possible in today’s world to have a fair and impartial jury? Or are all juries now biased? Explain your thoughts on this and if you believe that juries are essentially all biased because of rapid news access — how do we make the legal system fair again? Is it even possible?
10. We’ve all heard the phrase “big fish in a small pond”. Do you think it’s better to be a big fish in a small pond… or a small fish in an ocean? What are the benefits and downsides to both? Explain.
11. If we could bring an extinct animal back from extinction through genetic engineering — should we? What might the consequences or benefits be? Use any and as many extinct animal(s) as you’d like to make your argument. You may use a dinosaur if you’d like — but since that’s basically given to you in a movie franchise, it can not be your only answer.
12. Hope. Is it a good thing or a dangerous thing? Do you have hope — and if you do… for what? How do you hold onto it? Have you ever lost it? Did you ever completely reject it? What would happen without it? I’m not giving you a lot to go on here — there’s a reason for that 😎
13. Write a detailed argument either for or against book bans. Take a side and defend it. If you’re for it — what books should be banned and what’s the reasoning? If you’re against it — what harm does banning books do to society? Write as much as is needed to form a complete argument.
14. Growing up in Manhattan, I was taught that if I was ever in need of help, I should absolutely NOT yell “Help!”. I was taught instead to yell, “FIRE!” because more people would stop and take notice if they felt their own lives were at stake. How do you feel about this? Were you taught the same thing? Is that something children should be taught? Do you think it’s true of all people? If a child was yelling for help — what would you do? What about a child yelling about fire when you couldn’t smell smoke? Think it over before you respond and then give the details of your thought process.
15. If you had to take a guess based on your life and your behaviors, how do you think you’re going to die? Explain why you think this and is there anything you can do to change it? I can’t give you examples. It has to be based on your life right now as you live it. The only hint you get is to consider what behaviors in your life could be considered “risky”. Think.
16. Write about the person you did not become. This can be in the form of an open letter to yourself if you’d like or just an essay description or even a poem (however you want to describe this person and why they could have been you but are NOT you — do it). Everyone’s dreams change. Think about what you wanted to be when you were a child. Think of things that changed your life and forced you to go down a different path. Think of a life you may have imagined but didn’t realize. This prompt will mean different things to different people so I will not guide you. The basic premise is — the person you did not become.
17. Would you rather be exceptional at one thing and mediocre to terrible at all others — or somewhat good at several things but exceptional at nothing? Do you think all people fall into one of these two categories or are there other options? What are the other options if they exist? What do you think best explains you as you are? What would you like to be better at? Is there anything you’re good at that you wish you weren’t? If so… why? Is there anything you’re mediocre at but wish to be better? If so… why aren’t you? This question is a lot more complex than it seems. Think. About. It.
18. The first gift that I was given by my FBI mentor, Agent Morris, was a book called The Cases That Haunt Us by retired FBI Agent John Douglas. They’re unsolved crimes. It was not just a gift… it was my first lesson. The good guys do not always win. Sometimes the bad guys get away. For every unsolved crime — there is a lot of theory and speculation. Pick any unsolved crime you’d like and SOLVE IT. Obviously, I don’t expect you to really solve it, you don’t have access to the case. But read about it, or go with what you know about it, and give a detailed breakdown of who you think was responsible and why. Be sure to call it a theory and watch your photo choices and cite your sources. If you need some suggestions — ask and ye shall receive, I have a whole list.
19. How susceptible are you to advertising? Do you want the things you want because you want them or because you see them advertised repeatedly and that makes you want them? Do you crave food that you see in ads or commercials? Do you follow suggestions based on your purchase history because if you wanted one thing — you probably want other things that are similar? Do you own things that you do not use? What about things you’ve NEVER used but bought anyway? How much does advertising impact your shopping decisions and do you think that they contain subliminal methods of making you desire them? That last part is important — don’t leave it out.
20. This one was inspired by Pamela Oglesby: There are a lot of hybrid animals out there. Hybrid animals are animals born of two different species of an animal — which is different from a mixed breed which is two breeds of the same animal. For example, a golden retriever bred with a poodle is a Golden Doodle — a very expensive mixed breed dog. But a mule is a hybrid animal — created by breeding a horse with a donkey. Similar animals but different species. Pick any hybrid animal you’d like and highlight them. Then talk about the very existence of hybrid animals. Some occur in nature due to climate change bringing different species together (such as Grolar/Pizzly bears — Grizzly + Polar). Most are created by humans. Is this a good idea? What are the pitfalls of hybrid breeding? What are the potential benefits? Explore it in detail while highlighting one specific hybrid that helps make your case for or against them.
21. What are your thoughts on psychological therapy? Have you ever been in therapy/are you currently in therapy? Do you believe it’s helpful? Is it more or less helpful than talking to a friend or family member? Why? What about Psychiatric — medication therapy? You can disclose if this is part of your life or not but I will not force you to — that’s not my place. But how do you feel about it? What about for kids? Teenagers? Side effects of many of these medications tend to be stronger in them. Is it worth the risk? Why or why not?
22. Describe the difference between intelligence and wisdom. Don’t just give dictionary definitions — tell me how you view them. Which is more important? Which is better to have? Can you have one without the other? Are you more intelligent or wise? Explain.
23. Hoarding is a behavior that has its foundation in deep trauma. Typically severe loss. Hoarders do not throw things away because they have already lost more than they can stand. This psychological condition has been exploited on television and shown in a VERY unrealistic and exceedingly traumatic manner. Speeding up the process of removing things from a hoarder, even for their benefit, is actually detrimental to them. Explore this idea and give your thoughts on it. If you’ve never seen the show — I suggest watching at least one episode (it’s called Hoarders) just to have an idea to go off of. You may research this one to form your answer but I don’t want a research essay — I want your opinion. Can you stop a behavior born from deep traumatic loss quickly without creating a new traumatic loss? What do you think happens when it’s done? Animal hoarding is a completely different psychological issue. So make sure you’re focusing on hoarding — not animal hoarding.
24. In every generation, there is a historical moment (sometimes there are several) that everyone remembers so deeply that they can tell you every detail of the day that it happened. What is your personal historic day? What made it so impactful? Tell us about that day. What did you do? Where were you when the historic thing happened and what was your response? Go into as much detail as you like and if you have more than one of these days, feel free to describe as many as you’d like.
25. If The Purge became a reality — what would you do on Purge night? For the sake of this question — staying inside under strong security isn’t an option for you 😎 What crimes would you commit? Is there anyone in your life that you think would definitely kill someone? Is there anyone in your life that if it were legal to do so — you might consider killing on Purge night? What do you think of the overall concept — that if humans were given one night a year to do anything they wanted completely free of legal consequence… would crime rates for the rest of the year go down? Why or why not?
26. Gratitude and envy. Examine them both in terms of your life. What are you grateful for? What are you envious of? What are you glad to have and what do you wish that you had? Do not deny having envy — no one is judging you. Which do you think is a more motivating factor in your life? The things you are grateful for and wish to sustain or the things you do not have and wish to acquire? Explain. This is a two-part question. First, you must make the two lists. Then you need to examine how you’re motivated. Leaving off half of the prompt is not answering it.
27. The world has changed in a lot of ways. People were once taught never to get in a car with a stranger — now there are entire businesses revolving around calling strangers to come take you in their cars. Kids used to write in diaries with locks on them and they’d be upset if someone read them — now they write their every waking thought on multiple internet platforms and feel invisible if they don’t have a big following. There are more examples and you can use as many as you want to formulate your response — but which do you think was better? Is there really such a thing as “good old days” or are things just constantly changing or are things improving? All of the above is not an option. None of the above is not an option. Choose ONE. Defend your stance.
28. According to psychology, the age when we develop musical autonomy (when we start listening to music because WE like it — not because it’s “cool” or our friends like it or it’s what are parents like) is the age of 14. Between the ages of 14 and 16 is when your musical taste becomes “cemented”. The music you loved at that age will be with you for life. You will like other songs as you age and new songs come out — but never quite as much. Do you agree with this? List songs that you loved in that age span and songs that you love now (they don’t have to be current songs — but you must actively listen to them now). Include links from YouTube if you want and share the music you love/d. Are they similar? Which do you love more? What shaped your taste in music? What (if any) genres have you grown to love that you once didn’t, or grown to dislike that you once enjoyed? What happened that made the switch?
29. When is innocence lost? Is there a specific age or event that causes the loss of the innocence we attribute to infants and young children? Or is it possible to be innocent for life? Is an “innocent adult” possible? If so — is that innocence complete innocence? How do you define the maintenance of innocence? Give details and examples.
30. Do you think people in general overly anthropomorphize animals or do they not give them enough credit? How about you personally, which category do you fall into? Why do people do this? What do they get out of it? Do you think it’s beneficial to animals or potentially harmful? Is it beneficial to people or potentially harmful? Explain.
31. Let’s end on a fun note, shall we? Since we did a prompt on hybrid animals this month — create your own. This must be a cross between two different species of animal. They can be real animals that are not at all related to each other, one can be mythological, both can be mythological — it’s totally up to you but they must be two different species. Give your hybrid animal a name (As in what the new species is called, not like — “this is Charlie…”, though if you’d also like to give the animal a name you can — but the new species as a whole must have a term to call it) and describe what features of the two animals you used to create your hybrid would be present. For example, if you cross a goat with an eagle can it climb, fly, or both? What would be the benefits to this new breed? What would be the dangers? And would you keep it as a pet? HAVE FUN and BE CREATIVE!

And that completes August! Are you brains exhausted yet or are you excited to see what the hell I come up with next? See you tomorrow as we enter September!

Don’t forget to tag me in your responses!!!!

Copyright Ruby Noir 2023

Autistic Widower (“AJ”), Brett Jenae Tomlin, The Sturg, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Trisha Faye, Karen Schwartz, Katie Michaelson, Michelle Jimerson Morris, Amy Frances, Julia A. Keirns, 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, Teisha LeShea, Rachella Angel Page, Lynn L. Alexander, Adrian CDTPPW, Lisa Guard