Goodnight Questions
Wenn ich als Bub nicht einschlafen konnte, stellte ich mir eine interessante Frage – etwas, über das ich nachdenken konnte, bis ich eine zufriedenstellende Antwort fand oder – häufiger – endlich doch wegschlummerte. Viele dieser Fragen blieben mir über die Jahre im Kopf. Auf einige hab ich bis heute keine Antwort, und es kommen laufend neue dazu. Ich poste sie alle hier auf der Website, und als Videos auf YouTube. Vielleicht findert ihr darauf gute Antworten? Falls ja, postet sie gerne dort als Kommentar. Und falls nicht, dann hoffe ich, dass sie euch immerhin beim Einschlafen helfen.
2026-5-21
Are you living in sync with the world? Or do you feel that you’re often somewhat behind – or ahead – of where the world is at?
2026-5-20
If you could change the weather so that it never rained again, but the ground would somehow get wet from below – would you?
2026-5-19
Do you speak too much – or not enough?
2026-5-18
Are you better at starting things or at finishing them?
2026-5-17
What have you been looking for all your life that you haven’t found yet?
2026-5-16
Would you like to be more ambitious? And is that a paradoxical question?
2026-5-15
Are data all the truth?
2026-5-14
What was the happiest accident you’ve ever had?
2026-5-13
To keep bears and wolves away from sheep, could we just fence off those parts of the country where we want predators to roam freely?
2026-5-12
Are you living up to your own expectations?
2026-5-11
If everyone silently died in their sleep tonight – would that be a tragedy? For whom?
2026-5-10
If you’re trying to make the world a better place – isn’t that an insult to God, who created it?
2026-5-9
Would you want to live in a skyscraper?
2026-5-8
Is there something you do routinely even though you know it’s not working?
2026-5-7
For whom do you have the highest hopes? Do you think there is someone who has high hopes for you?
2026-5-6
If you think of yourself as «Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde» – what are the most extreme poles of your personality?
2026-5-5
Do you receive more mail than you send?
2026-5-4
Would you rather be all alone for a whole month – or be filmed and live-streamed nonstop?
2026-5-3
How many km² of the planet have not been walked on by a human?
2026-5-2
Are there things you understand but don’t accept?
2026-5-1
Miranda May or Miranda July?
2026-4-30
What if female birds suddenly started singing?
2026-4-29
Do parents of unlucky children owe them an excuse?
2026-4-28
Is not speaking an important truth the same as lying?
2026-4-27
Does everything happen by coincidence? Or does nothing happen by coincidence?
2026-4-26
If you believe in reincarnation: Do you think a worm would be happy to be reborn as you?
2026-4-25
Which problem are you hoping will resolve itself? At what point will you take action if it doesn’t?
2026-4-24
What makes you more uncomfortable: If you depend on others, or if others depend on you?
2026-4-23
In whose company are you most authentic?
2026-4-22
What would someone have to pay you for you to give up your worst habit?
2026-4-21
Who is more alive, Friedrich Nietzsche or God?
2026-4-20
If you could transport your life to a different era – which time in history would you choose?
2026-4-19
Which rule do you break most often? Would you abolish it if it were up to you?
2026-4-18
Do you owe the world anything? Does the world owe you anything?
2026-4-17
Would you want to be happy all the time? And if your answer should be «no» – what percentage of your time would you want to be happy?
2026-4-16
If you could take a pill that made you blind to unpleasant truths – would you take it?
2026-4-15
Can you look up to someone who’s below you? And can you look down on someone who’s above you?
2026-4-14
Do you think your personality will be very different in 20 years?
2026-4-13
Is it unfair to be exceptionally talented at something?
2026-4-12
Would you rather have a little less brain – or a little less spine?
2026-4-11
Do you think that politicians are generally better people than the rest of us, or no better, or even worse?
2026-4-10
Is there something you have learned too late? Do you teach it to people who are younger than you?
2026-4-9
What would you go to war for?
2026-4-8
Do you think our children, nieces and nephews will still learn to drive?
2026-4-7
Is it okay to ask a question to which you already know the answer?
2026-4-6
Our ancestors didn’t have the ability to capture the highlights of their lives in photographs. Do you think cameras would have made them happier?
2026-4-5
Is the Pope morally superior to you?
2026-4-4
Do you have a list of things you absolutely want to do before you die? What happens if you fail to check off everything?
2026-4-3
After your death, would you like to resurrect and stay around for another 40 days?
2026-4-2
Would you be ready to move to another planet, along with your friends and family, if you were guaranteed eternal life there?
2026-4-1
Do you think that Sleeping Beauty, after her 100-year sleep, was thrilled or disappointed with human progress?
2026-3-31
Which regime will fall first? That of the mullahs in Iran? That of Donald Trump in the US? Or that of Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel?
2026-3-30
Why do we build cars that can exceed the speed limit?
2026-3-29
If you could «unknow» one person – you’d have no relationship with her or him anymore – who would that be?
2026-3-28
Who should die first? You or your loved ones?
2026-3-27
Why do you prefer dessert over cheese — or vice-versa?
2026-3-26
What is changing faster: the climate, or your attitude towards it?
2026-3-25
We may not know the meaning of life. But what would you want it to be?
2026-3-24
Do you think God is a perfectionist?
2026-3-23
If you could erase one specific experience from your memory – which one would it be?
2026-3-22
Why do we lose our hair when we get old?
2026-3-21
If you made a list of your 10 favourite pieces of art — how many of them would a typical 20-year old be familiar with? And a typical 80-year old?
2026-3-20
If climbers couldn’t tell anyone they’d climbed Mt. Everest — how many climbers would still go there?
2026-3-19
If Jesus were to join your dinner party, would you dare ask him to turn water into wine?
2026-3-18
Do the things you look forward to typically turn out to be even better than you expected? Or slightly disappointing?
2026-3-17
Instead of professing our faith, should we maybe profess our knowledge – or our lack thereof?
2026-3-16
What is the most common sin?
2026-3-15
Is it wise to expect negative surprises? Is it wise to expect positive ones?
2026-3-14
What would be the ideal size of the world’s population?
2026-3-13
Do you secretly rehearse your comments and jokes?
2026-3-12
Would you want to be God? And if not – why not?
2026-3-11
How much control over your life would you want?
2026-3-10
Are you a cat or a mouse person?
2026-3-9
Do you think you say yes more often than no? What would happen if it were the other way round?
2026-3-8
Do we really need genders, or could we just be humans?
2026-3-7
If you could bring eternal peace to the world by dying today – would you be ready to sacrifice your life?
2026-3-6
Should everyone reach their full potential? If so, what about your enemies? What about villains and idiots?
2026-3-5
How much of what you’re prepared for actually happens? And how much of what actually happens catches you unprepared?
2026-3-4
What colour is the sky on Venus, Mercury and Mars?
2026-3-3
What are you secretly proud of?
2026-3-2
Do you choose your benchmarks yourself?
2026-3-1
If Mozart or Picasso had never lived — would you miss them?
2026-2-28
Are you an overthinker or an underthinker?
2026-2-27
If everything flows, does everything go down the drain?
2026-2-26
Are bats afraid of the light?
2026-2-25
Do you feel closer to the person you used to be or to the one you’ll become?
2026-2-24
Does the brain ignore pain when it’s constant?
2026-2-23
What’s your favourite inner voice?
2026-2-22
How often do you laugh even though the joke isn’t funny? And how often do you not laugh, even though the joke is funny?
2026-2-21
Do you think the world is among God’s best creations?
2026-2-20
Is there such a thing as white lipstick?
2026-2-19
Does it comfort you that everyone will eventually fade into a statistic, some just later than others? That at some point there will be no one left to read the statistics?
2026-2-18
If you were a colour, which one would you be?
2026-2-17
Would the world be more peaceful if everyone spoke the same language?
2026-2-16
If you could say just one single letter of the alphabet for the rest of your life, which one would you choose?
2026-2-15
If burglars broke into your home and stole everything except one thing – what would you hope they didn’t take?
2026-2-14
Would you rather be loved by one person and hated by 99, or liked by 99 and hated by one?
2026-2-13
Are you celebrating too much? Or not enough?
2026-2-12
Why is brass music even more appalling when it’s played well?
2026-2-11
Is it okay to say «Have a good rest of your life» to people you probably won’t see again?
2026-2-10
If you don’t have any problems – is that a problem?
2026-2-9
Would you have given yourself the job you have?
2026-2-8
What is worse: being cynical or being naïve?
2026-2-7
2026-2-6
What bothers you more: the possibility of a black hole appearing in the sky, or the possibility of a skin-coloured hole appearing in your sock?
2026-2-5
Why does the German language have three words to say «why»?
2026-2-4
By when, approximately, do you think you will be completely forgotten?
2026-2-3
What speaks against an EU2 with Norway, Switzerland and England?
2026-2-2
If you were 10% better at everything you do – would your life be better?
2026-2-1
If you could illegitimately seize power over everything and keep it for the rest of your life — would you?
2026-1-31
Why do people with hair wear a hat?
2026-1-30
Is the joke that makes you laugh the most also the one you tell most often?
2026-1-29
If an AI could give you the perfect solution to everything – would you prompt it to do so?
2026-1-28
If God didn’t believe in you, would you still believe in him?
2026-1-27
Is there any human invention – other than palliatives – that truly made us happier?
2026-1-26
Would you like to be better informed – or would you prefer to get less information?
2026-1-25
How much money would you need to become unhappy?
2026-1-24
If you had the power to kill someone with a simple tap on your phone, unnoticed – would you make use of it?
2026-1-23
Is it possible to tattoo your eyes? And if yes, would you want to?
2026-1-22
What would you protest against? What would it take for you to take to the streets?
2026-1-21
What is the worst thing that could happen to you? What is the best? And which of the two is more likely to happen?
2026-1-20
If you had to get rid of one particular emotion forever, which one would it be?
2026-1-19
Which of your moral standards are you willing to sacrifice to fun?
2026-1-18
If you had to eat the same thing for the rest of your life, what would you be having?
2026-1-17
If you lived in another place, under another name – what would you do differently?
2026-1-16
How many sentences can you still read before interrupting yourself?
2026-1-15
What crime would you commit if it weren’t a crime?
2026-1-14
How much of humankind’s time on Earth has already passed?
2026-1-13
If you could be reborn as either a kiwi bird or a kiwi plant — which would you choose?
2026-1-12
If you were to completely forget one specific year of your life – which year would you pick?
2026-1-11
If there really should be a Judgement Day – would it be a day you’d look forward to, or one you would fear?
2026-1-10
If you think about an argument deeply enough – do you come out on the other side?
2026-1-9
Would you wear a pullover you really like if you knew it had been worn by someone you hate?
2026-1-8
Why do we publicly mourn people who die in a major catastrophe, but not those who lose their lives in a smaller accident that is just as tragic?
2026-1-7
What’s the bigger threat to society: a lack of intelligence or a lack of virtue?
2026-1-6
Would you rather be an advocate or a judge?
2026-1-5
Could one single tax – on each and every transaction of money – replace all other taxes?
2026-1-4
Who do you typically applaud? People who are better than you? Or People who struggle to match your abilities?
2026-1-3
If white contains all colours, why do we call it blank?
2026-1-2
What is your biggest problem?
2026-1-1
When, do you think, will you really get going?
2025-12-31
Do you think of midnight as an end or a beginning? Is it 12:00 o’clock or 0:00 o’clock?
2025-12-30
Would you prefer to live your life backwards, get younger and younger, and die as a shrinking fetus?
2025-12-29
Would you like to always be in control? Or do you enjoy a slippery slope now and then?
2025-12-28
Do you help others more than they help you?
2025-12-27
Would you rather live in a world without paintings or one without music?
2025-12-26
Do you prefer triangles or rectangles? Why?
2025-12-25
How much do you like yourself compared to other people?
2025-12-24
What else would you need to be truly happy?
2025-12-23
What exactly is coffee cream?
2025-12-22
Would you rather be praised for the wrong reasons, or criticized for the right ones?
2025-12-21
What is easier? Doing the right thing or doing the wrong thing?
2025-12-20
Which scientific field has the bigger impact on your life: a) macroeconomics, or b) microbiology?
2025-12-19
Do you prefer nonfiction or fiction? Why?
2025-12-18
How would you behave differently if your life were live-streamed 24/7?
2025-12-17
Would you say that children’s drawings are more comparable to classical painting or to contemporary art?
2025-12-16
What is your favourite country on the planet? And is it the same as ten years ago?
2025-12-15
Does God have a sense of humour? What if He burst out laughing?
2025-12-14
If you could press a button and know everything, would you?
2025-12-13
Will the last Homo sapiens realize that she or he is the last?
2025-12-12
Do «born-again» Christians celebrate two birthdays every year?
2025-12-11
Have you read this book? (https://www.harpercollins.de/products/abglanz)
2025-12-10
If there really were a Saviour – from what would you want to be saved?
2025-12-9
What takeaways could someone gain from analyzing your life?
2025-12-8
Would you still be alive today without modern medicine?
2025-12-7
Which scenario is more appalling: a big fish swallowing lots of little fish – or lots of little fish attacking a single big one?
2025-12-6
Would you prefer Santa Claus to really exist?
2025-12-5
Would you get used to snow being black?
2025-12-4
Are there people who go to bed early – and get up late the next morning?
2025-12-3
Is the time of your life behind you, or is it still ahead?
2025-12-2
If your life could be 10% worse but 10% longer, would you take the deal?
2025-12-1
How many things could there be for you to always stay on top of things?
2025-11-30
What’s a question you’ve always wanted an answer to?
2025-11-29
Is it still cool to be cool?
2025-11-28
Is there a word you would never say?
2025-11-27
Would the world be different today if Al Gore and Hillary Clinton had been presidents?
2025-11-26
If you come up with an amazing idea and then discover it isn’t new — does that make your idea less valuable?
2025-11-25
What is — for you — the most pressing question right now?
2025-11-24
If everything – the entire world – were of the same colour, what colour would you prefer?
2025-11-23
If tomorrow (Monday) could be skipped, would you skip it?
2025-11-22
50 years from now, what will be your country’s most prosperous industry?
2025-11-21
How many years does your hair dye make you look younger?
2025-11-20
What was the most courageous moment in your life?
2025-11-19
If you knew you would be King or Queen, would you support aristocracy?
2025-11-18
Does anyone become a dentist voluntarily?
2025-11-17
Is it even possible to be dead?
2025-11-16
If you could drink only one thing besides water — what would it be?
2025-11-15
How seriously does God take Himself/Herself/Itself?
2025-11-14
If Putin occupied a fifth of your country — would you let him have it to avoid a war?
2025-11-13
Do you expect the next generation to be happier? Do you think the previous one was?
2025-11-12
When you slurp an oyster, are you eating a living animal?
2025-11-11
If you were to find the meaning of life — what would you do with it?
2025-11-10
Would the world be better if people said «yes» more often – or if they more often said «no»?
2025-11-9
Should you (be allowed to) work on Sundays?
2025-11-8
What – after «Mortadella» – is the most beautiful word in Italian?
2025-11-7
Should we replace democracy with epistocracy?
2025-11-6
If you can «reach out» to others, can you also reach in to yourself?
2025-11-5
How often do you break the law? Would you encourage others to do it just as often?
2025-11-4
Is it time for us Westerners to develop an inferiority complex?
2025-11-3
Is it okay to watch a cat toy with a half-dead mouse?
2025-11-2
How would you define love and hate?
2025-11-1
2025-10-31
Do schizophrenic people deserve more than one gravestone?
2025-10-30
What time is it on Mars?
2025-10-29
Would you mind if the sky were green, and the grass were blue instead?
2025-10-28
When you’re sick, do you become a better person?
2025-10-27
If you were guaranteed that your death would be a very satisfying and enjoyable experience, would you still fear it?
2025-10-26
If you do something horrible in a dream – should you feel guilty?
2025-10-25
In a fair society, should it be possible to become a billionaire?
2025-10-24
Which politicians are dreaming of a white supremacist Christmas?
2025-10-23
Why do almost all people look better in black?
2025-10-22
Why do we shave off body hair but are afraid of losing the hair on our heads?
2025-10-21
Which god, which goddess has the most credibility?
2025-10-20
Would you rather start something that you won’t be able to finish, or finish something that you haven’t started?
2025-10-19
On what day of the week do you burn the most calories?
2025-10-18
Thrown into a Stone Age world naked, how long would you survive?
2025-10-17
Why isn’t pink part of the rainbow? Would you add it if you could?
2025-10-16
If garlic could ward off energy suckers, would you eat more of it?
2025-10-15
To create a fully vegetarian world, would it be okay to eradicate all meat-eating species?
2025-10-14
Does Tom Cruise have a second facial expression?
2025-10-13
Will there ever be another world war?
2025-10-12
How earthquake-proof are your castles in the air?
2025-10-11
If you could install a 5th season – what would it be like?
2025-10-10
If you are an asshole – can you tell whether somebody else is?
2025-10-9
What would you not do for a billion in cash?
2025-10-8
How would Tina Turner paint? How would William Turner sing?
2025-10-7
2025-10-6
Is it okay for a sadist to torture a masochist?
2025-10-5
Can you think of any historical example of democracy working well in a country that was in economic decline?
2025-10-4
Would you rather be a freak, a geek, or a sheikh?
2025-10-3
If plastic surgery could really make you look younger (I don’t think it can!) – how much younger exactly would you want to look?
2025-10-2
What is more important: how a house looks from the outside, or how it feels on the inside?
2025-10-1
If you were a blank page — who would you want to write on it?
2025-9-30
Does life become easier or harder with age?
2025-9-29
Will the buildings we build today attract tourists 500 years from now?
2025-9-28
If you were God, and your job (among many others) were to create human beings – would you create something like yourself?
2025-9-27
What would the be quickest way to ruin your existence – without breaking the law?
2025-9-26
Can life ever be fair as long as we are different from each other?
2025-9-25
If you agree that Beethoven, Mozart or Bach were the greatest composers of all time – why don’t you listen to them?
2025-9-24
If you could get a second life – would you take it?
2025-9-23
What is more important: To end war or to sleep more?
2025-9-22
Do you think you will feel better 24 hours from now, or worse?
2025-9-21
If you were one of just two people on this planet – who would you pick as your companion?
2025-9-20
What is the best feeling you know?
2025-9-19
Are we being unfair to Phil Collins?
2025-9-18
Would you mind if your life were pointless but very enjoyable?
2025-9-17
Is it better to be loved for the wrong things, or not to be loved at all?
2025-9-16
Why do cartoon characters only have four fingers?
2025-9-15
Could a robot do your job?
2025-9-14
Will a shrinking population be good or bad?
2025-9-13
Why is blue most people‘s favourite colour – and not yellow, green or red?
2025-9-12
Is it possible to fully accept the truth?
2025-9-11
Why don’t you go into politics?
2025-9-10
What is wisdom?
2025-9-9
How fast can a human run backwards?
2025-9-8
What makes a good book?
2025-9-7
Would you prefer an unjust God over no God?
2025-9-6
What’s the difference between an enlightened monk and a sedated patient?
2025-9-5
If you could get a glimpse of the future (10 years from now) — would you want to?
2025-9-4
If your life were a film, what genre would it be?
2025-9-3
What is a friend?
2025-9-2
Is it okay to feel sorry for yourself if others do?
2025-9-1
Can you fall out with someone you never fell in with?
2025-8-31
Would you rather: Die at the age of 70, but be remembered for 500 years? Or: Live to be 120, but then be immediately forgotten?
2025-8-30
If irony is dead, what took its place?
2025-8-29
Why is it that a good joke never gets old?
2025-8-28
Why don’t animals cry?
2025-8-27
If the truth were an open book, would you read it?
2025-8-26
If you could ask an oracle one single question – what would you ask?
2025-8-25
Is there something that is always the right thing to do?
2025-8-24
Love is the answer. But what was the question?
2025-8-23
Compared to your parents, did you make progress?
2025-8-22
What name would you give yourself?
2025-8-21
If you don’t have a spine, what happens to your head?
2025-8-20
How often do you lie to yourself?
2025-8-19
Do you prefer to be loved from above or from below?
2025-8-18
What’s your best excuse?
2025-8-17
Would you stop working if you didn’t have to?
2025-8-16
Is it possible to be honest and friendly?
2025-8-15
If you didn’t have to sleep — you’d never get tired — what would you do with the time you would gain?
2025-8-14
Are optimists disappointed more often?
2025-8-13
If you could take a pill that would make you happy forever, always — would you take it?
2025-8-12
Why do kids want to be grown-ups, while grown-ups want to be kids?
2025-8-11
Are colourblind people any less happy?
2025-8-10
What‘s the dumbest thing you’ve ever done – and how would your life be different if you hadn’t done it?
