What questions should I ask an older person to learn more about their life?
60+ open questions to help discover more about the older people in your life. These are particularly useful if you’d like to learn more about their lives. The answers to these questions are unlikely to come up in the flow of day to day conversation.
- What is your earliest memory?
- What do you remember about the place you grew up?
- Can you describe your childhood home?
- What were your parents like?
- What values did they instill in you?
- Do you know why they gave you your name?
- Who was part of your extended family growing up? eg. who did you see regularly?
- What was your relationship like with your family of the same generation (eg. siblings, cousins, etc)?
- What kind of games or activities did you enjoy as a child?
- Did you ever have a nickname?
- What was school like for you?
- Did you have a favourite subject or teacher?
- How did you meet your closest childhood friends, and what adventures did you share?
- What were some of the happiest moments of your life growing up?
- Did you face any difficult times during your youth?
- How did you overcome them?
- What was your favourite movie when you were younger?
- What is the most valuable lesson you learned as a young adult?
- What was your first job like?
- Which was your favourite job?
- How did you choose your career or profession?
- Were there any mentors who influenced your career or personal development?
- What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in the world over the course of your life?
- What technology or innovation from your lifetime are you most amazed by?
- How did it change your life?
- How did you meet your spouse or significant other?
- Describe your first date
- What do you remember most about the early days of your relationship?
- Can you describe your wedding day or a moment that stood out in your marriage?
- Did you have children, and how many if so? (you’ll likely know if it’s a family member!)?
- What are some of the proudest moments in your family life?
- What advice would you give to younger generations about raising a family?
- Have you traveled much?
- What are some of the most memorable places you visited?
- How did world events, like wars or political movements, affect your life and your family?
- What do you consider your greatest accomplishment, and why?
- If you could relive one moment of your life, what would it be, and why?
- What was your community like when you were younger?
- How has it changed?
- Are there any traditions or customs from your family or culture that you hope are carried on?
- What values have you held onto throughout your life, and how have they shaped your decisions?
- Who has had the biggest impact on your life, and in what way?
- What are the qualities you most admire in others, and do you feel you embody them yourself?
- What was a major turning point in your life that changed its direction?
- What is the most important decision you ever made, and how did it shape your life?
- What was the best day of your life?
- What challenges or obstacles did you face that others may not know about?
- What is your definition of happiness, and do you feel you’ve achieved it?
- What was the biggest risk you took, or could have taken?
- If you took it, did it pay off?
- If you didn’t, how do you think your life was different as a result?
- Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
- Why or why not?
- What do you think are the most important life lessons you’ve learned?
- Who do you think influenced the choices you made in life the most?
- What does success mean to you, and do you think you’ve achieved it?
- When have you felt the most fulfilled, and what contributed to that feeling?
- What are you most proud of having done?
- In what ways has your life turned out differently than you imagined when you were young?
- How have your beliefs or values changed over time, if at all?
- How have you changed as a person over the course of your life?
- What sparked those changes?
- Have there been moments when you felt lost or uncertain?
- How did you find your way again?
- How do you want to be remembered by your family and friends?
- How do you think the world would be different if you hadn’t been part of it?
- What is something you wish more people knew or understood about you?
- Do you believe that the people in your life understand you fully? Why or why not?
- How do you handle regret, and is there anything you still wish you could change?
- What advice would you offer to those who are just starting out in life?
- If you could go back to any age, which would it be?
- If you could offer your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
- What is something you struggled with in the past but have since found peace with?
- What is something you’re still curious about or want to learn more about?
- What brings you joy or peace at this stage of your life?
- How do you find meaning or purpose in life at this stage?
- Has that sense of purpose changed over time?
