Every Adult Needs a “Dinner Party Question” — Here’s Why

published Feb 2, 2023
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Person sets down appetizer cheese board at a dinner party
Credit: Yulia Grigoryeva/Shutterstock.com

Have you ever attended a dinner party and… sort of… just run out of things to say? If you’re regularly attending or hosting your nearest and dearest, there’s a chance that you might run out of conversation topics halfway through the night.

To avoid the chance of a lull in the chatter at your next gathering, go in prepared with a standout question that will get the conversation started.

One TikToker who posts under the handle @alliegoneaway explained why they believe that everyone should have a go-to question to engage guests.

“The perfect question is one that could be used in any situation, but especially the situation where the lull in the conversation is so bad that people are looking at the door,” they told their 47,000 followers. “You’re among mixed company, so it can’t be too inflammatory,”

Their go-to query is one to be asked at the beginning of the night, and it goes something like this: “So tomorrow, you die. And you are standing at the pearly white gates of whatever afterlife you believe in. And whatever higher power you believe in is looking at you and says ‘Welcome. Before you transition over to the next life, we get to send you back to earth for five minutes. Big caveat is that you can’t see your family or friends because it will traumatize them… where are you going to go?”

Allie explains that their question is one that definitely gets guests thinking and prompts them to reflect on their day-to-day and what they want to achieve in life. They say that the answers are always “so precious” and has resulted in guests getting so many great ideas about travel destinations and life experiences that they never would have considered otherwise.

Promoting conversation in her comment section, viewers of the viral clip began sharing some of their own dinner party questions, and they’re all inspired and thought-provoking. Below, just some of the standout questions suggested.

  • “What is something creative you are working on right now?” — @Trippyowlspecs
  • “If you had to give a TED Talk, what would you talk about?” — Laura Eisenschenk
  • “What’s one thing you’ve changed your mind about over the last year and why?” — Jackson McDonough
  • “So, what’s your favorite thing about being you?” — Tyler Brickley