Quora is a Q&A-styled website where people ask questions, and other people answer and edit responses. Essentially, it’s the beautiful bastard child of Reddit, Yahoo Answers, and Wikipedia. Questions run the information gamut, and include everything from, “What does it feel like to kill a person?” to “What are the best ways to organize my personal finances?”
And with such a wide-open space of Q&A content, the potential for “greatest hits” questions are damn near endless. Thus, here are 10 of our favorite Quora questions ever asked:
What are the most surreal places to visit?
We love this [very popular] Quora thread because it’s based upon literally thousands of user-generated responses. The editors compiled a master list of the best and most frequently talked about places—from Pakistan’s Kaghan Valley, to a rotted out nuclear missile silo— and made them the first post in the thread. If you want real-world answers provided by travelers who actually know from experience, this is a wondrous traveler’s dream. Link
What are some realistic ways to get rich in 5 years?
Not a single man among us would ever turn down the possibility of amassing sizeable wealth. Not because we’re greedy or materialistic, but because the only thing better than having money is, well, having more money. Dozens of people responded to this query, and of the respondents—who included millionaires, investors, TIME people of the year, and other random Internet-types—most suggested options like being frugal and investing, while others suggested things like affiliate marketing programs, mobile commerce businesses, and investing in smaller high quality companies with good ideas. Link
Is there life after death?
Holy shit. We honestly have no idea what’s going on here, but we’re currently reading every single word. God? Is that you, God?
Really though, this thread goes through everything; medically assisted life after death, spiritual and religious life after death, a scientific discussion on the matter, and a terrifyingly awkward and morbid description of the literal hours after a person dies. Welp. That happened. Link
What can I learn/know right now in 10 minutes that will be useful for the rest of my life?
This question solicits responses for any trait, life hack, or trick that could be learned in 10 minutes, and prove useful for the rest of one’s life. It received well over 2,000 replies from people the world over. Responses varied greatly, and included things like “How to dress well and choose the right suit, shirt, trouser and glasses,” and how to “[s]ee what Google knows about you,” as well as literally thousands of other small, but incredibly useful, life hacks. Link
What is the bravest thing you have ever seen someone do?
Standing up to a vicious gang, facing people who threatened to kill someone, doctors who willingly exposed themselves to a deadly disease in order to treat it—this question received a ton of incredible and inspiring answers from the people who witnessed them, firsthand. Link
What does it feel like to take DMT or 5-MeO-DMT?
Rather than discuss this, we’ll simply present a quote from Bob Wallace, one of Microsoft’s original 10 employees, that someone posted in the thread, and which we feel pretty much sums up the entire contents of every other response:
“Ayahuasca is like a bus tour of Paris museums for several hours. Smoked DMT is the same tour, but strapped to the nose of a rocket, and everything goes by in 10 minutes. Smoked 5-MeO-DMT is like being strapped to the nose of a rocket that flies into the sun and evaporates.”
Uhhh… Sign us up (for the thread, and the drugs). Link
What are some books that will expand our mind?
This is one of our favorite questions on Quora, but it should also be noted that we’re pretty big book dorks. Mostly non-fiction with some glimmering specks of fiction gold, the master list of books compiled here will do things like teach you how to eat right, explain the crippling effects of religious dogma on the human psyche, discuss the relevance of feminism in modern society, and even—according to one user answer—“reveal the secret reasons behind the structure of everything in our lives.” This list of must-reads is a definite Quora must-read. Link
What are the most common mistakes first time entrepreneurs make?
With advice from real-world entrepreneurs like CenturyLink CIO Lucas Carlson, Hawhorne Labs Co-Founder Evan Reas, and Venture Investor Patrick Mathieson, this Quora thread delivers. If you’re a progressive thinker and entrepreneurial-minded individual, this information is priceless. Looking to found the next Tesla? Start here. Link
Imagine you are a 10x nun in a bear costume from outerspace with opposable thumbs about to engage in a fight to the death with another nun, who may or may not be a bear in disguise. In front of you two lie a hunting knife and a baseball bat. If you pick one, the other nun will choose the other weapon. Which one would you pick and why?
Yup. This is a real question. And it got some pretty legitimate answers, too. I guess this is what happens if the “What does it feel like to take DMT?” thread inspires people to action. Either way, we’re taking the bat—no question. Link
What is the meaning of my life? Why am I in this world? What is my purpose?
Ahhh, the meaning of life. You think Quora wouldn’t tackle history’s most profound and unreasonably vague questions? Think again. What we love most about Quora is that there are literally thousands of right (and wrong) answers for every one question, and this thread is living proof. Thousands of answers to the same question, and no one is right or wrong. If you want to disappear into a two-hour black hole inside the deep spaces of the Internet, this thread will certainly serve its purpose. Link
