"What are you thinking?" is a terrible question

[Kim]

Why would you ever ask someone this question? There is no good answer, because the only time anyone ever seems to ask is when my mind is doing background stuff. Most of the time, I literally cannot even remember what I was thinking about because I was just sort of daydreaming or zoning out.

The rest of the time? "I was thinking about how I should respond when you ask me what I'm thinking about since you've done it twice this evening and I still don't have a particularly interesting answer."

God this question is annoying.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Always seems to be asked that question when I do something stupid.

I agree with you, there is no right answer to that question other then silence.

[Archbio]

Questions about pondering (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-xrnIXQ3iQ) might be worse to think up.

[Revising Ocelot]

"What are you thinking", I've not seen that asked before. "What WERE you thinking" after someone's just done something incredibly stupid, on the other hand...

[Krylo]

Lizzy has found her first annoying couple thing.

D'awwwwwwwwwww

[Nique]

I can't remember the last time anyone asked me this. Or at least not the last time it was an issue.

Like if my wife asks me this I'm pretty much clear to go full stream of consciousness, even if it's just 'background stuff', but with anyone else I guess it would have to get past however many layers of mental filters I have in place to determine if it was a) actually something worth mentioning and b) appropriate at all.

I guess in a pinch I would just go with something you have recently thought about and want to have a conversation about even if that isn't what you were thinking about at that very moment.

[Krylo]

The best response is to look directly into their eyes and say something cheesy.

"I was just thinking...:"

Choose one of the following:

A) How lucky I am to be with you.

B) How beautiful you are.

C) That we are wearing entirely too much clothing. Add wink.

[Nique]

or something horrible.

[Krylo]

"I was just thinking... that you need better deodorant."

[Aerozord]

if its someone I am dating, normally the answer is something very inappropriate for polite conversation.

[Kim]

"What are you thinking about?" "Dead bodies."

And then the question was never asked again.

[Krylo]

"What are you thinking about?" "Dead bodies."

And then the question was never asked again.

Add wry grin and suggestive wink for maximum insurance against repeated questioning.

[Karrrrrrrrrrrresche]

My favorite time was when I was thinking about what the oblivion of death might feel like if there's really nothing waiting for us after our lives end, and I told the guy that.

He looked at me for a little while and then laughed, said something about how it's really hard to tell when I'm joking (Which is true) and walked off.
I wasn't joking, fucker.

[Marc v4.0]

I always answer with what I'm thinking about at the moment. I very rarely run my brain in the background, and even on those rare occasions when I have nothing on my mind I answer with something pertaining to the current task at hand because I'm thinking about it even if I'm only thinking about it in the most mental-visual sense instead of in narrated thought.

[Kerensky287]

Question they ask:
-"What's on your mind?"
-"What are you thinking about?"

Answer I want to give (because it is true):
-"What you would look like topless and/or bottomless."
-"How terrible you are at starting conversations."
-"It was something interesting, but I've forgotten it now that you've asked me such a bullshit question."

Answer I usually give:
-"Eh. Not much."

[Aldurin]

I don't ask you guys since I'm honestly scared to know what you're thinking.

[Geminex]

I already know.

[Amake]

"Penny for your thoughts" is how you're supposed to say it. Being paid to share your thoughts always encourages stimulating thoughts.

Me, I'm always thinking about my book. Imagine having the same thought occupying a part of your mind constantly for ten years. Fortunately it's a vast, big thought with many facets to it.

[Kerensky287]

"Penny for your thoughts" is how you're supposed to say it. Being paid to share your thoughts always encourages stimulating thoughts.

http://cdn.svcs.c2.uclick.com/c2/d7cfd9922508102d94d7001438c0f03b

[Sky Warrior Bob]

Honestly, I can't say I can ever answer this, because thought & action are so intermixed on my part. In my understanding of thinking, I only really do this when I've got a real tough problem I'm working on. Most of the time, I'm doing something as I'm thinking about it, and its not so much an internal thing.

I will occasionally have an idea what I'm going to say, but its usually in bullet point form & I don't really have an internal monologue about it.

I understand some people take their time in doing things & considering all the options. I just typically don't do that myself. Some people also like to constantly keep their mind occupied with something, where I occasionally just tune everything out.

SWB

[Kyanbu The Legend]

I don't ask you guys since I'm honestly scared to know what you're thinking.

You are right to think this.

Honestly best answer to that question is. "about were to bury that body"
Then just trail off just as you get to "body". End of discussion and they'll probably walk away creeped the fuck out. Should they stay, continue to beat around the bush about what you meant by "bury that body".

... You should probably avoid using this on paranoid people or police officers. They might over react to it. Though you all more or less know this. If not, I'm just making sure you do.

[Thadius]

I don't ask you guys since I'm honestly scared to know what you're thinking.

THINGS.

HORRIBLE HORRIBLE THINGS.

And that is all the definition I am willing to give or you should ever need.

[Marc v4.0]

http://cdn.svcs.c2.uclick.com/c2/d7cfd9922508102d94d7001438c0f03b

<3

[CelesJessa]

I dunno, it's a pretty simple question, I think. My answers are almost always related to:


Video games
Art