30 People Give Sound Evidence That There Are In Fact Dumb Questions

Some people insist there are no dumb questions, but the internet keeps finding fresh ways to test that theory. This roundup starts with a simple prompt on Twitter and quickly turns into a parade of baffling, awkward, and unintentionally hilarious questions people have actually heard in real life.

The setup is straightforward: one user asked for the dumbest question anyone had ever asked them, and the replies came fast. What follows is a mix of confusion, secondhand embarrassment, and the kind of stories that make you grateful for basic common sense.

By the end, you may never hear “just asking” the same way again.

Let the games begin.

PeyMamas

1. Genetics are truly a mystery, but we do know it's quite common for offspring to look like their biological parents (and biological relatives in general).

ugybabe2020

2. When pleasant conversation takes an awkward turn.

NewWaveYusuke

3. Nobody made you tell on yourself, but we're all having a giggle that you did.

_willowraven

4. Who gave the impression that birthdays only exist in the United States? Typical.

munin_in_error

5. I sincerely hope he came up with an absolutely ridiculous answer, because how could you not choose chaos?

CravenMike

There are three main ways to respond to dumb questions:

1. With sarcasm or humor: this benefits yourself.
2. With sincerity: you can't judge a book by its cover; maybe the dumb question was sincere and warrants a sincere response.
3. Stunned silence: the natural reaction for such an occasion.

However, my favorite is option number one, because why not choose to have a great time under the circumstances? Chances are a dumb question was made because of the age-old brain fart (a temporary lapse in judgment brought on by being too tired, too stressed, or too overwhelmed), and something humorous can help you both laugh it off.

giphy

6. WHAT

kirigwi

7. Somebody doesn't know how twins work; that's okay.

be95_xx

8. Truly one of life's greatest mysteries.

jsprygocrazy

9. Toronto? Canada? Impossible.

RuthieQ_

10. Haven't we all wondered such a thing?

GwallaDaDonDada

11. Can you imagine? I can imagine, and it's epic.

tearsults

12. Ba-Dum-Tiss

james62125670 giphy

In 1970, a Dear Abby column in The Milwaukee Sentinel stated: "There is no such thing as a stupid question if it's sincere. Better to ask and risk appearing stupid than to continue on your ignorant way and make a stupid mistake."

And if you think “that can’t be right” sounds familiar, check these visual anomalies that make your logic spin.

13. And I've lost my glasses on my face; what's new?

major001ist

14. He's a little confused, but he's got the idea.

HUNTRRxHUNTRR

15. What a nerd.

JoOnBulba

16. A baby? In this economy?

PeyMamas

17. This... is disappointingly common.

hemmiesux

18. "No, I just show up and act like I do for the LOLz."

the_chaparrin

19. Glasses: the ultimate fashion statement that clearly has nothing to do with vision impairment whatsoever.

scorpiiho

20. There are a million things to do at 3 AM that don't include sleep, of course. But why would you assume someone who works an otherwise standard schedule wouldn't be sleeping at 3 AM?

Re_Royale gfycat

Did you know that the parameters for what constitutes a "stupid" question have been defined? Well, sort of, at least... based on an article:

1. Questions asked by someone who already knows the answer but is trolling the person they are asking.
2. Questions of which the answer should be painfully obvious to any person with a pulse who has lived on this Earth for more than a decade.
3. Questions that can be answered on one's own with complete certainty. After all, information found online or from other sources can be wrong, so it never hurts to check.
4. Questions that include ridiculous or hypothetical assumptions.
5. Those questions that have already been answered, but the asker wasn't listening or paying attention.

21. Wouldn't that be nifty?

mandipett22

22. The delight in such occasions is the whole not knowing part...

hcravemusic

23. I guess it's true that some people living in the United States have absolutely no idea what the ever-living heck a microwave is.

Waltdub3

24. First of all, that's what you get for naming him Dash.

Lexxxxx_

25. No, it's a novella.

thebreestylez giphy

26.

oodiebsupreme

27.

TheSpiceQueen_

28.

kolby_anthony

29.

ayochrisss_

30. If you don't ask, you may never know.

yvngvonn_

Well, I don't know about you, but I feel a lot smarter knowing what sort of questions people are out there asking. It doesn't matter that today I looked for my phone in the wrong pocket of the pants I was wearing repeatedly; I am definitely smarter than some people.

Do you know anyone feeling down about themselves and their intelligence? Perhaps share this with them to give them hope.

For more dinner-party fallout, read the AITA where a host disinvited a late friend.