73 Ethical Would You Rather Questions

Have you ever been caught in a tough spot, having to choose between two things, neither of which feels perfectly right? That's exactly where Ethical Would You Rather Questions come in! They're like brain teasers for your conscience, making you think hard about what you value most when faced with difficult choices.

What Are Ethical Would You Rather Questions and Why Do We Love Them?

Ethical Would You Rather Questions are scenarios where you're presented with two options, and both have some kind of moral or ethical trade-off. There's no easy way out, and you have to pick the lesser of two evils, or sometimes, the lesser of two goods. They're popular because they’re a fun, low-stakes way to explore complex ideas about right and wrong. Think of them like a game that helps you understand your own values and how you might act in tricky situations. The importance lies in how these questions encourage empathy, critical thinking, and discussions about what truly matters.

These questions can be used in a lot of different ways. You might see them:

As icebreakers in group settings, to get people talking and learning about each other.
In classrooms, to spark debates and teach about different ethical viewpoints.
Online, as fun quizzes or social media challenges.
Even in therapy, to help individuals process their decision-making processes.

The goal isn't to find a "right" answer, but to think about the 'why' behind your choice. It’s about exploring the different sides of a dilemma. Here are some examples to get you thinking:

Would you rather have the ability to talk to animals but never be able to understand humans again, or be able to understand any human language but never be able to speak to animals again?
Would you rather always know when someone is lying to you, but also have everyone always know when you are lying, or never know when anyone is lying, but they also never know when you are lying?
Would you rather accidentally save the life of a terrible criminal, or accidentally cause the death of an innocent person?
Would you rather live in a world with no art and music but perfect peace, or a world with incredible art and music but constant conflict?
Would you rather have the power to erase any one memory from your mind, or the power to implant any one memory into someone else's mind?
Would you rather be able to control your dreams perfectly but have nightmares every time you sleep, or have incredibly vivid and exciting dreams but no control over them at all?
Would you rather be forced to tell the truth to one person every day for the rest of your life, or be forced to lie to one person every day for the rest of your life?
Would you rather have the ability to fly but only at a speed of a walking pace, or be able to teleport but only to places you have physically visited before?
Would you rather always be a little bit too cold, or always be a little bit too hot?
Would you rather have a photographic memory but be unable to forget anything, or have a terrible memory but be able to selectively forget things?
Would you rather have the power to bring one historical figure back to life, or the power to send one modern person to any point in history?
Would you rather live a short life of incredible joy and fame, or a long life of quiet contentment and obscurity?
Would you rather have the ability to speak every language fluently but only be able to whisper, or be able to shout in every language but only be able to speak one?
Would you rather know the exact date of your death, or the exact cause of your death?
Would you rather have the power to instantly heal yourself from any injury, or the power to instantly heal others from any disease?
Would you rather be universally loved but secretly miserable, or universally hated but secretly happy?
Would you rather have a personal robot assistant that always does exactly what you say, or a personal advisor that always gives you the best advice but you don't always have to follow it?
Would you rather have the ability to time travel but only to the past and unable to change anything, or only to the future and unable to return?
Would you rather be able to perfectly mimic any sound, or be able to perfectly mimic any voice?
Would you rather have the power to grant one wish to yourself, or the power to grant one wish to someone else?

Everyday Ethical Dilemmas

These questions put you in situations that feel like they could actually happen, forcing you to think about small moral choices you might make in your daily life. They’re the kind of things that make you pause and consider the consequences.

Would you rather find $100 on the street and keep it, or see someone drop $100 and return it to them?
Would you rather lie to protect a friend's feelings, or tell them the hurtful truth?
Would you rather accidentally take someone's unused parking spot, or wait for a new one to open up for 20 minutes?
Would you rather cheat on a small quiz and get a good grade, or fail honestly?
Would you rather borrow your friend's favorite sweater without asking and risk ruining it, or wear an outfit you don't really like?
Would you rather eat a delicious but unhealthy meal, or a healthy but bland meal?
Would you rather take credit for a group project idea that wasn't yours, or have your own idea be overlooked?
Would you rather see someone litter and ignore it, or politely ask them to pick it up?
Would you rather receive a gift you don't like and pretend to love it, or politely say you don't like it?
Would you rather be a few minutes late for an important appointment, or rush and risk an accident?
Would you rather spread a harmless but embarrassing rumor about someone, or have a similar rumor spread about you?
Would you rather find a wallet full of cash and return it, or find an empty wallet and keep it?
Would you rather tell a white lie to make someone feel better, or be brutally honest?
Would you rather take the last cookie from the jar when you know someone else wanted it, or leave it for them and go hungry?
Would you rather "borrow" an office supply you really need and not return it, or go without?
Would you rather see a child being bullied and step in, or hope someone else will?
Would you rather buy something cheap that breaks easily, or something expensive that lasts a long time?
Would you rather "accidentally" leave your trash on a park bench, or carry it until you find a bin?
Would you rather get a great deal on something by slightly exaggerating your needs, or pay full price honestly?
Would you rather help a stranger carry their groceries, or pretend you didn't see them struggling?

Societal Impact Choices

These questions make you think about bigger issues and how your actions, or inactions, could affect society as a whole. They’re about the greater good versus personal comfort.

Would you rather live in a society with absolute equality but no individual freedom, or a society with complete individual freedom but vast inequality?
Would you rather have a government that is always honest but inefficient, or a government that is very efficient but frequently lies?
Would you rather be able to solve world hunger but have everyone hate you, or be universally loved but have world hunger continue?
Would you rather have the power to enforce perfect justice but never experience mercy, or experience endless mercy but have imperfect justice?
Would you rather live in a world where everyone is programmed to be kind but has no free will, or a world where people have free will and the capacity for great evil?
Would you rather have a society where all necessary jobs are done by robots, but humans have no purpose, or a society where humans do all jobs, but work is grueling and exhausting?
Would you rather have the ability to eliminate all crime by implementing constant surveillance, or live with crime but maintain privacy?
Would you rather be the leader of a wealthy but corrupt nation, or the leader of a poor but ethical nation?
Would you rather have the power to make everyone in the world agree on one important issue, or the power to make everyone in the world understand a different perspective?
Would you rather live in a world where all resources are shared equally but there's no incentive to innovate, or a world with private property and innovation but significant wealth gaps?
Would you rather have the ability to erase all prejudice from the world by removing all distinct cultures, or keep distinct cultures and continue to fight prejudice?
Would you rather be able to create a perfect utopia for a small group of people but have them live in isolation, or create a flawed but functional society for everyone?
Would you rather have the power to undo one major historical mistake, or the power to make one major positive change in the future?
Would you rather live in a world where everyone always agrees with the majority opinion, or a world where dissenting opinions are always respected?
Would you rather have the power to ensure everyone has basic necessities but no luxury, or a world where luxury exists but some lack basic necessities?
Would you rather have a society where truth is always spoken, even if it's painful, or a society where comforting lies are told to maintain happiness?
Would you rather be able to eliminate all disease by requiring strict genetic engineering for all citizens, or live with disease and the freedom of genetic choice?
Would you rather have the power to end all war by enslaving humanity, or live in a world with the threat of war but freedom?
Would you rather be able to guarantee a perfect education for everyone, but they can only learn what is taught, or have varied education with the freedom to learn anything?
Would you rather live in a world where everyone knows their exact role and purpose from birth, or a world where they must discover it themselves?

Personal Sacrifice Choices

These questions are all about what you're willing to give up for yourself or for others. They can be pretty intense and reveal what you truly prioritize.

Would you rather sacrifice your own happiness for the happiness of your loved ones, or prioritize your own happiness even if it means they are less happy?
Would you rather give up all your possessions but be free from debt, or keep your possessions but live with overwhelming debt?
Would you rather lose all your memories of your past, or never be able to create new memories?
Would you rather give up your favorite hobby forever, or give up all your social media accounts forever?
Would you rather have your deepest secret revealed to everyone, or have your greatest accomplishment erased from history?
Would you rather sacrifice your own comfort to help a stranger in need, or prioritize your comfort?
Would you rather give up your sense of taste, or your sense of smell?
Would you rather give up all your personal photos and videos, or all your written journals and documents?
Would you rather sacrifice your own potential for success to ensure your child's success, or focus on your own path?
Would you rather give up your ability to feel physical pain, or your ability to feel emotional pain?
Would you rather give up all your favorite foods, or all your favorite drinks?
Would you rather sacrifice your own health to save someone you love, or prioritize your own health?
Would you rather give up your sense of humor, or your ability to be serious?
Would you rather sacrifice your privacy to solve a major crime, or let the crime go unsolved to protect privacy?
Would you rather give up all your money and live a simple life, or work tirelessly for wealth and have little time for yourself?
Would you rather give up your ability to dream, or your ability to sleep?
Would you rather sacrifice your own dreams to support someone else's, or pursue your own dreams regardless of their impact?
Would you rather give up your ability to recognize faces, or your ability to recognize voices?
Would you rather sacrifice your personal reputation for a greater good, or maintain your reputation at all costs?
Would you rather give up your ability to read, or your ability to write?

Supernatural and Fantastical Choices

These questions let your imagination run wild! They're fun because they involve powers and abilities that don't exist in real life, but they still make you think about ethics in a new way.

Would you rather be able to fly but only when no one is watching, or be able to turn invisible but only when you're wearing a bright pink suit?
Would you rather have the power to control the weather but only to create mild inconveniences, or have the power to talk to plants but they only complain about the soil?
Would you rather be able to grant one wish to yourself every year, but it always has an unexpected negative side effect, or never be able to wish for anything at all?
Would you rather have the ability to teleport but only to places you've only seen in pictures, or the ability to read minds but only of people who are thinking about cheese?
Would you rather have a pet dragon that breathes marshmallows, or a pet unicorn that only sneezes glitter?
Would you rather be able to talk to ghosts but they're all incredibly boring, or be able to communicate with aliens but they only speak in riddles?
Would you rather have the power to make anyone fall in love with you, but they can never fall out of love, or have the power to make anyone forget you instantly?
Would you rather be able to breathe underwater but only in freshwater, or be able to walk through walls but only if they're made of jelly?
Would you rather have the ability to eat anything and never get sick, or have the ability to sleep for only 10 minutes a day and be fully rested?
Would you rather be able to control time but only to slow it down for yourself, or be able to control space but only to make small objects slightly bigger?
Would you rather have the power to understand the language of all animals, but they all constantly ask you for favors, or have the power to speak to inanimate objects, but they only tell you their life story?
Would you rather be able to shapeshift into any animal but only for 5 minutes at a time, or be able to become invisible but only when you hum a specific tune?
Would you rather have a magical object that can grant you one perfect day every month, or a magical object that can solve one small problem for you every day?
Would you rather have the power to fly but only in a straight line, or be able to run at super speed but only backwards?
Would you rather be able to conjure any food, but it always tastes like slightly burnt toast, or be able to conjure any drink, but it always tastes like lukewarm water?
Would you rather have the ability to see the future but only the worst possible outcome for everything, or be able to change the past but only to make things slightly worse?
Would you rather have the power to command all the squirrels in the world, or the power to understand all the thoughts of house cats?
Would you rather be able to create illusions but only of very silly things, or be able to control minor electrical currents but only to make lightbulbs flicker?
Would you rather have a magic carpet that can only fly 3 feet off the ground, or a magic wand that can only change the color of socks?
Would you rather be able to talk to your future self but they always give terrible advice, or talk to your past self but they never believe anything you say?

Humorous and Absurd Choices

These questions are just plain silly, but even in their absurdity, they can make you think about what you'd find funny, annoying, or just plain weird. They’re a great way to lighten the mood!

Would you rather have to wear socks with sandals every day for the rest of your life, or have to sing everything you say in a pirate voice?
Would you rather have a constant, faint smell of broccoli follow you everywhere, or have a tiny, invisible hamster that constantly whispers bad jokes in your ear?
Would you rather have to eat a spoonful of mustard every time you stub your toe, or have to yodel every time you sneeze?
Would you rather have a clown car as your only mode of transportation, or have to ride a unicycle everywhere you go?
Would you rather have a permanent unibrow that you can't remove, or have to wear a fake nose and glasses disguise every time you go outside?
Would you rather have to speak in rhyme all the time, or have to communicate only through interpretive dance?
Would you rather have your entire body covered in temporary tattoos of cartoon characters, or have to wear a silly hat that honks whenever you move?
Would you rather have to high-five every person you meet, or have to tell everyone you meet their most embarrassing secret?
Would you rather have a tiny rubber chicken that follows you around and squeaks whenever you're about to make a bad decision, or a magic eight ball that only answers with "maybe"?
Would you rather have to wear oven mitts on your hands at all times, or have to walk with a limp everywhere you go?
Would you rather have to tell everyone you meet that you're a secret agent, even though you're not, or have to pretend to be a professional mime for a day?
Would you rather have your hair constantly look like you just stuck your finger in a light socket, or have your nose randomly twitch like a rabbit?
Would you rather have to eat a bowl of dry cereal for breakfast every day, or have to drink a glass of pickle juice before every meal?
Would you rather have to wear a giant inflatable sumo wrestler costume to all formal events, or have to wear a tiny tuxedo on your head at all times?
Would you rather have to shout "I love spaghetti!" every time you get good news, or have to whisper "The squirrels are coming!" every time you get bad news?
Would you rather have a pet rock that you have to take for walks, or a pet cloud that only rains on you?
Would you rather have to introduce yourself with a dramatic flourish every single time, or have to end every sentence with a question mark?
Would you rather have a magical button that, when pressed, makes everyone in a 50-foot radius break into song, or a magical button that makes all inanimate objects briefly come to life and do a little dance?
Would you rather have to wear mismatched shoes every day for the rest of your life, or have to wear a cape that's always slightly too long and trips you?
Would you rather have to talk like a robot with monotone voice, or have to talk like a cartoon character with an exaggerated accent?

Life-Altering Consequences

These questions are designed to be really thought-provoking, with consequences that could dramatically change your life or the lives of others. They really push you to consider what you value most deeply.

Would you rather have the ability to instantly master any skill, but forget one of your most cherished memories each time, or never be able to learn new skills, but retain all your memories?
Would you rather be able to prevent a major natural disaster from happening, but a lesser, man-made disaster occurs instead, or let the natural disaster happen?
Would you rather have the power to communicate with all living things, but you can never lie again, or retain your ability to lie, but you can only speak to humans?
Would you rather live a life of extreme comfort and luxury, but with no genuine human connection, or a life of hardship but surrounded by deep love and friendship?
Would you rather have the ability to see the future, but be unable to change it, or have the ability to change the past, but have no memory of the original timeline?
Would you rather be able to cure one disease for everyone in the world, but you have to live with the symptoms of that disease yourself, or continue to live disease-free but have the disease persist for everyone else?
Would you rather have the power to bring one person back from the dead, but they are forever changed and not who you remember, or let them stay gone?
Would you rather have a perfect understanding of the universe, but be unable to share it with anyone, or have a limited understanding but be able to teach it to others?
Would you rather have the ability to instantly travel anywhere in the world, but you can never return to your starting point, or be able to teleport to familiar places, but it takes immense energy?
Would you rather be able to control people's emotions, but you are unable to feel your own, or feel emotions intensely, but be unable to influence others?
Would you rather have the power to make one person incredibly happy for their entire life, but you have to live a life of deep sorrow, or have a happy life yourself, but they live in misery?
Would you rather have the ability to know the answer to any question, but you can only ask one question per year, or be able to ask any question, but you only get a vague and confusing answer?
Would you rather be able to erase all conflict from the world, but humanity loses its capacity for empathy, or maintain empathy but live with the possibility of conflict?
Would you rather have the power to grant yourself eternal youth, but your loved ones age and die before you, or age naturally with your loved ones?
Would you rather have the ability to live in any time period, but you can never interact with the people there, or live in your own time but be able to observe any event from history?
Would you rather have the power to make yourself incredibly intelligent, but you lose all your creativity, or retain your creativity but have average intelligence?
Would you rather have the ability to prevent any one bad event from happening to your family, but it automatically happens to another family, or let events unfold naturally?
Would you rather have the power to know what everyone truly thinks of you, but you can never again deceive anyone, or continue to be unaware but have the freedom to lie?
Would you rather have the ability to create perfect art, but you can never experience art created by others, or be able to appreciate art, but never create it yourself?
Would you rather have the power to guarantee your own happiness, but everyone else experiences misfortune, or have your own life be unpredictable, but ensure the well-being of others?

The "What If" Scenario Generators

These questions are all about exploring the unknown and the what-ifs of life. They're the kind of questions that make you wonder about the road not taken and the possibilities that lie beyond our current reality.

Would you rather discover a cure for all diseases but be ridiculed for it, or make a minor medical advancement that is widely celebrated?
Would you rather have the ability to perfectly predict the stock market but have to invest all your money in one company, or have a knack for finding great deals on everyday items?
Would you rather wake up one day with the ability to speak every language, but you can only speak in riddles, or wake up with the ability to understand every animal, but they all have incredibly boring conversations?
Would you rather discover a lost city of gold, but it's guarded by a tribe of very polite but very stubborn people, or find a single, perfect diamond that grants one wish?
Would you rather have the power to rewind time by 10 seconds whenever you want, but every time you do, you lose a random skill, or have the ability to fast forward by 10 seconds, but you have no control over where you end up?
Would you rather be the first person to discover extraterrestrial life, but they are all incredibly annoying and just want to borrow your stuff, or be the person who invents a truly revolutionary new form of transportation that makes everyone else jealous?
Would you rather have the ability to fly, but only when you are singing opera at the top of your lungs, or be able to turn invisible, but only when you are wearing a brightly colored clown wig?
Would you rather find a portal to another dimension that is exactly like ours but with one subtle, unsettling difference, or find a portal to a dimension where everything is made of cheese?
Would you rather have the power to control your dreams perfectly, but wake up exhausted every day, or have incredibly vivid dreams that you can't control, but wake up feeling refreshed?
Would you rather discover that you have a hidden superpower that is incredibly useful, but it causes you extreme discomfort whenever you use it, or have a superpower that is completely useless but brings you great joy?
Would you rather stumble upon a hidden map that leads to a treasure, but the treasure is a collection of really bad puns, or find a magical artifact that allows you to communicate with furniture, but they only talk about dust bunnies?
Would you rather have the ability to teleport, but you always arrive slightly damp, or have the ability to shapeshift, but only into types of bread?
Would you rather invent a device that solves a major world problem, but it has a funny and embarrassing side effect, or invent a device that is only useful for extremely niche and silly purposes?
Would you rather have the power to understand the thoughts of plants, but they only ever complain about the weather, or have the power to understand the thoughts of insects, but they are all obsessed with world domination?
Would you rather find a magical book that tells you the answer to any question, but it's written in a language only you can understand and you can only read one page a day, or find a magical quill that writes perfect stories, but it insists on adding a talking badger to every plot?
Would you rather have the ability to fly, but you can only do so by flapping your arms really fast, or have the ability to become super strong, but only when you are thinking about kittens?
Would you rather discover a new color that no one else can see, but it makes you slightly nauseous, or discover a new sound that only you can hear and it sounds like a very enthusiastic kazoo?
Would you rather have the power to control the weather, but only to make it slightly inconvenient for your enemies, or have the power to talk to inanimate objects, but they are all very sarcastic?
Would you rather wake up with the ability to talk to ghosts, but they are all obsessed with reality television, or wake up with the ability to communicate with fictional characters, but they only want to argue about their plots?
Would you rather find a magical key that opens any door, but it only opens doors to slightly different versions of your own house, or find a magical compass that always points to the nearest donut shop?

So there you have it! Ethical Would You Rather Questions are more than just silly hypotheticals. They’re a fantastic way to explore your own morals, understand different perspectives, and even have some fun while doing it. Next time you’re faced with a choice, remember to think about the "why" – it’s where the real learning happens!