Want to know how to answer ‘what are you thinking about’?
From witty and smart replies to making it clear you don’t like being asked this question, I’ve got you covered.
Here are some different ways to answer a question about what you’re thinking depending on your mood:
How to Answer ‘What Are You Thinking About’ to A Girl
‘What are you thinking about?’ is such an open-ended question that you can answer it in endless ways.
It really depends on what mood you’re in, and what message you want to give to the person asking.
For example, if you’re tired of being asked stupid questions, you might want to give them a blunt or sarcastic answer.
On the other hand, if you like the person asking and want to get to know them better, you could use it as a way to get a conversation going.
It’s really up to you!
To give you something to work with, here are some suggestions of how to answer this question depending on your mood:
If you’re feeling flirty, give them a coy smile and say, “I was just thinking about how handsome/attractive you are.”
If you’re feeling playful, say something like, “I was just thinking about how much I enjoy spending time with you.”
If you’re feeling mischievous, you could say something like, “I was just thinking about how I’m going to prank you later.”
If you’re feeling serious, you could say something like, “I was just thinking about how I need to talk to you about something important.”
If you’re feeling annoyed, you could say something like, “I was just thinking about how I don’t appreciate being asked this question.”
No matter what your answer is, make sure you say it with confidence. The more confident you are, the better your answer will be received!
Related – More ways to reply to annoying everyday questions.
Why Do People Ask Questions Like ‘What Are You Thinking About?’
People ask questions like ‘what are you thinking about?’ for a variety of reasons.
Some people do it because they’re genuinely curious and want to get to know you better.
If someone gives an honest and frank answer to this question, it’s a great way to better understand what makes them ‘tick’.
In some situations, something bad (or good) may have happened, so the person is asking what you’re thinking about to make sure you’re OK.
Other people do it simply because they’re bored and have nothing else to say.
This is probably the hardest reason to come up with a good answer, as they’re probably not really that interested in what you have to say.
Others ask similar questions because they’re trying to make small talk and don’t know how else to start a conversation.
Questions like, “What are you thinking about?”, or “What are some of your favorite things?”, are great ice breakers.
Whatever the reason, it’s not always easy to come up with a good answer on the spot – and it never feels good to be stumbling over answers or stumped for something to say.
I mean, you could always be honest and tell the person what you’re really thinking – but this question doesn’t really warrant that answer very often (oddly enough).
That’s why it’s helpful to have a few go-to answers in your back pocket so you’re never caught off guard.
Should You Tell Someone What You’re Really Thinking?
This is a tough question to answer.
When someone asks what you’re thinking, and indeed, when someone answers this question, they rarely give an accurate answer about what they’re actually thinking.
On one hand, you could say that it depends on the relationship you have with the person asking.
If it’s someone you’re close to and feel comfortable with, then sure – go ahead and tell them what’s on your mind.
But if it’s someone you don’t know very well, or if you’re not feeling particularly chatty, then you might want to give a more general answer.
It’s also worth considering what you’re actually thinking about.
If it’s something personal that you don’t feel comfortable sharing, then it’s probably best to keep it to yourself.
But if it’s something lighthearted or funny, then go ahead and share!
This is why it helps to have witty or funny responses ready to reply with when someone asks what you’re thinking – it comes off more naturally.
In the end, it’s up to you to decide whether or not to tell the person what you’re thinking.
Related – How to reply to nosy people and condescending remarks.
Related Questions
Guys tend to ask girls what they’re thinking if they think they’re concerned about something, or to find out what they think about them.
It really depends on the context and how the guy asks. You should be able to tell or get a good idea of what his intentions are.
Girls ask what guys are thinking for most of the same reasons. Again, it’s more dependent on the situation than whether it’s a guy or girl asking.
You can’t take the question at face value, you need to take into account how the girl is asking and what your relationship with her is.
If someone keeps on asking what you’re doing, for your own sanity you should ask them why they’re so interested.
Being asked the same question over and over will get old quickly and start annoying you otherwise!
Image credits – Photo by Mitchell Hartley on Unsplash
Phil lives in England, UK, and has around 20 years experience as a professional life, career and executive coach. He started this blog to help others find and define their own self development journey. Blogging about a wide range of topics to help facilitate a better future.
Interesting. A couple guys used to ask me this over an over. Id be eating, working, watching tv, whatever. So when they asked “whats on your mind” i was typically very focused on what i was doing in that moment, not thinking about anything in particular. So id treat it as a “what are you doing” type of question instead. Over time it got annoying though, a tad invasive/repetitive/unnecessary. Especially with someone new, I dont want them obsessed about my thoughts, its weird. Im thinking about watching this tv show thats in front of me right now or im thinking about brushing my teeth which im doing right now. Its a rabbit hole question.
If a person appears upset i get it. But as a way to “make conversation” i dont think its the best idea. Be more direct, talk about yourself, make jokes, ask specific questions. But leave the vague curiosity “whats on your mind” for more serious occasions.