Instructions

1. Announce to your friends that you have a curious new exercise to propose. Laugh a little at the expense of these cards to ease any awkwardness.

2. Pick a card from anywhere in the box and ask your companions to address the question on it with sincerity and thoughtfulness.

3. Take calculated risks at self-revelation. What tends to make us interesting is our deepest selves. When people say ‘surely you wouldn’t want to know that about me’, they’re often about to say something fascinating.

4. Don’t rush. You might only need five cards for an evening.

5. Repeat often.

Example question cards:

“In what ways have your parents influenced your choice of partners?”

“What are your deepest professional goals?”

“Would you prefer a view of a desert or of the sea – and why?”