Anyone else feel like this about "what's your best/worst/favourite" questions?

[Jelliedeals]

Ever since childhood I've had an aversion to questions that start "What is your best ...?" or "What is your worst ...?" or "What is your favourite ...?". There are a lot of these sorts of threads on Mumsnet. It brings back memories of being asked at school about favourite books, films, singers, colours, food etc and never being able to think of something cool enough fast enough to keep the conversation going. Or otherwise, I'd be able to think of several things I like for different reasons, but not really know how to rank them to work out which is best or worst. Is this just me, or do others have this reaction too? My common-sense brain says it doesn't matter, just say anything, but my intuitive literal brain wishes people would ask more open questions ... like "Have you read any good books recently?' or "What bands do you listen to?" or "What sorts of things do you like to eat?"

Just me?

Not just you. My aversion though stems from when I'd come home from school every day and DM would keep going on and on asking me what we did at school and wanting me to tell her all about my day. It was like the Spanish Inquisition every afternoon.

Yes I think you must live a very one dimensional life if you can immediately think of one thing which stands out as the " best" or "worst" ot " favourite ".

I think things are very nuanced and whereas obviously some things stand out as exceptionally horrible or good etc it's difficult to pinpoint just one thing that is the extreme.

What's your favourite colour is the absolute worst question imo..unless you're a five year old

But no one’s going to put you up against the wall and shoot you if you subsequently change your mind about your favourite Bronte sister or Cornetto flavour. (Obviously it’s Charlotte and Classic, and the people who like Anne and Mint are plain wrong, but they have their rights, too.)

The one I really hate is being asked to rank my top three Spielberg films or top five Christmas songs or something. It’s so male?

DP and I were just discussing the really ancient show Mr and Mrs the other day where couples were asked questions about each other and I asked him what he thought my favourite colour was and he didn't know. Thing is, neither do I. It changes every week, like lots of my so-called favourites.

As regards these questions when they appear on Mumsnet - someone starts a thread asking posters for their favourite song and some people give this humongous list. I can understand not being able to choose between a few, but a list of twenty is a bit much!

I’m exactly the same! I panic about questions like these as I don’t really have favourites!

I think you're overthinking. I just say the first thing that comes to mind. It doesn't really matter if today my favourite meal is a roast dinner and tomorrow it's a curry.

What does irritate me is when my DC ask what's my favourite (insert something I don't give a damn about like car, or football team, or number), push for an answer and then insist I give a reason.

Oh yes, definitely overthinking, but that word didn't exist when I was a child. I learned to handle it though, and now, age 53, I can look back and reflect.

You don’t have to give one answer to the question though. If you’re asked what your favourite band is, you just say what bands you listen to, so it’s the same thing.