10 Intellectual Conversation Topics You Can Use

Does it seem like having an intellectual conversation is a lost art these days? It sure does to me. It feels like every time I hang out with one of my friends, all they do is talk about their lifeÖ and their problems.

Sure, I want my friends to vent, but sometimes dream of having an intellectual conversation.Whether youíre like me and want to find deeper meanings in your conversations or want to dive deep into some exciting thoughts, here are some intellectual conversation topics you can use.

# The existence of aliens

Címon. Everyone loves this topic! I mean, the movie ET was a classic and popular for a reason, right? Okay, well, maybe not everyone loved the movie because of the alien concept. Maybe they just thought ET was cute.

But regardless, everyone seems to have an opinion about whether or not aliens exist. After stating your opinions, you should both give reasoning and arguments for why you think youíre right.

# Alien abduction

While this is in the same generic category as the existence of aliens, itís not exactly the same. But I suppose at least one of you would have to believe in aliens to even start this conversation.

There are people out there who claim to have been abducted by aliens. And quite frankly, their stories are pretty convincing. You might want to Google this one first so you have a lot of material to add to this intellectual conversation.

# Political affiliations

I know everyone says to stay away from talking about politics. But really, people, you canít get away from it! It could be risky, but it can be super beneficial to you both, with the right person. Who knows? You may actually learn something if you keep an open mind.

But, in order to have an intellectual conversation about politics, both people have to be objective and empatheticÖ especially if they disagree. But it can be quite enlightening and interesting to talk about this topic.

# Personality types

Are you familiar with the Myers-Briggs 16 Personality Types? If not, do some research on it and take the test yourself. For example, Iím sure you know what extroverts and introverts are, but there are also many different variations.

And some people are even both an introvert and extrovert at the same time. In fact, youíre listening to one right now. Weíre called ambiverts. There are a lot of interesting aspects to personality traits that can be discussed in an intellectual conversation.

# Trivia

Okay, Iím terrible at trivia. I loathe Trivial Pursuit because I never know ANY of the answers. But I do love listening to people who know a lot of trivia. Itís really interesting to sit and talk about random pieces of information that are fascinating.

You could even get a trivia book to brush up on all the facts, sit with the other person, and go through it. That will spark some intellectual conversation for sure. If not a book, there are plenty of Buzzfeed lists filled with random yet fascinating facts.

# The Afterlife

This intellectual conversation could be really fascinating. Now, if youíre talking to a devout Catholic *or devout person of a few other religions*, they wonít want to debate the possibility of whether it exists or what it looks like.

On the other hand, if youíre talking to an atheist or someone from a religion that believes in the afterlife, they might also be pretty firm in their convictions. But it can be a great intellectual conversation if both people are open-minded and want to explore other possible views. They are called beliefs for a reason, so even discussing others without believing them yourself is interesting.

# Reincarnation

A subset of the ìafterlifeî conversation is the topic of reincarnation. I know the United States is a predominantly Christian country, so it is a controversial subject. But again, if both of you are open-minded and like to explore a lot of different ideas, this is a fun intellectual conversation to have.

Maybe you have had past life memories or dreams. Or maybe itís just fun to talk about which era of human history would have been the most fun to live in. There are a lot of different ways you can take this intellectual conversation.

# History

Just like the trivia topic, this could be a tricky one for some people. For me, I love history. I love hearing about it and watching TV or movies about it. But, my knowledge of it really stinks. You could watch a documentary and discuss it or just talk about a time in history that is so enthralling.

Perhaps you know that someone is a history buff, well, ask them to tell you about what they know. You can turn it into an intellectual conversation by talking about things like whether or not Hitler was mentally illÖ or is in Hell right now. The possibilities are endless for how to talk about history.

# Conspiracy theories

Conspiracy theories are always fun to talk about, mostly because there really is no answer to them. Thereís only speculation. There are tons you can choose from. Sure, they have gone off the rails with YouTube, but some of those videos are actually pretty great.

For example, do they think 9/11 was an inside job? Did Lee Harvey Oswalt really kill JFK? Is the earth flat? I mean, some of these are obvious facts, but still. Even discussing why they have become conspiracy theories is exciting.

# Analyzing deeper meanings of movies

Do you remember the movie Groundhog Day from the 1990s with Bill Murray? It seems like a silly, funny comedy, right? Well, if you look at it a lot deeper, it really follows the seven deadly sins like greed, lust, and gluttony.

If you donít believe me, watch it again, and youíll see. There are hidden and deeper messages in many movies, so why not sit back, pick apart some of your favorite movies, and analyze them in an intellectual conversation?