Ahhh, small talk. The same platitude questions and responses. "How are you?" "What do you do?" "How was your weekend?" have almost become necessary white noise in our daily lives.

I've found that there has been a consistent trend with my strongest friendships and relationships: profound conversations. Oftentimes, this is done by a willingness to be vulnerable, share personal details, and make the effort in asking the right questions. Here are five of my favorites:

1. What habit, person, quote, etc. keeps you grounded when everything is chaotic and completely out of your control?

Not only do you learn about new resources to handle difficult situations, but you also understand what significant practices have helped them manage stressful times. I've gotten amazing recommendations such as Stoicism (specifically Meditations by Marcus Aerilius), weight lifting, practicing meditation, etc.

2. What is the most flattering compliment or most degrading insult that someone could describe you as and why?

This usually reveals their greatest values, qualities they hope to have, and how they want others to perceive them. For example, the best compliment I could ever receive would be: "You are an inspiration to those around you, empowering everyone to change their own life for the better."

3. When was the moment where you felt like your words or actions had the most impact?

A bit cliché but this question typically elicits a great story. It could be overcoming their fear of public speaking to give a speech about an important cause, doing something charitable that had a tangible effect, or even comforting and expressing complete acceptance to a friend who had a difficult time coming out with his/her/their sexuality.

4. Are you able to pinpoint the inflection points in your life?

We all have those turning points in our life where we identify as a moment of change or growth. I've found that this is the question that leads to the most interesting and vulnerable stories.

5. Whose voice pops into your head during certain circumstances and what do they say to you?

This question is one of my favorite because it reveals who is important in their life and what words they need to hear the most. For me personally, it's my mom's voice when I feel stuck or lost in life, and she says to me, "Remember, there's always a solution, even if it takes you a couple detours to get there."