Episode 92: What would you do...? (hypothetical questions)

Listen to this Episode of "Coffee with Gringos" here or on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and Stitcher.

Ian: Hey everyone, you are listening to “Coffee with Gringos.” I'm Ian Kennedy.

Paige: And I'm Paige Sutherland.

Ian: And today, we’re going to have a little fun talking about hypothetical questions. So, we always wonder: what would I do in a certain situation? There are many, many of these questions and it's very challenging sometimes to determine what decision you would make. So, Paige, today we're going to talk about some interesting and challenging hypothetical questions, and what we would personally do. So, I'll go ahead and start out with the first one, Paige, and we'll figure out what we're doing in the situation, okay? So, here's the scenario: you're offered a pill that makes you 25% smarter but it permanently removes all your hair. So, the hair on your head, your eyebrows, everything. Would you take this pill to be smarter, and have no hair, or would you stay as is?

Paige: Oh, that's tough—it's tough. I think if I had the face for no hair—which I don't. Maybe, if I was a guy, I think I would consider it because you can pull off being bald.  But as a female, having no hair on my head or my eyebrows and being only 25% smarter? I would say no—I would keep my hair.

Ian: Yeah, I think it's harder probably for women since you have long hair. It's a pretty bold style move to go hairless.  So, like you said, guys can get along with a buzzed head or no hair, but for a woman, it might be a little bit more difficult.

Paige: I feel like if you were a woman walking around with no hair, people would just assume you had cancer, which would get old. I’d be like, “Nope, I'm just really smart now.”

Ian: That was my trade-off. Well, and it's something else, to the question, it makes the question harder because of ALL hair. You know, it's something if it's just the hair on your head, but I don't know if you've ever seen people who purposely shave their eyebrows. It looks very strange, looks really weird with no eyebrows. SO that would probably be the weirdest part of it. It would like, why does that person not have eyebrows?  

Paige: That's true. You would look kind of creepy. And it's like, 25% smarter?

Ian: Yeah, I think the percentage for me would have to be higher, I think, for it to be worth it. So maybe if we're talking 50%, somewhere around there, it would probably be worth it. I'd have to make enough money or have that trade-off to be the hairless guy forever. So that one's a pretty challenging one there. What about you? Can you think of any strange hypothetical questions?

Paige: Okay, this one's a little weird. So, the scenario is that you start reading a book, you pick it up, and as you're reading, you discover that the book is about you and your life. And you get to the exact moment that you are now in your life—do you continue reading?

Ian: Oh, that's a good one. Wow, these kinds of questions are tough when you think about finding out your future—what's going to happen. I know it's a scary prospect so, I think for me personally, I don't think so. I think I'd probably shut the book. I don't think I'd want to turn the page and know not only just because it would influence the decisions you make in the present, but also, it would just mess with my mind too much. I'd worry too much about what was going to happen instead of what I should just do now or living in the present. Of course, it would be tempting—super tempting—but I think in the end, I would have to just say, “I can't. I don't want to know.”

Paige: I know, it'd be so hard to not read it—the temptation. I agree I feel like it's almost messing with fate if you read it and then the whole time, you're read that you get cancer, so you're trying to change that. But you can't—you're always going to get that. So, it's just a matter of how you get it, I guess.

Ian: It could cause a butterfly effect even. It could change other things in your life because you're trying to avoid something from happening and got something worse that maybe. You know, you just never know.

Paige: Yeah, and like you said, you wouldn't be living because you're worried about what's going to happen because you know your whole life story. Yeah, it would. I agree it would ruin the moment, for sure.

Ian: Especially it would be disappointing if you read a couple of pages and you find out something super lame happened or something really boring. You're like, “What? I’m gonna do that? What? No!”

Paige: Unmarried, working at Staples. Ten cats.

Ian: Yeah, the peak of your life. Damn, I had a lot to look forward to, but not now. Yeah, it could be challenging. Well, I have another good one here for you. So, here's the scenario: you are out in the woods, you're walking around—there's no one around—and you stumble upon a briefcase. And you open up the briefcase, and inside there's a million dollars in cash. Now, you look at the cash, you look around, there's nobody around for miles. So, you consider… do you leave the briefcase, do you leave the money? Or do you go ahead and take it home thinking, or knowing, no one's probably gonna see you?

Paige: It's very difficult, obviously, because a million dollars is a million dollars. I'm not a superstitious person but I feel like that's bad karma, bad omen, stealing something that's not yours. But I don't think I'd leave it. I think what I would do is I'd bring it to the police, and be like, “I found this in the woods, in this spot, I don't know whose it is.” I think I would do that because I don't know.

Ian: Wow, you're a good citizen.

Paige: I wouldn't take it only because I feel like it would come back to haunt me. Like, I don't know, in some way. I don't know, what would you do?

Ian: So, I think I've just seen too many mob movies—I've seen too many drug cartel movies and mafia movies. I probably would just, for that reason, I'd probably just leave it, I think. Again, it'd be very tempting because, like you said, a million dollars is a million dollars, nobody's around. Maybe I'll put 100 grand in my backpack or my pocket, something like that. I wouldn't take it to the police, I don't think. Honestly, I probably would just leave it. Paranoid me, I'd probably think that the drug cartel would track me down and kill me, or find me if I took their million dollars. I think I've just seen too many movies for it to be worth it.

Paige: I guess, my thought of taking it to the police, besides like, it wasn't necessarily being a good person. It was more like, maybe I'll get a reward.

Ian: That's pretty optimistic thinking.

Paige: I don't know, I mean, but yeah, you're right though. Now that I think about the movies, I also don't want to get murdered.

Ian: So yeah, it's like, is a million dollars worth getting killed by the mob?

Paige: But it would be hard to leave it and never know what happens to it. Or, you know,

Ian: Definitely.

Paige: Yeah. That's a really good one.

Ian: And just a quick reminder, if you are interested in taking private classes with Dynamic English, go ahead and check out our website at dynamicenglish.cl. And there you can sign up for private classes in your apartment, in your house, in your office. You can even now take classes online. Sitting on your couch, you can log on and practice English. It’s very easy. So, if you're interested, check us out also on social media through Facebook or Instagram.

Paige: Okay, I have one that's also very difficult. So, if you could sell your soul to the devil, what would you sell it for?

Ian: That's a good one. That's hard. Well, it would have to be something really worth it, obviously, if it's my soul. I'm thinking it'd be almost like I would use magic or something completely to make up for giving up my soul. It's funny because selling your soul is seen as a very greedy or selfish thing, usually, right? Because it’s in order to get exactly what you want. I think in this case, it would have to be something like, I can help family or friends in any way at the drop of a hat or like without any problem. Or, I'm trying to think of something really selfish that I would sell my soul for. Maybe the ability to pick up any skill I wanted ever? Learn, any language, without having to study it. Or have some incredible ability that could be really beneficial—see into the future. Something like we talked about, it's kind of superpower kind of things. Because again, we're talking about our soul. So, it has to be something really worth it. It can’t be something stupid like, “I want a million dollars,” something like that. So, I don't know—it's a really tough question.

Paige: Yeah, I mean, my initial thought, when I read this question was maybe being able to teleport, would be pretty cool. Or the other one is kind of like in Aladdin, like having a magic lamp and you could make wishes all the time. That would be pretty cool.

Ian: That would be awesome.

Paige: You know like, “Genie, get me Chipotle.”

Ian: Yeah, that would be pretty awesome—never have to leave your apartment. That will handle the teleportation too. You could either teleport to Chipotle or you could have it teleported to you, right? That is a good one.  Maybe, the ability to fly or like you're teleporting like you said. Some way of being able to travel super easily and fast would be nice.

Paige: Yeah, like you said it has to be epic if you're going to sell your soul. I mean, it has to be something really big, so I think I'm thinking superpower—something of magic. You're right.

Ian: Yeah, it's gotta be something really epic, like you said.

Paige: I mean, world hunger and the wars.

Ian: Those are the feel-good ones. But let's be honest, the selfish superpower ones, yeah.

Paige: It's my soul…

Ian: I mean, yeah—come on. It's my soul, not your soul.

Ian: Exactly. That's a good one. That's fine. Okay, here's one that's pretty funny, pretty interesting. So, if you could change one thing about the way the human body has evolved—human body parts, anything like that—what would you do? What kind of enhancements or adjustments would you make?

Paige: That's a good question. This one's tough. Something that I would love about the human body is if you could have babies about being pregnant. You know, I'm at an age where a lot of my friends are having babies and being pregnant sounds awful. They're like “Oh, I vomit a lot, my back hurts, I can't drink for nine months, I'm like on bedrest.” I'm just like, “Woof, I just want to have a baby and be like, oh this is easy.”

Ian: Yeah, can’t I just have it without any of the process?  

Paige: Giving labor, that looks painful.

Ian: Yeah, I have so much respect for women. I can’t imagine having to go through that. I didn't think about the question in that way, you make a really great point. That would be really nice.

Paige: What's your answer?

Ian: Mine was much more fantastical. I think it'd be cool if humans had another appendage. So, in terms of, like, two more arms, or a tail. I thought it'd be cool to have a tail. Like a good tail!

Paige: What would you do with a tail?  

Ian:  You can do a lot of things, it's like having another arm or gives you more balance. Have you ever watched Dragonball Z?

Paige: I didn't. No.  

Ian: Most of them, they had a monkey tail. It seems really useful. Imagine you’re typing on the computer and your tail is organizing your desk or doing something else. Or if you had four arms, think about everything you do. I could type an email and eat a sandwich at the same time. How incredible would that be?

Paige: Yeah, I'm just having these awesome images of you having a tail. It's pretty funny.

Ian: I always thought that could be really interesting.

Paige: Would your tail wag when you're happy?

Ian: Yes, I think so. I think you could attach emotions to it too. Happy, my tail starts wagging. Yeah, sad it droops down. So, I always thought that would be a good one, or having gills. Being able to breathe underwater, that would be pretty amazing.

Paige: That would be cool.

Ian: In a perfect world, we would have fish gills, four arms, and a tail That’s how I envision the human race in the future.

Paige: Speaking of funny ones, I have one for you. So, would you rather eat poop flavored chocolate or chocolate-flavored poop?

Ian: Oh, that's a good one. That's a really good one. Okay, poop flavored chocolate or chocolate-flavored poop? I have to say, the flavor is going to be worse if I choose poop flavored chocolate, but I won't be technically eating poop. So, I think in this case I'd have to go with eating the poop flavored chocolate.

Paige: I agree because it's gonna suck to eat but you know it's chocolate. Like, to eat actual poop? Ewww. And the question doesn't specify is it human? What kind of species is that?

 Ian: It could get really weird. 

Paige: So, I think we learned a little bit about each other, you know. Definitely some hard questions though. Again, everyone if you get lost, check out that transcript and audio guide online. Thanks for listening, stay safe everyone.

Ian: Keep an eye out for briefcases in the woods, okay? And we will catch you next time.

Paige: “Coffee with Gringos” was brought to you by Dynamic English, where you can learn English simply by using it. If you’re interested in taking classes or just want to learn more, go to our website at dynamicenglish.cl. Thanks for listening.

Key Vocabulary, Phrases & Slang:

 1.     hypothetical (adjective): something that is imagined, a possibility but not reality.

a.     My friends and I ask each other hypothetical questions all the time.

2.     permanently (adverb): lasting or remaining forever; never-ending.

a.     I don’t think I would like to live permanently without hair.

3.     to pull off (phrasal verb): to look good with a specific style of hair, clothing, etc.

a.     I don’t think I could ever pull off a nose ring.

4.     bald (adjective): without hair.

a.     His dad has been bald for years and always wears a hat.

5.     to get along (phrasal verb): to successfully look good in a certain style.

a.     Men can get along with being bald much better than women due to societal standards.

6.     buzzed (adjective): extremely short hair, almost bald.

a.     Military members usually have buzzed hair.

7.     trade-off (noun): compromise; something traded or exchanged for something else

a.     The trade-off for going to the concert was that I had to do housework all weekend.

8.     prospect (noun): the mental picture or imagining of a future event.

a.     The prospect of traveling after quarantine keeps me positive.

9.     to mess (verb): to cause distress, unrest, nervousness.

a.     I hate it when my brain messes with me when I am trying to go to sleep.

10.  tempting (adjective): attractive; appealing.

a.     It’s tempting to eat sugary foods when on a diet.

11.  fate (noun): outcome of someone’s life that is out of their control.

a.     I’m not a believer in fate, but some of my friends are.

12.  butterfly effect (noun): when a small change causes a complex effect. Also known as “chaos theory.”

a.     Changing the past would cause a butterfly effect in history.

13.  lame (adjective): uncool, boring, disappointing.

a.     It would be lame to find out that your life would be super boring in the future.

14.  Staples (noun, business): brand-name office supplies store chain in the United States.

a.     My first job was at Staples when I was in high school.

15.  peak (noun): the highest point of success.

a.     I’m at the peak of my physical condition after training for the marathon.  

16.  woods (noun): forest; an area with many trees.

a.     I love to go for hikes in the woods. It helps me to relax.

17.  to stumble upon (phrasal verb): to unexpectedly find something.

a.     I stumbled upon one of my favorite books at the store today.

18.  briefcase (noun): flat container or bag used to carry books, papers and computers.

a.     My dad has the same briefcase from when he was a young man.

19.  superstitious (adjective): believing in mythical or supernatural things.

a.     My sister is so superstitious that she thinks everything is bad luck.

20.  omen (noun):  sign, signal, warning.

a.     The dark sky was a bad omen for the travelers.  

21.  to haunt (verb): to feel disturbed about something for a long time.

a.     The ghost haunted them in the old house.  

22.   mob (noun): criminal organization, the Mafia.

a.     I would never want to take money from the mob!

23.  100 grand (noun, slang): one hundred thousand dollars.

a.     I’ll do the job for the 100 grand, but nothing less.

24.  to track down (phrasal verb): to search and find.

a.     The police tracked down the criminals using DNA evidence.

25.  reward (noun): money or something given for reporting missing or stolen items.

a.     I want to get a reward for what I found in the woods.

26.  soul (noun): the spiritual part of someone.

a.     Would you sell your soul for unlimited money?

27.  at the drop of a hat (idiom): quickly; easily; suddenly.

a.     It’s so hot. I would go to the beach at the drop of a hat.

28.  to teleport (verb): to transport across time and space instantly.     

a.     Being able to teleport would be amazing.

29.  Chipotle (noun): popular “tex-mex” fast food restaurant chain in the United States.

a.     Chipotle is the best after a long night of drinking.  

30.  epic (adjective): grand; significant; amazing.

a.     That movie was so epic! I want to watch it again.

31.  enhancement (noun): improvement.

a.     We should make some enhancements to the current system.  

32.  fantastical (adjective): imaginative; unrealistic.

a.     He has so many fantastical thoughts in his head.

33.  to wag (verb): to move quickly back and forth.

a.     The dog’s tail wags so fast that it knocks things over in the house.

34.  gills (noun): breathing organs for animals that live in water; organs that allow breathing underwater.

a.     Having gills would be a great enhancement to the human body.

35.  to envision (verb): to imagine, to think.

a.     We envision a world where everyone has their own monkey tail.