Do you ever feel like people around you don’t truly know you? Maybe you only know basic facts about the coworkers you’ve been working with for years, or you never scratch beneath the surface with a certain family member. Many conversations stay surface level, and it can be hard to go deeper. One way to start is to look at the questions you are asking others. We  often don’t give the people around us the option to be more open. People are accustomed to reciting pre-formed responses to common questions like “How are you?” instead of truly answering it honestly, so instead you might ask “How have things been going for you lately?” or “How are you feeling?” Try open-ended questions like “What were you up to this weekend?” instead of close-ended questions like “Did you have a good weekend?” Another thing to consider is that asking people about their feelings and inner-world often results in deeper responses than asking about their actions and outer-world. For instance, instead of asking someone what they like to do in the city or town you both live in, you might ask what about the city/ town they connect with the most. Getting creative with your questions often allows for more creative, deeper answers.