History Main / NotActuallyTheUltimateQuestion

'''Sterling Spade:''' I mean , are we a product of some cosmic coincidence, or is there a being far greater than we could ever imagine? Or maybe we're puppets controlled by the universe to fulfill a purpose we never knew existed? A little show for a bored intergalactic being to entertain themselves and whoever is out there every single day. Cause, I don't know, Cinnamon. But that keeps me up at night.\\

* Episode 5 of ''Manga/YuruYuri'' starts with one character being invited out in the middle of the night by her love interest and dragged all over town by her and others to line up in front of a huge building (each cut has her give a bemused "eh?" in hilarious contrast to the calm, collected others). She finally asks, "Just when are you going to explain this to me? What on Earth am I doing here?"

* In the third novel of ''Literature/TheDaggerAndTheCoin'' series, Cithrin is sent to train with a banker and wants to make a good impression. Cithrin was raised by a shrewd banker who [[SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining trained her to discern complex economic and political issues into seemingly simple and unrelated situations, but offered no love and left her emotionally stunted]]. So, when her new mentor asks Cithrin why she gave her a vase full of flowers, Cithrin gives a long and detailed answer about how gifts create a relationship of obligation in a different/superior way to money. At this point, the mentor sadly comments that she gave the gift so Cithrin would like her, and Cithrin is horrified at having revealed [[NotGoodWithPeople how bad she is at normal human interactions]].

** Deconstructed in one episode where the ''point'' is to ask these questions until [[ArmorPiercingQuestion the questionee starts revealing things that are actually relevant]]:

** And also inverted by the episode "Comes the Inquisitor", in which the titular inquisitor interrogates Delenn with questions of this type, responding to mundane answers with ElectricTorture:

** The above are 2 of 5 questions pivotal to the series which invert this trope, they are presented as the ultimate questions, each asked by a different race. Which one is answered and how it is answered is very important... and NEVER ask the question from one race to another.

'''Lorien's Question:''' ''[the most important, as its asked by the 1[-[[superscript:st]]-] sentient being in the galaxy]'' Do you have anything worth living for?

-->'''Sheridan''': You know, I just had a thought. You've been back and forth to your homeworld so many times since you got here -- how do I know you're the same Vorlon? Inside that encounter suit, you could be anyone.
-->'''Kosh''': I have always been here.
-->'''Sheridan''': Oh yeah? You said that about me, too.
-->'''Kosh''': Yes.
-->'''Sheridan''': I really hate it when you do that.
-->'''Kosh''': Good.

** In the episode "Sanctuary", Faith has agreed to stay with Angel and start [[TheAtoner atoning]] for her (many) sins:

** In "War Zone", Angel does this deliberately while PerpSweating.

* In the ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' episode "Out of Gas", Mal tries to convince Zoe that [[TheAllegedCar Serenity]] is a decent ship:

* Pops up in ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' during ''Film/TheIncredibleMeltingMan''.

* ''Series/{{Lost}}''

* This is very common in the Literature/{{Discworld}} books.

* This happens in a serious and plot-relevant way in Creator/GeneWolfe's Literature/BookOfTheNewSun series. The protagonist asks for "directions to the garden," which is misinterpreted as a request for ultimate enlightenment by an entity capable of obliging.

* ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'':

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiz6F8qjK9Q Jay-Z misinterpreting Nardwuar the Human Serviette's "Who are you?"]]