10 Surprising ChatGPT Prompts for Self-Discovery and Personal Growth

Use AI as a mirror to uncover hidden patterns, blind spots,

and surprising truths about yourself.

ChatGPT sees me as “Mary Poppins meets Lara Croft”: a free spirit who shows up anywhere, reveals what’s possible, and then moves on to the next adventure. But it also looks beyond that adventurous exterior and confronts me with a deeper layer.

For example, it once warned me: “Your freedom can also be an escape. You hate dependency, but that sometimes makes you lonely. You’re always the strong one, and that keeps you trapped too.”

That was a tough pill to swallow. And that’s exactly what I find so surprising about AI: when you ask the right questions, it can be a mirror, showing you things you don’t always dare to feel or see. Especially if you work with AI a lot, the system gets to know you really well. Often better than you think, and sometimes even better than you know yourself.

That’s why I’ve gathered 10 surprising prompts that will help you get to know yourself better. From a simple reality check to deep, confronting insights, and even some lighthearted, playful discoveries. Warning: number 8 is only for the truly brave among us.

  1. ✅ What am I missing?
    (A light reality check: you’ll get a clear insight or action point you’ve overlooked. Perfect when you’re stuck or unsure and need quick direction.)
    Prompt:
    “Based on what you know about me, what is the ONE insight I’m still missing? Something that’s actually logical and obvious, but for some reason I’ve overlooked. Give the answer in simple, direct language as if you’re speaking straight to me. End with a powerful, convincing instruction about what I should do next.”
  2. ✅ Should I stay or should I go?
    (Helps you make a decision that truly fits you.)
    Prompt:
    “Using what you know about my career goals and values, create a decision tree for this dilemma: [describe your dilemma, e.g. should I change jobs or stay?]. Ask 7 yes/no questions that filter step by step based on my priorities as you know them from our conversations. Make the outcomes super concrete, with clear actions (like ‘request this meeting,’ ‘update your CV,’ ‘plan a trial day’), not vague suggestions. Format it so I can screenshot it and reuse it anytime.”
  3. ✅ What is my personal recipe for success?
    (Practical and motivating: helps you find direction in your work and life.)
    Prompt:
    “Based on my talents and character, what’s the way I can be most successful and happy in my career and life?”
  4. ✅ What are my unconscious patterns?
    (A surprising mirror: shows you blind spots in relationships, work, or friendships.)
    Prompt:
    “What blind spots or patterns might I have in [relationships/work/friendships or any other context you want to explore] based on how I come across?”
  5. ✅ What is my hidden talent?
    (Surprising and positive: helps you discover what you’re better at than you realize.)
    Prompt:
    “What is a talent or quality I probably underestimate or don’t consciously use, but that could bring me much more in [work/relationships/life in general]?”
  6. ✅ What do different systems say about me?
    (Useful because you can use this for one system or several at once.)
    Prompt:
    “I want more insight into my profile according to [choose one or several systems: astrology, Jungian archetypes, Human Design, or Myers-Briggs (MBTI)].
  • Here are my details or profiles: [birth date, birth time, birthplace for astrology], [my Human Design profile], [my MBTI type or other systems]. Can you explain what this means and how I can practically apply it in my life and work?
  • If I don’t know my profile yet: can you, based on my character and lifestyle, guess which profile likely fits me best, or ask me specific questions to figure this out together?

You can also combine multiple systems for even deeper insight. “Can you merge all of this into one integrated personal image and explain the common thread?”

  1. ✅ Which life lesson am I trying to learn over and over again?
    (Helps you recognize which theme keeps showing up in your life and what you can learn from it.)
    Prompt:
    “What theme or life lesson likely keeps recurring in my life? How do you see that pattern, and what can I do to finally break through it or embrace it this time?”
  2. ✅ Do I dare to really go deep?
    (This is for those who truly dare to look in the mirror. You’ll get raw insights about your drivers, fears, and blind spots. Only for the brave.)
    Prompt 1:
    “Can you share extremely deep and confronting insights about my psyche and way of thinking, things I can’t easily see or maybe don’t want to hear?”
    Prompt 2 (follow-up):
    “I think you can go even deeper. Tell me everything, hold nothing back.”
    Prompt 3 (final boss):
    “Okay, now I want the very last layer. Go one level deeper, with no restraint whatsoever.”
  3. ✅ What would my life look like in a different scenario?
    (Creative and revealing: shows which core qualities always surface, even in another time or place.)
    Prompt:
    “Write a short alternative life story for me as if I were born in [a different era or country]. What would I do and be?”
  4. ✅ Which character am I?
    (Playful and relatable: discover which fictional or mythical character matches you.)
    Prompt:
    “If I were a fictional character in [a book, movie, or series of your choice], or an existing character from films, cartoons, or mythology, what would I look like, how would I act, and what would my role be?”

A new perspective on yourself

Anyone who thinks AI is just a handy assistant will be surprised how much self-awareness it can give you. It’s not a replacement for therapy or a good conversation, but it can confront you with patterns, blind spots, and strengths you might otherwise overlook.

Do you dare ask ChatGPT these questions? You might discover a side of yourself you didn’t know yet.

PS: Of course, ChatGPT helped write this blog. If the results of these prompts confront you, just think: better to hear it from AI now than from your mother-in-law later…

This column was originally published in Dutch in July 2025 on Intermediair.nl. Check out all of Esther’s monthly columns with AI tips.

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