I recently read an interview with Barbara Walters where she described the grief she still gets for asking Katherine Hepburn, “If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?” Now, she didn’t really ask her that (well, sorta), but that’s another story. What I want to know is, where did that question come from? Who first asked, “if you were a tree…”??? Or at least what’s the earliest recorded instance of this question?
I don’t know a name, but this is a type of question used by psychologist to gain some kind of insight into the personalities of their patients.
An answer like, “I’d be a hangin’ tree, with strong branches for the rope”, might result in a change of treatment.
Questions like those are icebreakers, used to make people think about themselves and express their emotions and self-image in a way that might indirectly hint at things they’d never say aloud. Simply enough, it’s a foothold, something to build a conversation around. Even a non-answer (`Have you ever been told to fuck off?’) can give the other person something to go on.
Hi sneil. Welcome to the boards, enjoy your stay.
I would be very surprised if this question has a factual answer that can be proven. This type of question has long been used by HR in interviews (I was asked once if I were a fruit what type of fruit would I be.) My guess is that, who started it and when would be hard to determine.
Genus: IMHOIUS Species: MPSIMSICUM