ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Leading question

A leading question is when someone asks you something in a way that makes you feel like you should answer a certain way. It's like when a grown-up asks a kid, "Don't you want some ice cream? It's your favorite, right?" They are not really asking if the kid wants ice cream, they are trying to make the kid say yes.

In the same way, sometimes people ask questions that include information or opinions that influence how someone answers. For example, if someone says, "Isn't it terrible how expensive everything is these days?" the person they are talking to might feel like they have to say yes, even if they don't really think things are that bad.

It's important to be aware of leading questions, because they can make it hard to get honest answers. If you want to know what someone really thinks, it's better to ask a neutral question like, "What do you think about the cost of things these days?" This way, they can give their own honest opinion, without feeling pressured to answer a certain way.
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