Are questions more important than answers?

 

Why am I writing this post?  Why are you reading it?  Why does this post open by posing so many questions?  Are these questions just a rudimentary literary device to grab your attention?  In a sense I’m guilty as charged.  However, the inquisitive opening also points to the fundamental importance of formulating questions themselves.  Questions are not just useful for piquing interest, neither are they just about obtaining answers.  The art of asking questions is about so much more than finding answers.  Asking questions and becoming more questioning are an important feature of what it means to be truly educated. 

Whilst many definitions of wisdom or education exist the notion of questioning is common to many and can be invoked from many others.  Einstein was quoted as saying the most important thing in life was to ‘never stop questioning’. Romanian playwright Eugene Ionesco suggested that ‘it is not the answer that enlightens but the question”.  Voltaire recommended that we ‘judge a man by his questions and not his answers’. 

If asked to imagine an educated person people will often describe someone who has all the answers and can answer questions comprehensively, with facility.   The truly educated person, however, will have developed skill in asking questions and knowing where to find answers.  As such an irony arises in that the truly educated person might be posed a question which in turn can lead to an ‘unfolding’ of other questions and as a result may struggle to provide answers at all. 

Notwithstanding the modern commodification of higher degrees, it would be fair to say that candidates pursuing PhDs would be regarded as some of the most educated people around presently.  What is a PhD though if not a four-year exercise in finding the right question and learning the means to present it in a way that is novel, creative, and usually provides something approaching an answer?

Outside of the academic world there are many professions that necessitate a questioning approach.  Consider the journalist who has one question to ask a politician or interviewee.  They will have spent considerable time thinking about the subject and possibly have a ‘hunch’ about the answer they will get or that will provide the basis for a strong article.  They will also know that their interviewee may not want to give away anything that can be taken out of context or can be used against them especially if they are conscious of political repercussions.  As such their questions need to be razor sharp or approach the subject from an unexpected angle.  Or what of the counsellor who spends much of their time listening to a person and must avoid many pitfalls in questioning a client.  Too many closed questions will shut down the conversation, but the right questions can aid the process and help the person explore the deep reaches of the mind.   

Given that questions are one of the keys to approaching things in an educated manner it is important to reflect on how to ask better questions or become more questioning.  Two techniques to consider include the 5w’s of Journalism and the open question. 

The five w’s are simple to remember what, when, who, why and where.  These are good questions to bear in mind when trying to sketch out a situation or describe it.  Next time you have to tell someone a story it might be useful to ask yourself these questions before doing so.  The open question is best understood as one that is not closed, allowing a yes or no response.  This is a question that allows conversation to flow, to explore someone’s experience or to elicit feedback. 

Questions are also key in solving problems, and we’re all interested in solving problems.  However, the key area where people fall down in problem solving is by not defining the problem correctly.  As such things only become more difficult when we can’t figure out what the question or problem is.  This signifies a deeper purpose or role for questioning.  By thinking of life in terms of questions and answers we are might be better able to navigate it.  The ultimate question for many people is what the meaning of their life is but also may be one that many are frightened to ask. 

So next time you feel like you’re unsure or are beset by doubt maybe don’t come down to hard on yourself.  Being unsure might just mean you have a questioning mentality, an inquisitive approach to life, or are simply unwilling to accept things at face value.  Now you know this the question is what are you going to do next?