QUESTIONS:
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Look closely at the questions you and others ask.
What questions are you asking about your life, work, relationships, country, beliefs?
Thinking is driven by questions. The quality of your questions determines the quality of your thinking. Superficial questions lead to superficial thinking. Deep questions lead to deep thinking. Insightful questions lead to insightful thinking.
Good thinkers question the status quo. They know that things are often different from the way they are presented. They go beyond shallow or "loaded" questions. Their questions help them solve their problems and make better decisions.
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Clarifying
Your Questions
"How do you know so much about everything?" was asked of a very wise and intelligent man; and the answer was, "By never being afraid or ashamed to ask questions as to anything of which I was ignorant."
~ J. Abbott
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Are you a "Questioner"
Examine the extent to which you are a questioner, or one who simply goes along with others.
Many of us have learned not to question things. Just go along with what you are told to do. Sit down and shut up. Stand in a line. But good thinkers always question what doesn't make sense to them. They aren't afraid to speak up.
Some useful strategies for using questions to your advantage:
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Just Ask...
Whenever you don't understand something, ask a question to clarify precisely what you do not understand. Never answer a question unless you understand what it is asking.
Whenever you are dealing with a complex problem, write out the question in several different ways (being as precise as you can) until you hit on the way that best addresses the problem. Do you need to look at the question from multiple viewpoints?
Whenever you plan to discuss an important issue or problem, write down in advance the most significant questions you need to address in the discussion. Be ready to change the main question if necessary.
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Improve your questions
Improve your thinking
Some questions you can ask to improve your thinking:
- What precise question am I trying to answer?
- What are some related questions I need to consider?
- Is there a more important question I should be addressing?
- Does this question capture the real issue I am facing?
- What information do I need to gather to answer the question?
- What is my point of view? Do I need to consider another?
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