The Power of Questions
Are questions more important than answers? It seems the answer is just a search engine away. It is undeniable the bounty of the web can be found in the liberation of knowledge and answers. Yet, as Picasso quipped, “computers are useless — they only give you answers.” This may seem like a throwaway line but lurking below the surface is a profound point.
The quest for understanding and knowledge — whether it be of the scientific or humanistic variety — starts with a question. Think of the question Darwin asked that lead to the theory of evolution, “How do new kinds of life come into existence?” Or the thought experiment Einstein proposed that lead to the theory of special relativity, “what would it be like to run alongside a light beam?”
Questions are drivers of knowledge. One of the keys to discovery is to embrace uncertainty and not knowing. From this place questions can then be designed to induce Eureka moments. Learning emerges from the interface between the unknown and what we already know. Questions are the glue in this dynamic tension. The knowledge quest builds upon prior knowledge but proceeds through new lines of inquiry. “What would I observe if I pointed a telescope at celestial objects?” A question like this motivated Galileo to do just that. While he didn’t invent the telescope he was the first person to telescopically observe the moon and Jupiter. His observations signaled the death knell to the earth-centered view of the universe.
Research has shown that preschool children, on average, ask their parents about 100 questions a day. By middle school that well of questions has pretty much dried up. The keystone to fostering inquiry are learning environments that encourage free-form play and exploration. Most preschools are relatively unstructured and this helps kids maintain their disposition to question and explore in the spirit of play. However, as kids progress from grade to grade free-form play and exploration are eclipsed by highly structured environments.
The psychologist, Alison Gopnik, has said that we inadvertently stymie paths to exploration and inquiry by teaching too much and too soon. She says that kids learn by questioning, experimenting and exploring, in much the same way scientists do. Yet many educators argue that our current system of education does not promote or actively teach how to question.
It may come as no surprise that the decline in questioning can be correlated with the decline in engagement in school. Yet doubt and questioning reflect the ethos of our time. As the author Seth Godin writes “our new civic and professional life is all about doubt. About questioning the status quo, questioning marketing or political claims, and most of all questioning what’s next.”
Questions are powerful tools for fostering emotional intelligence, building trust, cross-pollinating ideas, and fueling innovation. A questioning orientation is a natural by-product of an engaged and curious mind. Choice, experimentation, play, and exploration stimulate curiosity, which in turn spark questions. My wife, who teaches 3rd grade, told me a story that exemplifies the power of questions. She was having students work on poems and they were stuck creatively. She then relayed an anecdote about our four-year old son who asked, “can you eat rainbows?” By simply posing that question to her class their creative blocks were vanquished.
Knowing how to ask the right question can provide novel perspectives and open unforeseen vistas and pathways. In times of change those with a disposition to question, experiment and explore will discover and invent the future. The question we should all be asking ourselves is: do we want to be leaders or followers?
This article was originally published on Medium.