You can tell a man is clever by his answers. You can tell a man is wise by his questions. – Naguib Mahfouz
How often do you set some time aside to ask yourself some questions, and contemplate your answers?
What does that mean?
Clever answers are one of my favorite things. But, according the quote, all that clever answers tells us is how clever the person providing the answers happens to be. And clever, the quote implies, is different from being wise.
Wisdom, the quote says, can be determined by the questions that are asked by the person. Wise questions get to the heart of the issue, and help to bring the important aspects to the fore. Wise questions promote discussion and encourage thinking. They also tend to be open ended.
Why are questions important?
Questions are the primary way humans learn. If you’ve ever been around a toddler, you know the favorite question is “Why?” It doesn’t matter what the topic is, or what is being discussed. Every statement the parent makes is punctuated by the little one asking “Why?”
As we grow older, we sharpen our wits as well as our questions. When we want a very specific answer, we ask a closed question, one which results in a specific (often yes or no) answer. This is the primary tool of the parent of a teenager.
However, when trying to learn, the open ended question tends to work better, so long as the person answering can stay on topic. When you want to know how something works, you can ask a very specific question about a specific part you don’t understand, or you can ask a broad question about the function of the overall system.
The questions apply when asked of experts, as well as when asked of the self. Why did I do that? What did I hope to accomplish? When will I learn? These are all questions asked of the expert on you, that is, of yourself. This is introspection, the examination of the self, and is the heart of an examined life.
Where can I apply this in my life?
There are plenty of ways to ask a question to gain information. “Would you agree?” is a question that ends with an affirmative or negative response. There is no following the answer, unless it’s with a painfully bland “Why or why not?” On the other hand, the question “What do you think about that?” cannot be answered with a simple yes or no, but requires some level of thought for you to come up with an answer of substance.
The same applies whether you are asking questions of others, them asking questions of you, or you asking questions of yourself. You probably have plenty of practice with the first two, asking questions of others or answering them yourself. If nothing else, growing up and going to school gave you plenty of practice.
Of more interest to me is what questions you ask yourself. When was the last time you asked yourself “Why?” I don’t care what the topic was, just how long it’s been since you asked it. What of the other probing questions (Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How), also known as the Five W’s (plus an H)?
I ask myself these questions any time I find I have behaved in a manner other than I expected, or in a manner that is different from what I think my best self should have done. This introspection allows me to try to find out what my motivations are, and try to figure out what can be done to get better behavior out of myself next time.
One technique I used, years ago, to begin introspection was to assign each question to a day of the week (taking one day off). Each evening before bed, I would ask that one question of myself about everything that happened that day. My choices for food, what I chose to do or to not do, the clothes I selected to wear, what I chose to watch on TV.
Yes, some of the questions seem kind of pointless. Clothes choices? TV viewing? But those can be throw-away questions, warm-ups if you prefer. It gives you repetitions and some easy things to do as you get started into the more serious topics.
The journey to the center of your mind begins with a single question. Will you ask it? By asking and answering these questions, you can learn more about yourself. This will allow you to begin to determine what parts of your life you want to keep, and what you will change.
It’s time to start designing your life, not just cruising through it on autopilot. Never underestimate the power of a question. What question will you ask yourself today?
From: Twitter, @thehrgoddess
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/naguibmahf377123.html
Photo by Monica Arellano-Ongpin
