“If you ask a stupid question, you may feel stupid; if you don’t ask a stupid question, you remain stupid.”
– Tony Rothman
Are you willing to ask what feels like a stupid question in a room full of people?
If not, then you’re missing out on a lot of personal growth.
Because the only way to become not stupid… is to ask stupid questions…
Here’s how Jordan Peterson puts it in this short video clip…
“If you’re in a crowd and you ask a stupid question, 80% of the people in the crowd have the same question. They’re just too cowardly to ask. But you ask and then someone actually tells you, you never have to ask that question again. You’re no longer stupid, so if you ask enough stupid questions because you’re honest, well, then you’re not stupid anymore.”
Heck, maybe you’re even smart. 😉
Don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions — even if everyone is watching. It’s the only way to learn.
Here are a few ways to get started.
How Does That Work? — Maybe you assume everyone else in the room knows how it works. So what? If you don’t know how it works and you want to understand it, then ask!
Why Should We Do That? — “Why?” is one of the most important and powerful questions we often forget to ask. Why should we do that? Why are we doing that? These questions get to the core motivation behind an activity.
What is That? — Maybe you don’t understand a term someone used, a phrase, or an entire sentence. So ask them what that means!