#364. The right question is more important than the answer

Everybody wants to have the answer to everyone’s question. The person with all the answers always appears to be the smartest person in the room. Is he(or she) really the smartest person in the room? I don’t think so.
The smartest people are usually the ones that ask the right questions at the right time, even if they don’t have the answer. The people that use the right questions to test the boundaries and learn and grow are successful. The person that asks questions is attempting to learn.
This is why small children can be seen as quite annoying to older and more developed people. Small children ask questions. Small children have been learning since birth how to survive in the world. They learn their native language. They get accustomed to their culture. Once they feel comfortable to lean on someone older instead of figuring it out themselves, they ask questions. Their favorite question word: why?
Small children are usually the best learners, because they don’t stop asking questions until they fully understand. A child will ask who, what, when, where, and why until they understand. But someone older, will be satisfied with the who or what, and immediately connect that with their own experiences and form an opinion. Children learn deeply and effectively, which allows them to be functioning adults when they get older.
The right question is more important than the answer. The answer you get isn’t always going to be right. The answer you think is right isn’t always right.
Furthermore, the answer is a dead-end. The question is open-ended. The question helps you achieve higher understanding. The answer doesn’t always do that.
We don’t have all the answers in life. Human understanding can only take us so far. Ask the right question if you truly want to grow.

