Seriously, what is it.
Is the sentence above a question? Is it possible to pose a question without saying it out loud?
We have definitions for what defines a question linguistically, but at its heart, what is it and what does it actually help us to do?
This may seem like a frivolous or overly philosophical prompt, but think about it: chances are that you have been asking questions for as long as you can remember, but have you ever once stopped to wonder what you are actually doing when you are them?
From basic inquiries like, “What's your name,” “May I go to the bathroom,” and “What will I eat for lunch?” To harder ones like “Am I happy?” and “What kind of impact do I want to make?” Questions are as ubiquitous as the air we breathe, even Socrates, a man who dedicated his life to questioning, never truly questioned… a question. 1
As Leaders, we have to seek the paths that will help us to better serve our communities, no matter how scarcely traveled. I believe that no matter how we define them, questions are about exploration, which means that we will need to understand them if we want to go far along our chosen paths.
Questions help us explore thoughts, ideas, and the world around us; without them, we wouldn't push ourselves and others to think, analyze and reflect on our beliefs and perspectives. Are there ways to understand which kinds of questions help us explore different thoughts? How does questioning affect the way that our brains make connections? Is there actually such a thing as a bad question?
I’m not sure about that last one, but I do know that if any of these inquiries popped into your mind, then you’re asking the right question.
As more questions (or answers) pop up, feel free to drop them in the chat through the link below!
Here is a fantastic article about questions that I started reading when brainstorming for this post: https://www.philosophersmag.com/essays/186-what-is-a-question