Asking “good” questions has always been something that I’ve wanted to do in class. You know, the kinds of questions that make other people respond with, “Good question!” Even though we universally claim that some questions are better than others, what exactly makes a question “good"? And on the other side, what makes a question “dumb"?
I believe that “dumb” questions are labeled negatively because they aren’t always the most well thought-out questions. “Dumb” questions are often ones that seem rather shallow, as they skim over the big picture of the professor’s explanations. “Dumb” questions fall under the category of being irrelevant.
With lecture halls being magnitudes greater than the size of high school classrooms, it can be intimidating to ask or answer anything out loud. Even though you may be lost within the crowd, you’ll still somehow be labeled as that person who asks all of the “dumb” questions. In other instances, the fear stems from the judgement of only one other person’s opinion of you: your professor.
I’m not advising that you should analyze every question that you ask someone, but rather think and see if it’s a question that could benefit your own or someone else’s understanding of a concept. Are these questions that will make other people stop for a second and think about as well? Is there something about this topic that I genuinely just don’t understand?
Many of these fears stem from other people’s opinions of you. Often their perceptions play a large role in how you perceive yourself. It’s weird to acknowledge that, but it’s often always true to a certain extent. So even though questions are asked all the time, asking a question is still a brave thing to do as it can change the perception that someone else has of you. You’re putting yourself out there about the things that you struggle with, while allowing yourself to be potentially vulnerable to criticism or judgement.
It’s this fear of asking “dumb” questions or responding with a “dumb” answer that leaves so many of us silent.
So for the people who want to ask questions, but are afraid to let them be heard: be honest to yourself. If you’re going to get an education, why should you create a barrier for yourself that puts you at a disadvantage? Putting aside your ego for a few minutes can temporarily cure you of asking questions openly. Just think about how good it will feel to really understand something, rather than appearing like you know it all while actually understanding almost nothing. Whether you ask during class or at office hours, I encourage you to explore topics and get a more in-depth perspective. So now I leave you with this question: what questions will you ask this week to challenge yourself to learn more?
