Why questions are more important than answers - Teach Peace Now (2024)

If someone told you, we learn more from asking questions than finding answers, would you believe them? According to the ideas of Socrates as passed down to us by Plato, it is only through continual questioning and refinement of our ideas and thoughts in discussion with others that we discover the true nature of what we truly value and hold dear.

Socratic questioning forces us to face our preconceived beliefs and cognitive biases. For example, how do we know something is a chair or a dog? This video demonstrates that it is not a simple prospect.

Socratic questioning allows us to explore concepts often learned in childhood. By asking questions like “What is wisdom?” What is love?” “What is peace?” “How can we overcome racism?” and continually questioning the answers we come up with, we begin to understand ourselves and break through cognitive biases.

According the Christopher Phillips, the Socratic process of give and take is one that can help build group identity and foster understanding of different perspectives.

Why questions are more important than answers - Teach Peace Now (1)The Socrates Cafe movement and the Philosophers’ Club book for kids(Spanish version) by Christopher Phillips brings this approach to thinking to modern diverse audiences. According to Phillips, children are particularly open to this form of dialogue because they are not yet afraid to speak their minds and follow ideas down twisting pathways.

Besides the Socratic Cafe approach which is very open-ended, there are several other organized formats for Socratic-like discussions. The National Deliberation Forums provide a very structured approach to discussions of major issues. The following video explains how to use the Socratic Method as a teaching approach in the classroom.

But you don’t have to be a teacher to use this method. If you are a parent, try asking questions as a way to develop critical thinking in your children. In work situations, consider using the format as a way to understand each other better. Here are some guidelines to follow.

  • Socratic inquiry is not teaching, but rather a way to deepen your own understanding of the world and your values.
  • The Socratic inquiry involves a shared dialogue. You ask a thought-provoking question. Your discussion partners ask questions back.
  • The Socratic inquiry works best in a relaxed atmosphere where participants are willing to suffer some discomfort and struggle with no perceived goal except to learn and enjoy the give and take.
  • For best success, choose open-ended questions that do not have one right answer, and remember the process is designed for your personal growth not for changing other people’s minds.

Try the Socratic Method by joining in this week’s discussion.

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Why questions are more important than answers - Teach Peace Now (2024)

FAQs

Why is the question more important than the answer? ›

Questions are important because they help us create a framework for understanding and discovery, whereas answers are (at most) temporary fixes to our problems. Both questions and answers must be updated over time as things change.

Why is it important to ask questions instead of simply agreeing and believing? ›

Here's why asking questions is important: It helps you uncover the challenges you're facing and generate better solutions to solve those problems. We're all spending too much time and energy solving the first iteration of a challenge with the first idea we have.

Why is questioning important in teaching? ›

Questions stimulate discussion and creative and critical thinking, as well as determine how students are thinking. Questions help students retain material by putting into words otherwise unarticulated thoughts.

Why is questioning important in our life? ›

It helps us identify gaps in our understanding and make sure we're on the right track when finding solutions. They also help us engage in meaningful conversations, build trust, and develop relationships. Asking questions might sound like just a simple thing, but it is still one of the most important skills in life.

Why why is the most important question? ›

Although suffering comes from the pursuit of why, from traversing the wasteland, beyond it lies far more than a mind could understand in a lifetime, and so it is in this discovery that 'why? ' becomes the single most powerful and important question someone could ask.

What are the benefits of asking questions rather than proposing answers? ›

Questions are useful tools, they open lines of communications; give us information; improve interactions, facilitate analysis and diagnostics of a situation; allow us to propose our own ideas; help to understand the priorities of others; stimulate motivation to learn; motivate creativity and more importantly scientific ...

What is the power of questioning? ›

The power of constantly questioning is that it triggers ideas for many new products, services and experiences. Yet, most of us don't leverage the power of asking the right questions. Today, when everyone feels like they're always short of time, our questions have become transactional and close-ended.

Why is questioning such an important? ›

Effective questioning is not just a tool; it is the cornerstone of leadership. It empowers leaders to gather vital information, explore diverse viewpoints, and unearth hidden opportunities. The right questions can spark critical thinking and facilitate meaningful discussions among team members.

Why is questioning essential? ›

We know that effective questioning helps learners to consolidate, deepen and extend their thinking and learning. It encourages them to think hard, not just about answers but about the learning process itself. It is easy to see why questioning is an essential part of the learning journey.

What is the advantage of questioning method of teaching? ›

Benefits of Effective Questioning
  • Encourages students to engage with their work and each other.
  • Helps students to think out loud.
  • Facilitates learning through active discussion.
  • Empowers students to feel confident about their ideas.
  • Improves speaking and listening skills.
  • Builds critical thinking skills.
Dec 31, 2018

Why is questioning considered to be an important skill? ›

Questioning is the key to gaining more information and without it interpersonal communications can fail. Questioning is fundamental to successful communication - we all ask and are asked questions when engaged in conversation.

Why is questioning the ultimate learning skill? ›

Effective self-questioning can improve students' awareness and control of their thinking, which in turn can improve their learning. It can improve long-term retention of knowledge and skills, as well as the ability of students to apply and transfer the knowledge and skills they learn.

Why is the question "why" important? ›

The simple answer is that “why” questions are useful and provide a reason. For example, professionals that work in product development may find that asking why they are doing things is an effective means of building understanding before digging deeper into the details.

Why is a questioning mindset important? ›

But as humans, we like to explore and a fundamental pillar of exploration is questioning. The world around us is changing and businesses are also changing rapidly. As decision-makers struggle to understand such a world, they need help and one way to help business decision-makers directly is by asking better questions!

What is a famous quote about asking questions? ›

Quotes
  • A prudent question is one-half of wisdom. Francis Bacon.
  • One who never asks either knows everything or nothing. ...
  • It's very flattering to ask others about matters they're little qualified to discuss. ...
  • Why and ""how"" are words so important that they cannot be too often used. ...
  • The smart ones ask when they don't know.

Why is a question better than a statement? ›

Questions naturally require and spark thinking at deeper levels than just statements. For example, if I instructed you to develop a back-up plan for the business, even if you're technically proficient, you only see through your own eyes and your perspective is limited. It's based only on your interpretation.

What is it called when a question has more than one answer? ›

Multiple choice questions are fundamental survey questions which provides respondents with multiple answer options. Primarily, multiple choice questions can have single select or multi select answer options.

Why is the so what question important? ›

"So what?" might sound a bit snarky, but it's an important question to ask yourself while writing. Adding the answer to a thesis statement and then pulling that answer through the paper to the conclusion is the difference between an adequate paper and a truly good one.

Why is it important to answer the question? ›

We ask questions in order to learn more information about something, and we answer questions to provide more information. Asking and answering questions is not only a part of how we learn, but it is also a part of our social skills; we ask and answer questions to be polite and build and maintain relationships.

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