No such thing as a stupid question

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"(There's) no such thing as a stupid question" is a common phrase, that states that the quest for knowledge includes failure, and that just because one person may know less than others, they should not be afraid to ask rather than pretend they already know. In many cases, multiple people may not know, but are too afraid to ask the "stupid question"; the one who asks the question may in fact be doing a service to those around them.

Contents

Origins

"There are no stupid questions"

Carl Sagan, in his work The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark said: "There are naïve questions, tedious questions, ill-phrased questions, questions put after inadequate self-criticism. But every question is a cry to understand the world. There is no such thing as a dumb question". [1]

A 1970 Dear Abby column in The Milwaukee Sentinel said: "There is no such thing as a stupid question if it's sincere. Better to ask and risk appearing stupid than to continue on your ignorant way and make a stupid mistake. [2]

"There is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid answers". [3] Presentation Skills That Will Take You to the Top says that within the business world, the adage holds true. The book adds "a question might be uninformed, tangential, or seemingly irrelevant, but, whether the presenter perceives it to be stupid or not, every audience member has every right to ask any sort of question". [3]

In the Line of Fire: How to Handle Tough Questions – When It Counts suggests that there are no stupid questions, rather there are "tangential questions", and that these should be dealt with swiftly and effectively. [4]

Designing Field Studies for Biodiversity Conservation says "there's no such thing as a stupid question, as long as it ends in a question mark". [5]

Or as South Park's Mr. Garrison once taught his class, “Remember, there are no stupid questions, just stupid people.” [6] [7]

"There are stupid questions"

The article Ink Out Loud: There's no such thing as a stupid question,' and other ailments lavender cures [8] defines stupid questions as:

Questions cited as stupid that were asked by the media pool at the 2000 Super Bowl are "Ray Lewis? Yeah, Ray, how long have you been surrounded by thugs?", "If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?", and "Can you name the Backstreet Boys?" [9]

Breaking into the Game Industry argues that the adage (and the related one "the only stupid question is the one that is never asked") is only relevant for the classroom and that in the real world when you want to try to impress someone, there are many stupid questions one can ask. [10]

School House Diary: Reflections of a Retired Educator notes that teachers are fond of saying this phrase, and suggests that while they themselves want to call out the stupid questions, they fall back on the adage in order to prevent the child from being ridiculed. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. ↑ "A quote from the Demon-Haunted World". Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  2. ↑ Van Buren, Abigail (3 December 1970). "Time Waits For No One". The Milwaukee Sentinel . Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  3. 1 2 Weissman, Jerry (22 August 2013). Presentation Skills That Will Take You to the Top (Collection). ISBN   9780133443011.
  4. ↑ Weissman, Jerry (23 August 2013). In the Line of Fire: How to Handle Tough Questions – When It Counts. ISBN   9780133157918. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  5. ↑ Feinsinger, Peter (1 July 2001). Designing Field Studies for Biodiversity Conservation . Island Press. p.  147. ISBN   9781559638784. no such thing as a stupid question.
  6. ↑ ""Remember there are no stupid questions, just stupid people." #MrGarrison #LifeLessons". Twitter.com. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  7. ↑ ""South Park" Starvin' Marvin (TV Episode 1997)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  8. ↑ Feder, Mandy (2013). "Ink Out Loud: There's no such thing as a stupid question,' and other ailments lavender cures". Lake County Record-Bee . Lake County. Archived from the original on 15 February 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  9. ↑ Finder, Chuck (22 January 2000). "The Big Picture: No such thing as a stupid question?". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  10. ↑ Brathwaite, Brenda (2011). Breaking into the Game Industry: Advice for a Successful Career from Those Who Have Done It. ISBN   978-1435458055. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  11. ↑ Roberts, Jerry L (20 July 2011). School House Diary: Reflections of a Retired Educator. ISBN   9781462008186. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
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