Asking “Dumb” Questions

I ask a lot of questions. In fact I ask so many questions that it can border on annoying.

Once when Chuck and I were newly married we visited Thomas Jefferson’s home Monticello. There was a boy of about twelve there who kept asking the docent questions about our surroundings. His parents never stopped him, and after a while it did become pretty tiring. 

Every now and then Chuck reminds me that I’m starting to sound a little like that boy. 

Asking questions has also led to embarrassment on my part. Once in seventh grade when I was in Sunday School I boldly held up my hand and asked what was circumcision?

One Sunday morning while reviewing the Ten Commandments for church I stormed into my parent’s bedroom asking what did adultery mean?

Today I have a million questions, and my daughter teases me that my go to answer is, “Let me google that.” She swears that I’m a five on the Enneagram with my unquenchable thirst for knowledge. 

Recently, while reading AdaptAbility by M.J. Ryan I came across a section where she wrote about the willingness to ask “dumb” questions. 

She told the story of the Cuban Missile Crisis where JFK eventually refused to take the advice of all the experts that were leading him down the wrong path. Kennedy began asking “dumb” questions, and insisted that his generals question their own assumptions. 

Many historians believe that if JFK had not questioned the advice of his generals there may have been a nuclear war. He kept prodding until they were able to discover a different trajectory.

M.J. Ryan included the following Chinese proverb to prove her point,

“To be uncertain is to be comfortable, but to be certain is ridiculous.”

Sometimes we have to be uncomfortable in order to find out more information.

Don’t just assume what people are telling you is accurate. Be willing to ask a few “dumb” questions, and take the time to dig a little deeper to be more informed before making decisions.