The Art of Asking Part 2: Honest Inquiry to Write Home About
Harnessing the power of questions to enhance your writing.
Take the attitude of a student, never be too big to ask questions, never know too much to learn something new.
Intro!
Let’s set the record straight right away. This is not a how to, per se. This isn’t a guru post, this is an attempt to justify my own ideas and intuitions about the power of questions, writing, and self-reflection. The power alluded to is the power to instantiate or spur growth. So let’s continue taking a crack at this.
**** NO LONGER PAYWALLED! ****
As a heads up, there is a portion of this paywalled. Additionally, there is now a link to a PDF in the “paid subscriber” welcome e-mail. It is called “Inquiry as Inspiration: How to Use Questions to Write”. With that in mind, let’s go!
Expert Insights
The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination.
Carl Rogers, the Mac Daddy of interpersonal relationships, truth, listening, and growth. But what does this quote have to do with questions?
Good question.
It’s about being open to change and of the understanding that while the goal or destination may change, that doesn’t mean the time you’ve already spent moving towards it has been wasted.
It’s difficult to ask the right questions. It’s a skill to be fostered, of course. But that skill cannot grow while dealing with an overabundance of rigidity. Be flexible and understand good questions engage and kick start change. Without being open to accepting something different, you won’t have the courage to ask anything meaningful.
And, in the spirit of Carl Rogers, treat yourself as someone valuable and worth getting to know. Treat yourself as someone who is worth listening to intently and with genuine interest and curiosity. You will be hard pressed to ask or even answer the USEFUL questions, the BIG questions, the HARD questions if you cannot see yourself as worthwhile.
Thoughtful questioning can lead to greater personal growth, self-awareness, and resilience. By engaging in the art of asking, we can challenge our assumptions, expand our horizons, and unlock our full potential.
Embrace the art of asking in your own life. Remember, the right question can be the key to unlocking untold potential and growth.
Listen to yourself, be open to your own ideas, and be accepting of the changes you may illicit with the questions that arise.
And you’ll do just fine.
Links To Questions for Fostering Critical Thinking Skills
That’s too long for a title. But I’m going to keep it the title. Because that’s what this section is. I couldn’t leave ya’ll without resources, could I?
Questions to Provoke Critical Thinking: Brown
Ways To Demonstrate Critical Thinking: University of Southampton
Critical Thinking: Basic Questions & Answers (The Foundation For Critical Thinking)
Those are some good ones if you’re interested in digging down into this concept. They’re examples OF critical thinking and HOW to foster it or identify it.
So go wild!
What is Critical Thinking?
Critical thinking is the ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information to form reasoned judgments and solve problems. Developing strong critical thinking skills involves practicing various strategies and habits of mind.
Ask questions: Cultivate a curious mindset and continually ask questions to clarify your understanding, explore different perspectives, and uncover hidden assumptions.
Evaluate evidence: Examine the quality, reliability, and relevance of evidence before accepting it as a basis for your judgments and decisions.
Identify assumptions: Recognize the underlying assumptions in your own thinking and others' arguments, and evaluate whether these assumptions are valid and justified.
Consider multiple perspectives: Seek out diverse viewpoints and engage with opposing ideas to gain a broader understanding of an issue and challenge your own biases.
Recognize logical fallacies: Learn to identify common logical fallacies and misleading reasoning techniques to avoid errors in your own thinking and to critically evaluate others' arguments.
Develop self-awareness: Reflect on your own thought processes, biases, and motivations to better understand how they might influence your judgments and conclusions.
Practice active listening: Listen carefully to others' arguments, ask clarifying questions, and strive to understand their perspectives before responding or evaluating their ideas.
Apply Socratic questioning: Use the Socratic method to engage in dialogue with others, asking probing questions to expose inconsistencies, contradictions, or gaps in their reasoning.
Synthesize information: Analyze, compare, and integrate information from various sources to form a coherent understanding of a subject or issue.
Adopt a growth mindset: Embrace the idea that your critical thinking skills can improve over time through practice, reflection, and learning from experience.
Be open to changing your mind: Be willing to revise your beliefs and conclusions when presented with new evidence or persuasive arguments.
Reflect on your thought processes: Regularly review your thinking patterns and decision-making processes to identify areas for improvement and develop strategies for more effective critical thinking.
This wasn’t intended to be a how-to, but I felt the need to provide a bit more “value” to this, as it was the first paywalled portion of this substack I think.
Though I have written a good amount, so perhaps not.
Either way, I hope the ending wasn’t disappointing and as always, thank you for subscribing.
Let me know what else crosses your mind in regards to questions.
I love questions.
Regards,
Dad