Why Questions Are More Important Than Answers | SensoryEdge (2024)

Why Questions Are More Important Than Answers | SensoryEdge (1)

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. Formulating good questions is the best tool for learning and applies across all fields, and questions can do a lot of things, such as cause someone to rethink their position or to look more closely at a problem. Good questions are clear where bad questions are unclear. Bad questions are misleading in style and content, and require learners to guess what instructors are thinking. Also, a question might be poorly timed. A good question is timed well and is succinct and clear. It is open-ended and encourages further thinking and creativity. Make sure to carefully revise your questions until it is saying exactly what you want it to say and provoking the correct response, which is further thought and learning rather than spitting out the “right” answer that the teacher wants to hear. Hopefully your question will provoke further questions and learning in the students’ minds.

Why Questions Are More Important Than Answers | SensoryEdge (2)

Key Takeaways:

  • Answers that are correct in the present may not be correct in the future, whereas questions can be timeless.
  • Questions, like answers, can also be bad, but a bad question can be challenging and difficult to answer.
  • A truly bad question is one where the students devote too much time to guessing what answer the teacher wants.

“Questioning is the art of learning. Learning to ask important questions is the best evidence of understanding there is, far surpassing the temporary endorphins of a correct ‘answer.’”

Read more: https://www.teachthought.com/critical-thinking/why-questions-are-more-important-than-answers/

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Articles written by SensoryEdge are a combined effort of the SensoryEdge publishing staff. At SensoryEdge our focus is to educate, inform, and inspire each person caring for children to be and do their very best. It is not always easy and sometimes we don't take action (or we take the wrong action) because of a lack of understanding the real issues. We hope that the conversations that occur here will help in some small way better the lives of children, their families, and the professionals who work with them.

Why Questions Are More Important Than Answers | SensoryEdge (2024)

FAQs

Why Questions Are More Important Than Answers | SensoryEdge? ›

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.

Who said that questions are more important than answers? ›

Einstein thought questioning and curiosity were the key to learning.

Why is questioning so important? ›

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 ...

Why are the questions important? ›

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.

What makes questions important? ›

Questions can review, restate, emphasize, and/or summarize what is important. 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 a question more important than an 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 the most powerful question? ›

“Why” Shows Humility and Respect

Nothing is more humble than asking someone a simple “why” question. The “why” removes all pretense, all trappings of expertise, all expectation that you have the answers, and places all of that power into the hands of the person who is being asked the question.

Why are questions important in life? ›

Questions are powerful tools used in attaining knowledge, problem solving and making connections. Asking them is essential. It helps us identify gaps in our understanding and make sure we're on the right track when finding solutions.

Why is questioning such an important? ›

Yet questions are important for so many areas of business and social life. The use of incisive questions can help you build your personal power. And they can help you foster collaboration.

What is the value of questions? ›

Allows you to better understand the issues and opportunities. Gives you a chance to listen to what the respondent is trying to tell you, what they do not say, or perhaps what they don't know or doesn't want to share. Provides you the opportunity to test or float some general tactical ideas.

Why questions are the best? ›

Because questions are naturally engaging, and answers require people to reach within themselves for answers, people tend to become not only more engaged and committed, but also more creative.

What are three reasons to ask questions? ›

Asking questions is a skill required by people in all roles, job functions, and professions.
  • To acquire knowledge.
  • To eliminate confusion.
  • To cause someone else to feel special/important.
  • To guide a conversation in the direction we want it to go.
  • To demonstrate humility to another.

Why is question matters than the answer in philosophy? ›

Briefly put, questions are more important than answers because questions seek to understand–to clarify and frame and evaluate while answers, at their best, are temporary responses whose relative quality can decay over time, needing...

What is the power of a good question? ›

Good questions are the key to better insights. Questions allow you to asses your understanding as well as others. Identifying gaps in your knowledge is the first step to filling them. We can learn a lot, often more, from the work involved in answering a question than from the answer itself.

What makes a question essential? ›

“To get at matters of deep and enduring understanding we need to use provocative and multilayered questions that reveal the richness and complexities of a subject” (Wiggins and McTighe). Essential Questions represent enduring questions that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no response.

What did Socrates say about questioning? ›

Socrates, the early Greek philosopher and teacher, believed that disciplined and thoughtful questioning enabled the student to logically examine and validate ideas.

What famous philosopher said to question everything? ›

Socrates thought that we should question absolutely everything and not rest until we know our beliefs lie on a secure foundation. In this class, we'll consider Socrates' approach to the good life.

What is a quote about questioning things? ›

Top 10 Quest Quotes
  • Humans are imperfect. ...
  • Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. ...
  • Curiosity - the rover and the concept - is what science is all about: the quest to reveal the unknown. ...
  • The biggest quest to learn anything is curiosity.

Who claimed that in philosophy questions are more important than answers? ›

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.

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