QUESTION, QUESTION, QUESTION

What follows is an extract from the wonderful booklet, 'The Thinker's Guide to Strategic Thinking' (which I had already reviewed in an earlier post of this weblog), from the Foundation of Critical Thinking:

This is the week to ask deep questions:

Question, Question, Question

Be on the lookout for questions.

The ones we ask. The ones we fail to ask. Look on the surface. Look beneath the surface. Listen to how people question, when they question, when they fail to question. Look closely at the questions asked.

What questions do you ask, should you ask?

Examine the extent to which you are a questioner, or simply one who accepts the definitions of situations given by others.

Most people are not skilled questioners.

Most accept the world as it is presented to them. And when they do question, their questions are often superficial or “loaded.” Their questions do not help them solve their problems or make better decisions.

Good thinkers routinely ask questions in order to understand and effectively deal with the world around them.

They question the status quo.

They know that things are often different from the way they are presented.

Their questions penetrate images, masks, fronts, and propaganda.

Their questions make real problems explicit and discipline their thinking.

If you become a student of questions, you can learn to ask powerful questions that lead to a deeper and more fulfilling life.

Your questions become more basic, essential, and deep.

Strategies for formulating more powerful questions:

1. Whenever you don’t understand something, ask a question of clarification.

2. Whenever you are dealing with a complex problem, formulate the question you are trying to answer in several different ways (being as precise as you can) until you hit upon the way that best addresses the problem at hand.

3. Whenever you plan to discuss an important issue or problem, write out in advance the most significant questions you think need to be addressed in the discussion.

Be ready to change the main question, but once made clear, help those in the discussion stick to the question, making sure the dialogue builds toward an answer that makes sense.

Questions you can ask to discipline your thinking:

■ What precise question are we trying to answer?

■ Is that the best question to ask in this situation?

■ Is there a more important question we should be addressing?

■ Does this question capture the real issue we are facing?

■ Is there a question we should answer before we attempt to answer this question?

■ What information do we need to answer the question?

■ What conclusions seem justified in light of the facts?

■ What is our point of view? Do we need to consider another?

■ Is there another way to look at the question?

■ What are some related questions we need to consider?

■ What type of question is this: an economic question, a political question, a legal question, etc.?

[The authors of the foregoing booklet, Richard Paul & Linda Elder, are well recognised in the critical thinking community.

They are also the principal authors of the book, 'Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional & Personal Life' (which I had also already reviewed in an earlier post of this weblog.)

Their contextual premise is illuminating, as embodied in all their books & other publications:

"The Quality of Your Life is Determined by the Quality of your Thinking."]