Better Questions

by Robert Stuberg

All improvement begins by asking a better question, so it's fortunate that human beings are such a naturally inquisitive species. We possess an innate drive to find out how the world works . . . what "makes things tick" . . . what the result would be if only we did this or that. Take a moment to consider the results of some of history's great questions. Imagine what has happened because someone once asked, "What?s on the other side of the ocean?" Or, "What if we gave people the right to vote and govern themselves?" How about, "Is it possible for people to fly?" Or even, "What would it be like to walk on the moon?" If questions like these, once purely within the realm of "idle" curiosity, can spark so much change and completely alter the world as it was known, then imagine the power of curiosity and questions to effect change in your own life!

You see, anything you want, whether it be a thing, an idea, an achievement, anything -- may just be a better question away. Any service, process, or product can be conceived of or improved as a result of asking the right questions. Any project can be ignited, any social change made, any relationship forged -- all the result of a better question. Consider an artist who queries himself about the best way to express his ideas or concepts . . . or a scientist who questions the connections between her data in new and inventive ways . . . or a politician who asks the public why it is willing to accept things the way they are when so much improvement is possible. Careers, fortunes, and destinies have been made by asking questions such as these. And in attempting to answer them, perhaps you can find a part of your own ultimate destiny.

But curiosity can take many forms, and they are all important for your development as a person and for the path of your destiny. At its most basic level, it is curiosity that will be the impetus in your search for knowledge and your decisions to gain experience. The information you seek, the sensations you experience, and the interests you develop will be the direct result of this burning desire to know and feel. But don't consider your curiosity satisfied just because you've accomplished something or found something out. When your curiosity leads you to a topic of interest, do find out all you can about it, but then go one step further. Ask yourself, "What can I do with this knowledge? Can I apply it to my life in some way? Is there some new angle to this knowledge that can fulfill a need, either for myself or the world around me?" And when new experiences lead you to discover or develop new skills, you can make similar inquiries.

But the questions you can ask about the world are not limited to the narrow realm of one interest. Look around you. Everywhere you look, whether in a city or in an empty field, you see a world in motion, propelled by many forces and operated on many principles that are probably unknown to you. Children are famous for asking questions that begin with why, and children, as we all know, undergo intellectual growth and advancement that is so profound and rapid, it is still not fully understood by the most brilliant adult minds in the world. Do the questions stop when the growth does? Or does the growth stop because the questions do?

Make it a habit to look at the world through younger eyes, and ask questions that a child might. Why are airplanes able to fly? How do chameleons change color? Why does the automatic door open when you walk up to it? And then you can move on to deeper and more abstract questions. Why are we going to war? Why is there so much hate in the world? How can people choose sides on a round planet? How can we create a larger peace and harmony through our everyday actions?

And then try to answer the questions! Do whatever research you need to. Talk to people who might know the answers. Take some time to be by yourself and contemplate aspects and possibilities and theories of your own. Surely you won?t have the time to answer every question you can ask, but that doesn?t matter. The questions themselves are powerful. They put you in a frame of mind to look at the world in a new way. They continue the process of challenging information and beliefs that we've talked so much about. They activate and supercharge your mind, give you practice in thinking and deduction. Finding out why and how the world works is a process of maturation and the basis for a great deal of wisdom.

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