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No doubt, you have often heard it
said, "There are no stupid questions," or, "The only stupid question is the
question you didn't ask."
Although these statements-of-truth are often repeated, over the years I have
found that very, very few people ever really ask the questions they should. --
For that reason, if you will notice, in almost every book I have written I
capitalize the word "ASK" whenever it is used.
It is my opinion that the reason most people don't ask questions is because of
the teachers (?) they encountered during their earliest education. -- How many
times did a teacher (?) tell you to "sit down and shut up" when you asked a
question in class? -- After enough instances, you finally 'learned' that
asking questions was not acceptable behavior.
Beyond that, it is also my opinion that those of us who keep asking questions
... even after we have been told to "sit down and shut up" countless times ...
are the ones who succeed in business and in life. That's because, unlike those
who quit asking questions, we eventually get the answers we need to accomplish
the things we want to do. The more questions we ask ... questioning anything
and everything ... the greater our understanding of business and life.
I have known a lot of stupid people in my life. But, how do I know they are
really stupid?
It's really very simple...
Really Stupid People never ask any questions.
Because ...
Stupidity is a learned condition ... not an inherited trait.
Stupid people are created by parents, teachers, the clergy, and all the other
authority figures. It begins the first time an inquiring young mind is denied
the opportunity to 'question' the efficacy, accuracy, fidelity, veracity, or
effectiveness of anything ... or that same inquiring young mind is denied
access to known facts because the parent, teacher, or whoever, is too lazy to
assist a child in finding an answer the child can understand.
Education should be about 'answering questions,' and teaching children how to
'find answers,' rather than about maintaining rules and accepting the input
from any one source. Even known, proven facts should be taught to be
questioned.
Then again, don't be holding your breathe waiting for our society to adopt
such an educational format; based upon teaching 'questions,' rather than rote
'answers,' because ...
Bureaucratic bodies and crooks ... in government and business ... depend upon
stupid people for their very existence.
Although the vast majority of authority figures ... in education, religion,
the professions, business, government, and all other activities and endeavors
... are quick to recite "There are no stupid questions," or, "The only stupid
question is the question you didn't ask," their 'sit down and shut up'
attitude toward those who do ask questions speaks louder than their words.
When a person has been told to 'sit down and shut up' ... by either word or
action ... enough times, that person finally learns that asking questions ...
about anything ... is an unacceptable behavior. Then, it is easy for anyone
seeking 'control' over that stupid (unquestioning) person by using one of the
oldest tricks in the con-man's handbook -- "first give the victim the answer
you want, then ask the question."
Unfortunately, in today's society, it has become ingrained in our populace
that, "only stupid people ask questions." Thereby, it is only necessary for
the bureaucratic body, or crook, seeking control over another ... for any
reason ... to first give that person, or those people, the answer they want
before they ask the question. -- Because their intended victim has already
been conditioned to be stupid, they can proceed with impunity knowing they
will never be questioned - and - if anyone should have the audacity to raise a
question, it will be all too easy to get the stupid people they control to
assist them in labeling the questioner a fool, an heretic, or even worse.
Fortunately...
Stupidity Can Be Cured!
All you have to do is ASK!
Every condition in your life has it's cause. -- Poor people are poor, because
they have never asked themselves, "why am I poor?" -- They just accept the
condition and pass it along to their offspring.
Unless YOU learn to ASK for what you want from life, you will be stupid. But,
you have to keep on asking, and Asking, and ASKING until you get the answers
that will, finally and lastingly, lead you to a full understanding of success
in business and in life.
ASK, and you will receive. -- It is better to appear to be stupid in the eyes
of really stupid people than to NOT ASK and really be stupid yourself.
J.F. (Jim) Straw
Editor/Publisher
Business Lyceum e-Letter
http://www.businesslyceum.com
+++ [Moderator's Comments] +++
I almost agree with you Jim ;-). Your statements are true. However, I also
learned that many people don't ask questions, not because they are afraid, but
rather because they don't know the question to ask. When my oldest daughter
was 10 or so she gave me a riddle: "A man is driving down the street with his
radio on and pulls over to the side of the road and shoots himself. Why?" You
could only ask questions that resulted in a yes or no answer. I didn't know
the first question to ask! And I learned then that it's not a fear of asking,
rather not knowing what to ask. So, it is up to us as teachers or mentors to
bring out the questions in people.
George Matyjewicz
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