When Socrates was walking around with his students, going to and fro with questions and answers and counter-questions, he was (re)introducing a pivotal feature of humankind. Freedom of speech. To be able to say whatever you feel like, preferably in the most articulate manner, without fatal consequences. When you have a parachute attached to your back, you can dream of flying. When you are subjected to fear, you fail to unmask your deepest doubts. So, yes, the Socratic tradition quite certainly nudged the western world towards asking and unasking stronger questions.
That said, everybody wants answers but nobody wants to be questioned. It’s human frailty at best. Our ego is softer than a baby’s bum and gets scratched easily. Expecting others to concede has always been a primal tendency. Except, perhaps, when you are in a meeting under intense scrutiny. Outside that room, you try your level best to avoid questions. But then, time teaches you that the toughest questions are often the simplest ones: Are you happy? Does you existence hold meaning? Who cares whether you win or lose? Why don’t you sleep well? Etc.
Personally, I am a big fan of questions but by those who bother to know the answers. Asking something just for the heck of it is the worst foreplay in any discourse. For instance, my dad is least interested in knowing what’s going on in my work life. I’ve been jobful since 2007 and not once has he bothered to know what I am up to professionally. As long as I appear OK, he assumes everything is alright. No questions asked, no answers assumed. On the contrary, my amma remains curious to understand whether I am peace in office or not, what challenges am I facing, are my colleagues good people, etc. What one can surmise from these two is the former has a silent understanding with my untold answers whereas the latter doesn’t trust my silence on anything anymore. To her, everything has to be said out loud. Total respect.
As a social experiment, try to count the number of questions you ask on a daily basis and simultaneously, keep a check on the number of questions you are asked. Now, tally which side were you more comfortable: asking questions or receiving answers? Chances are you felt more in command while asking questions; a common tendency, in all fairness. But the catch being, not everybody asks good questions, and more tragically, not everyone receives great answers.
Yet, I try my best to frame decent Q&A on some relevant as well as not-so-relevant subjects (that somehow matter to me) and I’ve shared four installations on this blog so far. And what you are about to read is the fifth edition.
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