Seek to Know: Know to Learn – The Importance of Asking Questions

We live in an ever changing world. Perhaps the secret of human beings’ adaptability to different environments is the need to cope with rapidly changing facts and techniques. With change comes new learning.

The most important form of learning is self directed or self motivated learning and this comes from repeated questioning. As is the misconception with our generation, questions are not “stupid”. On the contrary, the uniqueness and originality of an individual is enhanced by the questions he asks. Asking questions increases one’s self awareness and analytical capabilities.

Questioning is the basic form of interaction. It establishes a platform for dialogue and alters the level of challenge for self and others. When one questions, he seeks to create a new understanding based on inspection of existing knowledge and experience.

Questioning develops ones thinking from facts that lay emphasis on the concrete, to evaluation and creates a niche for new possibilities. The utmost importance of questions lies in the fact that one can’t find an answer without asking a question. As questions are the key to learning, that is what education really is.

There are different stages of learning from questions. First of we get knowledge; this is a descriptive form of learning in which we can identify who, when and where aspects. Next, questioning increases comprehension; one can translate or learn how to predict and answer the why. Learning also involves application; where in we can demonstrate how to solve a problem and try it out in a new context. Furthermore analysis can be used to explain or infer from a certain situation. We also learn to evaluate; this involves assessing a situation or judging on the basis of rational comparison and contrast. The most exciting aspect of learning is synthesis; enhancing ones capability to design, create or compose.

The basic philosophy is “know what you are to accomplish”. When you question known truths, you open possibilities of better answers than you know already. Questions are key to learning so question everything, every reading, every one because it is impossible to find an answer without a question.

~ by pulsar23 on December 1, 2008.