On Questions.
Asking the right questions can be a litmus test of the understanding of a subject. Asking of questions is generally thought of as a way of seeking clarification and understanding, but that is not the whole idea of asking questions.
Asking the right questions takes as much skill as giving the right answers.—Robert Half
If you are yet to ask the right questions when learning a thing, you likely do not understand the thing yet. Asking the right questions is a pointer to right thinking about a subject. It is a mark of a budding intuition when learning.
In today’s world where there is an abundant stream of information, seeming answers to questions are not farfetched. It is good questions (right questions, actually) that are lacking, and not answers. To find the right answers, we must ask the right questions!!
I think this same idea applies to learning materials—a good learning material is one that helps you to think rightly about what you are learning. It educates you to a point where you can start asking good questions, develop strong intuitions, and even formulate and invent new ideas and concepts.
“The one who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.” – Confucius
Teachers are not left out too. Good teachers stimulate their students to ask the right questions. The primary idea of teaching—which is to give education—is so as to put your students in a position where they can ask the right questions.
So far, I’ve talked about the idea of “right questions”. But one may ask, what does the right question even mean?? Right question in my opinion is inquisition, borne out of a budding intuition about a subject. Also, the right question has to do with first principle inquisition about a subject. By first principle inquisition, I’m referring to such questions as to why, how, whom, when!