19 | The Art of the Question

Duncan Reyburn's Unorthodoxy

A famous cartoon depicts a panel of presenters at a conference as they face their audience. The chair cynically announces to people in that audience that they now have a chance to participate. He says, “We’d now like to open the floor to shorter speeches disguised as questions.” As the cartoon implies, even when questions are required, people seem to find it easier to jump in with opinions, statements, and arguments of their own. While every great thinker in human history has always valued good questions, it turns out that good questions are often difficult to ask. And yet, good questions are the basis of all practical knowledge and wisdom; good questions are even a vital source for a more generous spirituality and emotional vitality. Because of the pivotal role that questions play in helping us to grow, it may be worth our while to ask how best to question, or perhaps also how not to question. This is what this podcast is about.