Asking Questions

Have you every really thought about how, or why you ask questions?

That might seem like a strange question in itself, but think about it.

Do you ask your questions to truly learn and understand or are you asking questions to better or modify your response?

It is incredible to me how quickly we jump to solutions. How we hear something, or we take someone's point of view and can very quickly fall into the trap of "thinking we understand".

It's not easy to sit back, and try to stay curious. Especially if you are feeling frustrated, rushed, annoyed or some other distracting emotion.

One of the best things anyone can do is to actually slow down. Ask yourself, is this a good time for me to engage in this exchange, do I need to work harder to compensate for my feelings, how can I detach from my own thoughts and simply listen to the other person.

Next time you are having a conversation, see how hard it is for you to resist the urge to 'add' to the conversation; sit back longer and ask more questions.

See how it goes.

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