Spend any time with a 7 year old and you’ll enjoy a never ending series of whys and hows. Why does that happen? How does that work? Why can’t we do this? How can that be?
But somewhere around 13 or 14 years old, questions become things to be avoided. Nobody wants to raise their hand in class. Whether its the fear of being judged inadequate or a desire to appear omniscient, questions seem to fall by the wayside.
Surprisingly, this continues well into adulthood.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve given instructions and have been able to see the lack of understanding stamped across the other person’s face. When I ask, “does that make sense?” I invariably get a “sure” or a head shaking back and forth. I’ve been in rooms with some of the most fascinating people on the planet, and no one dares ask them any questions. If they do, the questions are usually either formalities or completely asinine. It’s mind blowing.
The most successful people I know have a million questions about nearly anything. Even things they aren’t, or aren’t yet, interested in. If they don’t know how something works, they want to know. If they can’t figure out why something operates the way it does, they want to. It doesn’t matter if they’re talking to the maintenance man or the CEO. Successful people are always curious about how and why things work.
It’s not hard. If nothing else, revert to your 7 year old self. Ask how and why.
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