I was given the same quote by a physics teacher. His intent was for people not to feel stupid by asking something that might be obvious. If they learn something by asking, it's not a stupid question. If they somehow discover, say, a Grand Unified Theory, by asking what everyone else was afraid to ask, it's most certainly not stupid.
I work in an analytical field now. If you don't ask the "stupid" questions and get them out of the way, you are stupid for not doing so because one of them might have held a truth you later ignore.
There's no such thing as a stupid question.
There may be a question that's been answered a million times over, but that's still not a stupid question.
I dunno, I'm a fan of trial and eror. I have a lot more respect for someone who makes logical conclusions, and sees them through, whether they are valid or not, than some dope who asks a question that could be easily found out by reason or just trying it out.
I think people learn better that way anyway, let them make mistakes, even stupid mistakes, and I'd bet they'd never make the same mistake again, whereas if they just asked someone they'd probably make the same mistake anyway because it wouldn't be learned the same as if they went through it themselves..
I think we were talking about two different things. Yeah, I think people learn better when they work out the answer themselves rather than just ask.
In my mind, though, I saw a kid standing in front of a nuclear reactor asking whether it was hot inside. That's partially what I was thinking when I answered your question. I wouldn't expect to kid to go and get a degree in nuclear physics, but someone could answer the question in such a way to really excite someone's imagination.
People don't always learn better by making mistakes. Sometimes mistakes can help you learn, but sometimes they just send you completely off course, particularly if you've misunderstood something fundamental. If we're talking about physics, you might not realise your final answers are wrong. If you're using them to, say, build a bridge or fix a car, that mistake can cost lives, and how well you learned from it becomes somewhat irrelevant. Even seemingly obvious questions can be necessary for confirmation. The answers can tell you whether or not you're thinking about something correctly.
Do you believe this old saying?
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I was given the same quote by a physics teacher. His intent was for people not to feel stupid by asking something that might be obvious. If they learn something by asking, it's not a stupid question. If they somehow discover, say, a Grand Unified Theory, by asking what everyone else was afraid to ask, it's most certainly not stupid.
I work in an analytical field now. If you don't ask the "stupid" questions and get them out of the way, you are stupid for not doing so because one of them might have held a truth you later ignore.
There's no such thing as a stupid question.
There may be a question that's been answered a million times over, but that's still not a stupid question.
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Anonymous Post Author
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I dunno, I'm a fan of trial and eror. I have a lot more respect for someone who makes logical conclusions, and sees them through, whether they are valid or not, than some dope who asks a question that could be easily found out by reason or just trying it out.
I think people learn better that way anyway, let them make mistakes, even stupid mistakes, and I'd bet they'd never make the same mistake again, whereas if they just asked someone they'd probably make the same mistake anyway because it wouldn't be learned the same as if they went through it themselves..
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VioletTrees
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I think we were talking about two different things. Yeah, I think people learn better when they work out the answer themselves rather than just ask.
In my mind, though, I saw a kid standing in front of a nuclear reactor asking whether it was hot inside. That's partially what I was thinking when I answered your question. I wouldn't expect to kid to go and get a degree in nuclear physics, but someone could answer the question in such a way to really excite someone's imagination.
People don't always learn better by making mistakes. Sometimes mistakes can help you learn, but sometimes they just send you completely off course, particularly if you've misunderstood something fundamental. If we're talking about physics, you might not realise your final answers are wrong. If you're using them to, say, build a bridge or fix a car, that mistake can cost lives, and how well you learned from it becomes somewhat irrelevant. Even seemingly obvious questions can be necessary for confirmation. The answers can tell you whether or not you're thinking about something correctly.