The Art Of Asking Questions

Have been following that* ...?

One of the oft-heard comments about "edjucation these days" is that there is a whole lot of cramming, and committing things to memory without questioning anything at all.
That, as well as showing deference to older people, even though they be idiots.

*I've heard that schools in Shanti Niketan (Calcutta) attempt to do that, but thwarted by the straight-jackets of various certification requirements for the average child who wants to grow up to be mediocre and make a decent living.

 

Quite interesting pedagogy.
Somewhere it entails brain storming sessions & out of box thinking too.

When I assumed charges in branch office, I found clerk was habitually coming late. Few days later, I stood outside my chamber along with those already present, when the late comer arrived wishing me “good morning Sir”, I responded thus:
“ it is ok. But you are very early for tomorrow’s work”. He surprised a bit but replied, “Sir, I had come for yesterday’s work; but today being salary day, I had come early.” The hall echoed with laughter of the rest of staff that included mine.
Any questions to him he would dodge nicely with equivocal responses. Another day I found him coming late and said “ you are late today”. He said, “am I late today, Sir?” I told he had been late everyday. He dodged with a nice reply - “am I been late every day Sir?”

To do away with his late coming, I posted him later to out door work at the Bombay Port to work in open exposed to vagaries of weather. He resigned few months later.

After two decades I attended a share holders’ meeting and one of the share holders from audience asked a tricky question and the CEO pointed to one sitting on the stage with him to answer.

That man stood up and casually gave a befitting reply to the share holder question. He was none other than the clerk who resigned from my office decades ago. He proved himself to be an asset to company’s management team.
One must learn to question others to know the truth like lawyers.
One must be like a Diplomat to answer the question “yes” intoning “No” & vice versa.
A friend of my son during his surprise visit to our home, suddenly asked me, “uncle - How much pension you are getting?”
I smiled and responded, “what are you going to do with my pension?”
He never visited me again. All that one need to do is to think and keeping in view the surrounding, “why this so & so putting this question to me?”.

People generally think that it is easy to answer kids, but at times one realise how kid was asking such an intelligent question to which he or she remains dumbfounded. A kid was asking mom, when it began drizzling, “mom - who is pissing from sky?”
This also stands FB to OP
@SpringB

Thanks and Regards.
God has provided all answers in Nature.

 

A friend of mine is an expert in such questions and answers. I assumed her to be a good friend and whenever she would ask questions i would not only answer it but give additional information mainly because i liked to talk to her. She is very funny,clever and out of the box thinking type person. Our conversations would go on for so long. But the moment i ask her a question she would give totally vague answers which would give me no motivation to talk further. Then there is nothing to talk. I realised my mistakes very late. I did enjoy her company very much but now i understand there was no truth in that friendship. May be she used me to pass her time. Dont know why some people are curious to know about others and secretive about themselves.

Another friend hides a lot of important information. Our kids are in the same class. She would reveal all silly things and cleverly hide anything that would be useful to me. The interaction with her is so frequent that her cunningness doesnt remain hidden for long.
I wonder why have people become so insecure and competitive for silly things.

 

@SpringB I'm thankful for the questions raised in your thread.
I was wondering if only I meet such people, seems there are dozen others as @paru123 mentioned.
Don't answer her questions such persons won't be satisfied with vague answers they will drill & drill to get what they want. They aren't friends they compare thier life with others. It's better have a aquitances relationship with them. Real friends 'share' info don't ask 'info'.
I have ''friends" who calls only to ask information about school, classes, activities so on. They never give away any info. I recognized after 2 yrs was so dumb. One lady always called me spoke for hrs, went out with shopping, so on but it was a trap to pick her / drop her, she didn't knew driving or wanted to spend for Uber. Once I said I can't pick up she was rude for next few days. She called to ask a glass kitchenware price she cut the call once I said price n shop name. I took that box on a potluck omg she remembered that!
One lady at my child's activity class keep asking me something or other. I don't even know her 2 months back behaves as if she knows me comments on everything. Asking personal questions to extreme, I slowly started avoiding her, she would purposely walk to me n say something. @paru123 even I wonder why have people become so insecure and competitive for silly things.
The person who ask a question will never answer if ask same question the very next moment.
Apart from avoiding them , I need to learn how to handle them
@Thyagarajan sir
pls share valuable tips on how to not to give more info than needed.

 

one has to think like a lawyer before attempting to answer any personal question especially from strangers or acquaintances. Stealing information personal can always be used to disrepute the concerned person later when it suits them most or to accomplish their inner agenda.
Here are a bunch of questions which one has to be guarded about answering given by a lawyer;

• How are you going to vote?”
• “Where do you live?”
• “How much did you pay for your house?”
• “How much do you pay for your rent?”
• “How much do you earn?”
• “How did you get this job anyway, do you know someone?”
• “How old are you?”
• “Do you have a partner?”
• “Why are you single?”
• “Are you still living with your parents?”
• “Is that your natural hair colour?”
• “So when are you going to settle down?”
• “Are you ever going to have kids?”
• “How much do you weigh?”
• “How do you make money from your business?
• the trick lies in answering a question of this nature by a counter question with or without answering the person concerned.

 

Yeah can understand...few questions I have always felt uncomfortable about answering...even if close friends ask..
TTC plans?
Intimacy related stuffs
My exact salary?( when I was working )
My weight
Financial details regarding any property related stuff and investments ..
Certain marital conflicts and issues that I feel need not be shared with anyone..