Jackie Danicki

Have you ever had people look at you with a “Please stop inquiring” panic in their eyes while their mouths tell you that you are asking irrelevant or silly questions about something? Join the club. This is a good thing:

[T]he most important [thing I learnt at Oxford] was the ability to ask ’stupid’ questions, as in very simple questions, which often go to the heart of the problem and ferret out inconsistencies. With that comes the confidence to ask when things don’t make sense. Even when everyone else is looking like they know what’s going on. There is a touch of irreverence and disruption in that. And it maximises your chances of coming up with the right answer.

I would say this is a habit that is useful especially when everyone else is looking like they know what’s going on. Those are often the times when the crowd is swimming in BS, and disturbing them can make for all sorts of fun and revelation. This is not a path to popularity, but - more importantly - it will attract others who have no time for all that BS either. Why would you want to be popular with those who do?

Filed under: Life