Why Asking a Good Question Can Be Better Than Giving an Opinion

The quality of a question isn't determined by how complicated it sounds.

It is determined by whether it makes people want to think.

Questions that have only one obvious answer usually end quickly.

Open questions can create more interesting responses.

Two people can experience exactly the same situation and see it differently.

That's one of the most interesting things about communities.

Your answer comes from your experience.

Someone else's answer comes from theirs.

A good question creates a bridge between those experiences.

Sometimes people don't want to write a long response.

A poll gives them a simple way to participate.

People choose.

The results appear.

The easiest questions to ask are often the ones you actually want answered.

Don't create a question simply because you think it will get attention.

Ask something you've wondered about.

Something you're deciding.

Something you've noticed.

Something you want another perspective on.

Authentic curiosity usually creates better conversations than forced engagement.

A question should create space for answers.

That doesn't mean every answer needs to agree with you.

If someone sees something differently, ask why.

You may learn something.

A conversation doesn't have to end with a winner.

1. "What would you choose?"

2. "What would you do differently?"

The best question isn't necessarily the cleverest one.

It's the one that makes someone stop for a second and think.

Start with a question.

Let the conversation take it from there.

See more SsshhhOut stories for conversation ideas and community perspectives.