My cousin in Phoenix said asking 'why' three times is lazy, and it kind of stuck with me.

We were talking about this forum, and she said a question like 'Why is the sky blue?' just gets you a basic answer. But if you ask 'What makes the sky blue?', 'How does that work at sunset?', and 'Could it be a different color on another planet?', you actually learn something. I've been trying it for a week now, and my questions feel way better. Does anyone else have a trick for asking better questions?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarahm181mo ago

Better questions" can just be a way to overcomplicate simple curiosity. Sometimes a direct "why" is the most honest way to start, and you can always follow up from there. Your cousin's rule sounds more like a party trick than real advice.

kelly38526d ago

Totally agree. I read this article once about how people overthink conversations trying to sound smart. Like instead of asking "why did you move here," they'll say "what factors influenced your geographic relocation." It just makes everyone uncomfortable. Direct questions feel more human. The fancy ones just sound like you're reading from a script.

the_caleb1mo ago

My cousin's rule got me through exactly one awkward family dinner before my aunt asked why I kept avoiding simple questions. Turns out "better questions" just made me sound like a bad detective.