Whether it be a teacher in their classroom or a philosopher talking about the endless pursuit of knowledge, we have all heard that there is no such thing as a stupid question. But how true is this sentiment? While putting words to paper,or fingers to keyboard, the irony of such a question is not lost on me. First off, if you have ever heard someone ask, “Do you have a bathroom?” in someone’s house, you already know stupid questions exist, but let’s take a deeper look.
What is a stupid question? What makes something stupid? A quick search in the Merriam-Webster dictionary will show that stupid means “given to unintelligent decisions or acts: acting in an unintelligent or careless manner” or “lacking intelligence or reason: brutish.” So, by definition, a ‘stupid’ question has some variation on what it condones. One category of stupid questions would be thoughtless questions that just kind of falls out of the speaker’s mouth without any care. Another category of stupid questions would be questions presented in an unintelligent and careless fashion. This could also be considered the stupidest type of question of all.
In the circumstance of the quest for knowledge, the occasional repetitive question can only be forgiven when one truly wants to learn. Sometimes, it takes a little longer for some individuals to learn or adapt to a specific mindset or skill.
In an educational environment, students may feel nervous to ask questions on subjects the teacher has already discussed and may consider their question a stupid question. However, you should always go ahead and ask that question because, ultimately, who cares if peers think you don’t know what’s happening in class? Those grades matter way more. It could be said that not asking the question would be the stupid thing to do.
How can one set the difference between existential philosophy and asking something stupid? An example question would be “Aren’t we all the same?” We are all just humans. On one side, a response could be “Wow, that’s so deep. We really are the same,” and another could be, “Wow, that’s so dumb. Humanity is incredibly diverse. “
The only thing that makes a question deep instead of dumb is the environment in which it is said. If someone asks in their philosophy class why we are here, the response could lead to hours of discussion. The same question in someone’s math class could get a response similar to because you need the credits to graduate.
After much consideration, there is finally an answer to the age-old question of if there are stupid questions. The answer is yes. Nonetheless, there is still so much to learn and you have to spend the rest of your life doing so. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if they are stupid. Just try to think before you speak.
