Stupid Question? No Such Thing

One of the great joys of being a writer and editor is exploring new and different topics every day.

Some of my colleagues are highly trained specialists in health, science, technology, parenting or politics (some even have chemistry degrees). I’m not. I’m a resourceful generalist who can dig into any subject and explain it in ways that anyone can understand.

One day I’ll be writing a blog on virtual reality for an advertising agency; the next day, I’ll be proofreading an article on prostate cancer or developmental editing a book manuscript on spiritual healing. I’m not an ad woman, an oncologist or a healer, which means I sometimes start at square one (or close to square one) with an assignment.

I find great, knowledgeable sources. I read a lot. And I sometimes have to ask very, very, very basic questions to understand what I am writing or editing. And that’s OK.

Is it hard to ask a basic question when you think a source might roll their eyes? It is. I know because I’ve asked and seen eyes roll. One thing that really helps is asking for some background material in advance of an interview. It gives you time to brief yourself on technical vocabulary and concepts.

You can also try phrasing “stupid” questions like this:

“I want to make sure I really understand what you’re saying. Could you please repeat that? Is that like [choose a non-technical analogy]?”

“I’m sorry, our connection got lost for a second there. Can you please spell that for me?”

“This might sound like a silly question, but how would you describe that to a 5th grader?”

“What would you compare that to?”

“Did you mean it’s like X and Y, or am I getting this completely wrong?”

“That’s fascinating, but very technical. I want to be sure our readers will really understand this since it’s so important. Could you please break that down for me?”

I learned early in my career that there is no such thing as a stupid question. Questioning is my job—and an important value to me as an individual. On a daily basis, asking simple questions helps me unravel complicated topics such as neuroscience and new technologies. But in the bigger picture, I believe questions can empower and create change. They can lead to justice and uncover truth.

There are no stupid questions. There is only the stupidity of not questioning.