Cover Photo by James Toose on Unsplash
Questions make you smarter, not answers
If there’s one thing I’m certain of in this world is that I’m certain of nothing — including this sentence. As I grow older and get more experience with just about anything, I realize that real wisdom doesn’t come from answers, but rather from questioning the things you take for granted.
Like, what’s the best way to hit a nail on a wall?
“Using a hammer,” you say?
What makes you so sure? Because we’ve been hitting nails in walls using hammers for generations, it doesn’t mean it’s the best way. It’s arguably very efficient, but can you think of any drawbacks?
No?
I can think of many. Here are a few:
It’s LOUD!
It’s not the lightest tool.
It’s quite dangerous.
It could be less spacious.
And more.
Could we make something that’s better than a hammer?
I hope I’ve convinced you that it’s possible.
Now that we’ve questioned the hammer, think about how that applies both to other objects and to methods of doing things. The following questions will make you think differently and creatively. They’ll help you elevate your thinking so you can innovate in anything you do.
What are all the steps required to make a pencil?
What are ten uses of a rolling pin?
What would a radically different book look like?
What’s more comfortable than a chair to sit on?
Do schools need walls and teachers?
Why are we the only animals not equipped to survive without clothes or shelter?
How could we live in a global society without the concept of money?
Who will own the moon and Mars?
How is the creation of another human being even possible?
Why do we mostly build above ground vs underground?
Where would we be today if cars were never invented?
How would the world be like if instant teleportation was available to everyone?
What would happen if we learned that the Earth would no longer exist 100 days from now?
What would the world be like without capitalism?
What if one religion was actually right?
Who is the most influential person to ever live and why is that?
Could we truly live in a virtual world?
Fifty years from now, what jobs will still exist?
What are computers going to look like thirty years from now?
Without electricity, would we simply be just like we were over 200 years ago?
Can we come up with something better than electricity?
What would the world look like if the second world war never happened?
What are the top ten benefits of COVID-19 (current or future)?
What would the world look like if rain was not a thing?
Why are we primarily monogamous?
Why are we primarily attracted to the opposite sex?
What if there were more than two genders?
What if men could naturally get pregnant?
What would happen if everyone had the same skin colour?
What are some ways we can extend life after life?
What’s red, jumps, and is inorganic?
When will humans fly “on their own”?
Could we stop pooping entirely?
Could we create fake rain?
How do we create a new planet?
What makes the creation of anything possible?
Can you know everything about everything?
Is it possible that we’re actually just “living” in a simulation?
Is Dataism the ultimate religion?
Can you imagine a world where the camera was never invented?
How would the world look like if everyone was deaf?
What truly happens when you leave a child to live in the jungle?
What would the world look like if its temperature outside was always at boiling temperature?
If a new ice age was predicted for a year from now, how could humanity survive and thrive?
I could go on and on with tricky questions like these. I don’t have a “true” answer for any of them. But the simple act of asking them and trying to figure them out allows your brain to think differently. Only when you keep asking yourself difficult and different questions will you unleash your true creativity.
You can do this!
P.S. Let me know in the comment if you’d like more questions like this in the future.