A-Z of Soft Skills: Q is for Questioning

Sometimes I think the word why? is why we're at the top of the food chain! Of course, the words what? when? where? how? who? also help.

Frederich Neitzsche, my favourite philosopher, said it succinctly like he said everything--"Great intellects are sceptical."

Knowledge is not about collecting and collating what is generally or specifically "known." It is about questioning whatever we think we know for a fact. There is no "knowing" without "questioning." Iconoclasm is natural to those who lead us to conquer new territories of our minds, bodies and souls. 

Here's another one from Charles Bukowski, the German-American writer: "'The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence."

Only, I don't see it as a problem. 

The intelligent are bound to be doubtful just as confidence belongs to the realm of idiocy. Thank heavens for those that question and doubt else there would be no antithesis to counter a thesis; no synthesis of past knowledge with a future thesis.

Thank the universe for those that choose to challenge sacred cows or there would be no change, no progress, no evolution, nothing new. Ever.

We don't need to teach our children things. All we need to do is teach them to question everything. Oh, the learning they will then do!

The author, Dr. Ranee Kaur Banerjee heads Expressions@Work, a consulting studio for the tailored development of individual and corporate communication and soft skills.