“I worry much more today about unquestioned answers than about unanswered questions.”
So much of the book Presence – Human Purpose and the Field of the Future spoke to me, but that quote literally jumped out of the page at me.
I recently had a conversation with someone who had done a presentation to local government and not a single question was raised following the presentation. She noted how disturbing this was. What kind of change or innovation comes about with no debate and challenge? Nothing should ever be so cut and dried that there are no questions associated with it.
No questions shows lack of interest.
No questions shows lack of intellectual thought and rigour.
No questions shows a willingness for quick and dirty rather than engaged and considered
As someone who has never quite got past the three-year old stage of asking “Why?” at every turn, I am also aware of how much I do take as gospel. Oh, you’re an expert or leader or someone in a senior position, then let me listen to and agree with you…. And yet that will not lead to the place of innovation and challenge that I so desperately want in the people and community and society I engage with.
Healthy and challenging debate and conversations will lead to innovation. Questioning the status quo may help a new future to emerge, that wouldn’t have been possible without those discussions at that time. Having “difficult” conversations will lead us somewhere so much better than agreeing to get consensus.
And so I am challenging myself to question more. To do my own research. To find opinions that differ from mine and lean into inquisitiveness. To question those unquestioned answers.