[emoji271][emoji271][emoji271]Be Socratic[emoji271][emoji271][emoji271]
“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.” Voltaire
I’ve always said that engineering taught me one thing, how to solve problems. I can see now how this is only partially true. While I learned a lot about analytical thinking, there were some big gaps. For example, I never learned Socratic questioning.
Looking back, I can only imagine the solutions I would have discovered if I had this skill. Socratic questioning fuels critical thinking.
R.W. Paul describes six types of questions. Regardless of the problem, these questions can help me come up with better solutions.
[emoji257]Get clear about the situation: Ask, why do you say that or how does this relate to our discussion
[emoji257]Test assumptions to find facts: Ask, what could we assume instead? How can you verify or disapprove an assumption?
[emoji257]Find examples of truth: Ask, what would be an example? What is this like? What do you think causes that to happen?
[emoji257]Look at the problem from a different angle: Ask, what would be an alternative? What is another way to look at it? Can you explain why it is necessary or beneficial, and who benefits?
[emoji257]Think about the results of actions: Ask, What are the consequences of that assumption? What are you implying? How does X affect Y?
[emoji257]Question the question: What was the point of this question? What does X mean?