Asking questions is an effective way to better communicate and connect with others. It helps you uncover the challenges you’re facing and generate better solutions to solve those problems. But not asking questions has its cons. BETTY AMUKPO tasks some children on the pros and cons of asking questions.
‘Asking questions helps us to know what we don’t know’
Asking questions helps us to know what we don’t know and it also keeps us out of being ignorant. Asking questions gives us an edge over people. Asking too much question is also not good because it can lead us to problem too, but the Bible says in the book of Matthew 7v7:8, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”
• Eyinade Gideon
‘Ignorance, neglects of emotions and lack of accessibility results from not asking questions’
Asking questions help to eliminate confusion, demonstrate humility to another, guides a conversation in the direction we want it to go while disadvantages of not asking questions causes wrong feedback, ignorance neglects of emotions and lack of accessibility.
• Umennadi Francis Chibunna
‘Questions bring more understanding and clarity to a situation’
Questions in general are very vital than answers itself. This is due to the fact that questions bring more understanding and clarity to a situation. Asking questions improves attention, active learning and knowledge. This can be summarised in Matt 7:7-8. When Jesus Himself specifically said” ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you, for whoever asks receives.” Whereas the disadvantages of asking questions sometimes, we talk too much, over rate our questions, or ask unnecessary questions thereby asking the wrong sets of questions. It is said that the wise person talks less. Instead would rather fear the Lord, listen to the Lord and obey the Lord, thus following the example of Mary” who stayed at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said” Luke 10:39. It is said that when our mouths are full of our own words, we have little time or interest in God’s words.
• Victoria Okefe.
‘The teacher wants structured answer from the learners’
Asking questions means to address a person to get the information. It is an act of inquiring or sourcing for information from someone about things not clear or known. The pros of asking question are: • It builds emotional intelligence. • It helps for rational thinking. • It helps to build up speaking and listening skill. • Asking questions help one to be bold to address an issue. • It helps one to build up confident in oneself. It helps the teacher to ascertain and evaluate the level of students’ understanding of a topic. • It motivates and develops students on a particular topic. • It helps students to understand and learn more. • It helps the teacher to understand the students and know the area to help them. The cons of asking questions are: • It is difficult to prepare good questions, and arrange them logically. • No teacher can answer all the questions which can be asked with either yes or no. • The teacher wants structured answer from the learners. • There is no freedom of imaginative answers. • Students may not be able to assess the question from angle the teacher wants it. In Matthew 7:7, the Bible says “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find….”. In Acts 8:26-40, Phillip and the Ethiopian official. The spirit of the Lord directed, Philip to go over to that carriage. And Philip asked the eunuch who was reading from the book of prophet Isaiah 53:7-8. Do you understand what you are reading? The official said how can I understand when no one explains to me. The official then asked… Also in Luke 20:27-29. The Chief Priest and the teacher of the law…. Also in Luke 20:27-38, the saddlers asked Jesus questions about resurrection about a woman who married…. With those we should be able to know that questions are good because they help us to understand more, learn more and clarify issues.
• Anyasor Chibuike
‘Asking questions facilitates learning through active discussion’
Asking of questions encourages students to engage with their work and each other; helps students to think out aloud; facilitates learning through active discussion; empowers students to feel confident about their ideas and improves speaking and listening skills. Disadvantages might include making the respondent frustrated as they are unable to adequately express their opinion. It can be difficult to determine if someone has misunderstood the question. Because some people just take all events with high level of humour not knowing when to be serious and when to joke around.
• Awaki Barnabas
‘Not asking questions leads to incorrect feedback’
The pros of asking questions: • Improving attention (Psalm 119:9). • Encouraging active learning (Job 14:14). • Expanding explanation (Gen. 3:1). • Building rapport (Gen. 3:9). • Checks on learning (matt 27:22). The cons of asking questions: • Incorrect feedback (mark 9:32). • Neglects emotion (Mark 12:34). • Lack of accessibility (John16: 23). • Superficial responses (Judges 13:6). • Different interpretations (Matt. 22:46) • Reluctant towards sensitive topics (Luke 20:40).
• Stephen Victory
‘With questions one can be able to know more about God’
Ask questions with passion in seeking Christ. With questions one can be able to know more about God. God poured out his heart and said you will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13) Also in Matthew 7:7, Jesus told His disciples to keep asking, seeking and knocking. The most important question in the Bible is when Jesus asked “but who do you say that I am?” In human perspective, questions are obviously inevitable. Genesis 18:14, Jeremiah said there is nothing too hard for the Lord to answer. The Bible also warns us against talking or asking too much. In fact the Bible says that a fool can be recognised by his many words. Ecclesiastes 10:14 adds that a fool multiplies words. The Bible discourages using an abundance of words where a few would suffice.
• Chima Anita
