Questions?
To articulate or to not articulate?
Auntie Matter, I’ve never been good at phrasing questions satisfyingly. And what can be the thing for me to do with that?
— My Little Jitterbug
Dear My Little Jitterbug,
This might sound a bit crazy, but have you tried asking questions to yourself in your head before saying them out loud? Even crazier, have you tried talking to yourself at all? The feedback loop in your own mind is the greatest way to sharpen your questions.
Do you get that bubbling feeling inside your chest when you feel the urge to ask someone a question? That happens to me pretty often. It’s in these heightened moments of focus that you should “speak” the question (or related ones) in your own head — whether they’re follow-ups, tangents, and so on — so that you’re ready to ask them out loud.
Your concern is important, since this deep, reflective self-awareness is sometimes lacking on campus. The fact that you have submitted this question to me shows me that you are indeed self-aware and I applaud you for that.
This isn’t a dig at MIT students — it’s understandable why many of us lack this skill. The world around us demands answers, but rarely do we step up to the plate and pose our own questions to the world. So, you ask, where do the opportunities to ask questions arise? Research, recitations, office hours, late night conversations with friends? I’m not quite sure myself, but any environment where you can safely be clueless and absorb whatever answers are thrown at you is incredibly liberating.
So, if you’re asking questions to the right kinds of people, is there really a “right” way to ask them? Maybe there isn't. There have been plenty of times when a TA, professor, research supervisor, or PI has looked at me like I’m a one-eyed son of Poseidon after I’ve obfuscated, mumbled, and jumped over words. In those moments, I realize that my questions rose out of sheer spontaneity, and frankly, that’s a good thing. Asking questions becomes a sort of vulnerability, whether in front of your peers or even to yourself. Ultimately, being real is more important than being articulate.
Peace,
Auntie Matter