The information age which has been brought by the post-modern world we currently live in provides us with enormous information to such a point where it even becomes impossible to keep up with the consumption of it. It ultimately, calls upon one to consciously and strategically choose the information they consume and get engaged with.
Choosing to consume a particular type of information or content, inevitably makes one to begin asking questions in relation to the subject matter of what they consume, which has a possibility of even transcending them into the level of professional or expert in that field, purely by consciously choosing to consume a specific type of content or information.
One downside to such easy access to information is that it makes some individuals begin to think they know more, and with the demon of ego, they then would likely get obsessed with trying to prove how smart they are instead of learning as much as possible through asking the RIGHT questions.
Asking the right questions in relation to your field or interests has become more paramount to proving how much you know about that field, subject, or industry. With the vast information available at our fingertips in a matter of seconds; proving how much you know does not place you at a greater position or advantage than the next person, as the next person can easily know what you know in a matter of seconds. Literally.
The most outstanding attribute has become an ability to ask the right and relevant questions, rather than proving the level of information you possess.
I have personally seen and gotten drawn more to people who ask the right questions, than those who give out information in a manner of proving how smart they are. There's a distinction between genuinely sharing what you know with others and proving how smart you are. Unfortunately, the latter seems to be dominating in most social circles.
Mark Cuban, an entrepreneur and investor, was once asked the question: What exactly are you looking for in a person for you to invest in their business?
His answer was: "The kind of questions they ask."
Now, imagine having to lose millions of investments because you failed to ask the right questions? That surely would be fu***d up, wouldn't' it?
This is just one practical example of how the world has moved to favour those who ask the right questions than those who overly and egotistically display their intelligence.
The difference is that there are questions and there are RIGHT questions depending on the context.
You cannot be asking questions which you can easily access through your cell phone and search engine. The RIGHT questions are the ultimate tellers if you really know what you're talking about or not.
We have now transcended into a world where how smart you are is seen in the kind of questions you ask rather than proving how smart you are. 'Cause, to be frank, dependent on the subject matter, everyone has become equally knowledgable or rather can easily be of equal to you.
What made people to be deemed as smart in the last centuries had always been their access to information, now almost everyone has the same access as everyone else.
Asking the right questions is better than proving how knowledgable you are. To be able to either be at a greater advantage in your industry, field or in whatever you may be involved with; you have to harness your ability to ask the right questions as that has become a unique asset will set you apart from the rest.
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