In almost every instance, it is better to ask clarifying questions first and to argue second.
– from Wait, What?: And Life’s Other Essential Questions by James E. Ryan
I have a daughter who is a freshman in college. I’m sure that this fact shaped my rapt attention of a radio interview that I heard of James E. Ryan earlier this year. Ryan is the newly appointed president of the University of Virginia, the former dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the author of Wait, What? And Life’s Other Essential Questions. The impetus of the book was a commencement speech Ryan gave at Harvard in 2016.
The premise of the book, like his speech, is the importance of questions and learning to ask the right questions. If you ask the wrong question, Ryan writes, you’re guaranteed to come up with the wrong answer. And the wrong answer always leads to misunderstanding, which in turn leads to apathy or worse, hostility. In these polarizing times I believe it is important to practice empathy with each other and ourselves. And asking questions such as “wait, what?,” “couldn’t we at least…?,” and “how can I help?” is a great place to start.
Over to you: What have you been reading?
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