Klarinet Archive - Posting 001149.txt from 2000/02

From: Rose & Edi Malinaric <emovi@-----.za>
Subj: Re: [kl] fear of appearing foolish
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 02:52:18 -0500

----- Original Message -----
From: jim & joyce <lande@-----.com>
Subject: [kl] fear of appearing foolish

> re asking questions without regard to looking foolish...
>
> There is no such thing as a bad question. But one should be
> especially careful answering the ones that sound like bad questions.
>
> jim lande

Hear, hear.

In my first year at University I was fortunate to attend a lecture given by
Buckminster Fuller (he of geodesic dome fame). At the end of the lecture he
called for questions from the audience. I was too shy to stand up and ask
the one question that I had - but the Professor of Mechanical Engineering
launched a whole series of questions. Later I remarked to another lecturer
that I thought that the Prof's questions were a bit simplistic, perhaps he
was
just "filling in". The lecturer looked at me quietly before saying "The
questions may have sounded simple - but I wonder what answers the Prof was
fishing for?" I wasn't too convinced about his reply.

Some 4/5 years later at our final year class party I discovered that, in any
exam that he had ever written, the Prof had never been placed lower than
first and had always passed with an A aggregate.

Since then I have always thought twice before answering a question - and
have always regretted that I had lacked the courage to launch my question at
the visiting lecturer.

edi

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