A More Beautiful Question: Chapter 1

What is Ito's theory on lifelong adaptation?

"Because of constant change and increased complexity, that rinse-and-repeat approach in adult life no longer works well. In a time when so much of what we know is subject to revision or obsolescence, the comfortable expert must go back to being a restless learner" (23).

Why is "knowing" becoming less important?

"Clearly, technology will have the answers covered - so we will no longer need to fill our heads with those answers as much as we once did... In the current era of Google and Watson, with databases doing much of the 'knowing' for us, many critics today question the wisdom of an education system that still revolves around teaching students to memorize facts" (27).

How are questions different than answers? Why are questions more valuable?

"One good question can give rise to several layers of answers, can inspire decades-long searches for solutions, can generate whole new fields of iquiry, and can promt changes in entrenched thinking... Answers on the other hand, often end the process" (16).

How does our ability to question separate us from our primates?

"One of the primary drivers of questioning is an awareness of what we don't know - which is a form of higher awareness that separates not only man from monkey but also the smart and curious person from the dullard who doesn't know or care" (16).

How do questions impact creative thinking

"The neurologist and author Ken Heilman, a leading expert on creative activity in the brain, acknowledges that scant research has been focused on what's happening in the brain when we ask questions" (17).

What are the three types of open questions? How are these important and how are these used? How are each different? Understand the importance of the sequence of these.

1. Why 2. What If 3. How These questions generally tend to encourage creative thinking more than closed yes-or-no questions. "If the questions from leaders and managers focus more on Why are we falling behind competitors? And Who is to blame?, then the organization is more likely to end up with a culture of turf-guarding and finger-pointing" (19).

Questioning/action/innovation

Questioning + action = innovation

Why is it important to make questions personal?

We think someone else smarter than us, someone more capable,with more resources with solve that problem. But there won't anyone else.