Are there stupid questions

These are the core obsessions that drive our newsroom—defining topics of seismic importance to the global economy. Our emails are made to shine in your inbox, with something fresh every morning, afternoon, and weekend. Remember, there are no stupid questions. I can think of a time when that statement was true. My second-grade teacher would remind us of this to build our confidence with adults, who at that time could be a bit scary to us.

But in the workplace, everyone is an adult. There should be an expectation that everybody will participate and select questions wisely.

In the workplace, there really are stupid questions. Ironically, this is what ends up separating entrepreneurs and go-getters from the stagnant and unfulfilled. I have been in plenty of situations where someone has said something, and instead of asking them to explain or clarify what they'd said so that I could learn, I would let it pass because I didn't want to sound stupid. On an individual level, this is counterproductive because it prohibits personal growth. But where this really starts to reveal itself as a root problem is when it manifests in your company's culture.

Here are three ways you can keep this bad habit from infiltrating and ruining the way team members work with each other:. One of the big mistakes leaders of organizations make is they think, since they're the "leader," they can't ask the people they manage questions.

A huge part of leadership is showing that you are, and continue to be, open to learning. You want others around you to feel like it's safe for them to ask questions, talk through mistakes, and collaborate with other team members.

You can tell people to do this until you're blue in the face, but employees learn best by watching and seeing it in action. So if you want to foster an environment where people can ask questions without feeling stupid, then you need to show them how.

Kat Lightman , meanwhile, works at a veterinary centre and encounters a lot of confusion over animal behaviour and health. You work at a vet? How many times a year do you get rabies? Does your job involve a barrage of questions daily? How do you respond to the less intelligent enquiries?

To help ensure legitimacy and quality, Quora asks some individuals, such as doctors and lawyers, to confirm their expertise. Yes, there really are stupid questions. Can anyone supply a question that would be universally considered stupid by all other humans, of whatever age or cultural background and assuming an average IQ? Phil, Edinburgh, Scotland A stupid question is the question that is not asked. I like "What is Fred's surname" to which the question in response is "Fred who?

I always ask shop assistants if what they are showing me is good quality. I have never received a "no" for an answer yet! Mercedes Foligna, Buenos Aires, Argentina "Can anyone supply a question that would be universally considered stupid by all other humans, of whatever age or cultural background and assuming an average IQ?