International Ask a Question Day

What the day is

International Ask a Question Day is observed on March 14, sharing the date with Einstein's birthday, which is generally given as the reason for it.

Origin and background

The research here contains a genuine surprise. In studies of conversation between strangers, participants who were prompted to ask more questions were rated as more likable by their partners than those who asked fewer, and follow-up questions in particular, the kind that build on what was just said, produced the strongest effect. Most people predict the opposite, assuming that being interesting is what makes someone liked and that questioning risks seeming ignorant or intrusive.

The reason for the misjudgment appears to be an egocentric one. People in conversation are largely occupied with what they will say next, and underestimate how strongly the other person responds to being attended to. Talking about oneself is intrinsically rewarding, so a question is a gift the asker undervalues and the answerer enjoys.

There is a related finding in workplaces. Asking for advice, rather than diminishing how competent you appear, tends to increase perceived competence, apparently because it signals judgment about what you do not know and flatters the person asked.

The fear that questions expose ignorance has a cost worth naming. In settings where people are reluctant to ask, errors propagate, and research on team performance in hospitals and aviation has repeatedly found that the willingness to ask and to question upward is associated with catching problems earlier.

The practical form is narrow: ask, then ask again about the answer rather than moving to your own point.

How to take part

• Ask a follow-up question rather than replying with something of your own.
• Ask the thing you assumed you should already know.
• Ask somebody for advice, which raises rather than lowers how you are seen.
• Count how many questions you ask in one conversation. It is usually fewer than you think.
• If you run a team, notice whether anybody asks you anything.