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Asking Questions

Do you ever find that your desire to be right overshadows your willingness to learn?

This instinct is deeply ingrained, embedded within the mental 'software' that shapes our thoughts and actions. Yet, this programming is not fixed; much like updating an app on your phone, you can rewire your cognitive patterns toward a more inquisitive mindset.

Take a cue from 'The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy': our quest for understanding is summed up in the answer of '42.' Yet the power of this answer only comes to light when paired with its question. It's an analogy for life, where the universe provides answers, and our job is to discover the right questions.

The better you get at asking questions, the easier things will come to you.

Let’s started the process of rewiring your brain, enhancing your ability to craft and pose powerful questions.

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What is a question?

We live with questions every day. 'What's for dinner?' 'Where are my keys?' They’re always there, but do we really think about what questions are?

It's like fish swimming in water; the water's always there, but do the fish notice it?

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A question is a type of sentence used in language to get information.

A question is way of asking about what we don't know.

There are different kinds of questions. Some, called "polar questions," just need a "yes" or "no" answer, like "Are you ready for school?" Others, known as "alternative questions," give you choices, such as "Do you want an apple or an orange?" Then there are "open questions," which let you give more detailed answers, like "What did you do during summer vacation?”

What are questions so valuable?

With the right question, we can make even the most challenging things easy. Look at Elon Musk. Using first principles thinking to ask the right questions has made him do the impossible over and over again.

The value in questions is that the right questions can make had things easy.

How do we generate questions?

How do we know what questions to answer?

You want to be right.

You want to be right even in spite of it being obvious you don’t know.

This was programmed into us. It’s part of our software that runs on our brain. The nice thing about programming is that it can be updated. Because what matters most in the situations that truly matter, that are often in a veil of fog and uncertainty, our reaction should be to ask questions.

For instance, take the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy. The answer is 42. The meaning of the universe is 42. Wow! You know the answer. However, it’s meaningful because you don’t know the question that corresponds to that answer. So a good way to think is that the universe is the answer and that it’s a matter of devlo[ping the right questions. You can take the hardest things and make them easier by asking the right questions. In that with the right question the right answer can seem obvious.

How will this works?

Implement it in your daily life to make it a habit. When someone tells you something ask questions. When you find yourself coming to a conclusion, instead try not to formulate any defineintve conclusion and ask questions.

By asking questions you will start to reprogram yourself to automatically ask questions. And the more you do this, the better and bette you’ll get at generating questions, especially those that get the most results efficiently.

Think of it like going to the gym building our muscle and endurance. You gotta put in the reps. If you keep showin up and do it and do it, you achieve your pursuit.

How to generate questions

  • Analytical and Informative: Rich in data, your style dives deep into subjects with a focus on providing thorough explanations and well-supported arguments.
  • Clear and Precise: You aim for clarity in presenting complex ideas, using precise language to bring concepts into focus.
  • Structured and Logical: Your writing follows a logical structure, building arguments piece by piece and guiding readers through a progression of ideas.
  • Engaging and Authoritative: The tone strikes a balance between authoritative insights and engaging narratives, drawing readers in with the depth of analysis.
  • Detailed and Nuanced: Your writing captures the nuances of a topic, exploring multiple angles and considering various perspectives.
  • Action-Oriented: The content often drives towards practical applications, providing readers with actionable advice based on the discussion.

Copy I want you to become my Question Strategy Assistant. Your goal is to craft precise questions that will help me navigate through my situation to reach a beneficial outcome or deepen my understanding. You will follow the following process: I am seeking guidance on: #situation/goal. We will iterate to refine the questions. Based on my input in step 1, you will generate 3 clear sections: a) Revised question set (present curated questions based on my input), b) Suggestions (advise on what details to provide for better questions), c) Questions (inquire further where needed to enhance the question set). Through an iterative process with me providing additional information and you updating the revised question set, we'll develop a focused path of inquiry.

When I do any task, I want to start by describing the situation in other words the goal or goals & the context, to which you will then generate questions that help me to accomplish the goal. The goal may be to get a task done like an email or an article or the goal may be to learn something with the goal of developing and clear and actionable view of that learning and the ability to teach it to someone else. I find that the answer is easy - that is to say that everything can be made easy - if only you ask the right question. Similar to the concept within the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy whereby the answer is 42 and you must figure out the question to know the meaning of the universe. A type of reverse engineering byway of questions.

Research

Steps to Formulate Insightful Questions:

Step 1: Get to Know the Issue

  • Clearly describe the problem or decision that needs to be explored.
  • Pinpoint the crucial elements or players involved in the issue.

Step 2: Use AI to Create Questions

  • Collaborate with AI to generate a diverse set of questions around the critical elements you've identified.
  • Ensure questions are phrased to prompt deep thinking but remain straightforward and targeted.

Step 3: Customize Questions for Personal Use

  • Instruct AI to adjust the complexity and depth of questions based on your own understanding or the understanding of the intended audience.

Step 4: AI-Assisted Question Arrangement

  • Leverage AI to organize the questions in a logical sequence, ensuring each answer builds upon the last and enhances your overall comprehension.

How to Assess the Quality of Answers with AI:

Using AI for Grading System

  1. Develop a list of what defines a good answer, like completeness and evidence.
  2. Command AI to assess answers using prompts that reflect these standards.
  3. Ask AI to score the answers to determine if they meet your defined criteria for quality.

Example AI prompts for grading:

  • "Please grade the following answer based on how detailed and relevant it is."
  • "Evaluate the logical consistency of this response and give it a score from 1 to 10."

Using AI for Review System

  1. Decide which parts of the answers need regular checks, like accuracy or depth.
  2. Create prompts for AI to review these aspects.
  3. Use AI feedback to refine your questions to garner more detailed and accurate responses.

Example AI prompts for review:

  • "Review this answer for its factual accuracy and suggest improvements."
  • "Analyze the depth of this answer and provide feedback on how it can be expanded."

Involving AI as a tool in both generating and assessing questions adds efficiency and depth to the process. AI helps in creating and sequencing questions and in offering an initial evaluation of responses, which should then be complemented with human discernment for nuanced decision-making.