Why / How
Write a short profile on each other,
I said to my students, dividing them into groups of two. What is your
angle; w
hat is
interesting
to you about this other person? Make this a conversational voyage of
discovery
. How can we get to know this person in greater depth by the end of your profile story? Why should we care? Not just by asking a collection of facts, trivia, and biographic questions, but through a series of conversational questions that allow us to
really
learn more about what makes this person tick...
A person is more than the sum of their birthdate, gender, style esthetic, music preferences, and Facebook friends forum.
One young gentleman was disgruntled at being pushed to articulate questions more targeted and specific than,
What school did you go to before here?
and
What sports do you play?
How does asking somebody what sports they play help us get to know them?
I ask.
It certainly gives us information
about
them...but does it help to
really
get to know them - what makes them a unique individual?
There are always different ways to divide up people's "lens for viewing the world."
Left brain/Right brain. Pragmatist/Idealist. Conservative/Progressive. Jennifer/Angelina.
I like to think in terms of
How
and
Why.
There are
How
questions concerned with concrete process and procedures and appropriate methods for approaching a task. And there are
Why
questions that are concerned with motivation and inquiries into people's reasons for making the choices they do.
What show do you prefer:
CSI
or
The Mentalist?
Which one is the
How
program? Which one is focused on the
Why
? What are your other favourite television programs - which ones, at their heart, are focused on
Process
and which ones are focused on
Motivation?
A simplistic query. But try dividing them into one of those two areas...
If
How
is the Craft, then
Why
is the Art. They coexist. Ideally, they complement each other. But there is frequently a brutal prejudice in favour of
How-
type questions, particularly in raising and teaching children. Sometimes, it's a lot easier to teach somebody
How
to do something then to explain precisely
Why
they should do it in the first place.
I hate -
hate
- when people ask questions about our daughter such as,
"
Has she gotten to the dreaded 'Why' stage' yet?"
I hate it. One of the things I love about Childhood is that in those early years, before you are indoctrinated too deeply in the way you're
supposed to do things
, you simply ask
Why-questions
because you
want to know
. It's not a disrespect thing. It's simply a desire to
know
; an evolving of character and logic that is too-often shut down because
Why-questions
are frequently difficult to answer.
I often don't have good answers to
Why questions
.
Why questions
should be conversation-starters; they begin a dialogue of back-and-forth discovery.
Why questions
may lead to a better
How
in the end. They frequently raise the question of whether there is need for a better
How.
Why questions are disruptive, just as radical types of innovation are disruptive.
That is why certain types of people loathe
Why question-askers
so much - they disrupt accepted conventions and ways of doing things. They question the givens.
Regardless of what subject I am teaching -
Photography, Art, Filmmaking, Creative Nonfiction
- the core important ideas share a common DNA with the ideas important to me as a parent. Atop the list is a desire to
push
our students and children to look
beyond
the
surface
of what they see...to ask
Why-questions
and to not apologize for asking them in a respectful, inquisitive manner.
The right to ask a respectful question begins at birth.
And also...
* To embrace the right to ask
Why
; to develop the self-respect to raise your voice in any circumstance and have the confidence to ask a
Why question of Anyone
.
* To look past the surface qualities of a photograph or work of art and try to interpret and understand what it
represents
.
* To articulate in
specific terms what is
beautiful and unique
in anyone and anything...and to connect the relationship between Uniqueness and Beauty.
* To move past "
It's good/awesome
" and "
It's bad/lame
" evaluations. Develop a recognition of those microdetails that make something
unique.
Articulate
your preferences and opinions.
* To look for
Patterns
and
Structure
and
Meaning
in the Mundane.
* To find the
Good in People
and the
Great in Life
.
___
People are more interesting than they oftentimes give themselves credit for. Especially when you start
looking
for the details and patterns in their lives...
Anyone can learn
how
to edit a video. So why don't more people make
interesting
movies? Because learning the How
doesn't automatically mean you've got something interesting to say. It's asking
Why
questions that get you to the interesting stuff. And those are the people that make the great Art, that make the great Films, that make the great Music, and that search for answers to questions such as
What can Science and Technology do to make our lives better?
Those
Why questions
are at the heart of every great inquiry, whether originating from a three-year old child or from a 60-year old scientist.
Why do I have to go to bed now, Daddy? Why? Why? Why am I supposed to go to bed now?
Well dear
, I say.
Umm, it's because the scientists say that's what you're supposed to do in order to be healthy.
(beat)
And also, because
I SAID SO
, you little pill! And the Narnian monsters are going to get you if you don't hop in bed
RIGHT NOW! Aahhh!
Roarrrrrr!
And I tackle her, and toss her in bed, and the giggling is loud.