25 February 2021

Freakonomics: Can I Ask You a Ridiculously Personal Question?

 One reason I love to do what I do is because a). I am curious, which I’m guessing you are as well; but also b). I’m fairly shy — or at least I used to be. Not sure I ever really outgrew it. Shy and curious is a tough combination: there are answers you want to know but you’re not always comfortable asking the questions. These days, the internet is a big help — you can learn a lot from the comfort of your keyboard. But there are still occasions where you really need to ask another human being a question. Sometimes a sensitive question. That’s one reason I became a writer: it gives you permission to ask. [...]

This result may not surprise you. Most of us want other people to like us. And it would seem obvious that we’re more likable if we don’t ask sensitive questions. On the other hand: these were anonymous, virtual conversations; you might think it’d simply be more interesting, more fun, to ask the so-called sensitive questions. But this experiment suggests that most people don’t think that way, or perhaps that we’re so conditioned to not ask sensitive questions that even when allowed, we don’t.

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