The big idea
❓
A question is the most powerful move in a conversation
It directs attention and — done well — makes the other person do the thinking.
Communication & Argumentation · Lesson 5
Asking Better Questions in Conversation
beginner⏱ 16 min · 7 cards
Try it
Open or Steer?
“"What were you weighing when you chose that approach?"”
Which questions genuinely seek information?
Tell genuine questions from ones that lead or load.
Compare
Two questions in disguise
Leading
Contains its answer
Tap.
tap for example ↻
Loaded
Smuggles an assumption
Tap.
tap for example ↻
Both feel like questions and function as assertions. Strip them out if you actually want to learn.
Key term
The oldest technique
Why does a question change a belief better than a statement?
tap to reveal ↻
Socratic questioning
A conclusion someone reaches through their own reasoning holds far better than one handed to them — the same reason retrieval beats re-reading.
Nuance
One more question
Maester Note
The first answer is where they stopped thinking. The second, after one probe, is where the truth usually is. And silence is where people say the thing they were unsure they should.
Quick check
What is the correct measure of whether you communicated well?
You did it
Nice work
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