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livingdebMy first boyfriend, CS, was good at asking people questions. I especially liked when I got to see him meet someone from a foreign country. He would get so much interesting information out of them.
He also would go to the office hours of his professors every week and ask them questions. Somehow he found things to ask them that weren't already in the book and that weren't meta questions about the class.
I'm slowly getting better at thinking up and asking questions myself. Mostly I still just ask my friends questions. Sometimes I feel a little like some kind of interrogator, but I don't think they feel that way.
Sometimes I think to ask this profitable question: "Is there a cash discount?" Even when the answer is no, you can sometimes find out about other options.
Speaking of which, it's often good to ask about options at medical visits. It seems like medical professionals tend to just tell you the most popular option, but if you're not average, you may prefer a different option (such as behavior modification instead of drugs or surgery or such as a more expensive but durable cavity filling material).
Sometimes some interesting answers are right on the packaging (such as "You claim there are whole grains in there, but how true is that--what is the fiber content?"). And sometimes great answers are available via the internet (such as "Why doesn't my washing machine fill?" and "Are there sports socks made of organic cotton?" and "What's the quickest way to get to X from Y right now using [transportation mode of choice]?").
Sometimes people around you can infer questions you would like to ask if you are just talking. One time my old roommate CV and I were shopping for a refrigerator and one of us said that we had seen the same refrigerator cheaper at another place. The sales person asked if we would take this price if we also got free delivery. That question was also an answer to "Can you give us a better deal so we can be done shopping right now?"
Of course some questions are terrible. I really hate the question-and-answer sessions after presentations by an author, screenwriter, or other type of artist. Most of the questions are things that don't lead to interesting answers, like "Where did you get the ideas for this?" (Usual answer: I don't know--one day it was in my head.) And of course asking questions of politicians tends to be not very fun.
And sometimes asking a question won't do any good, such as asking a co-worker "Why don't you just do some work?" or "How can you possibly think that would be a good idea?" Or asking smart-ass rhetorical questions. Or when it's a question you might not really want the answer to, such as the infamous "Does this make me look fat?"
But in general, I recommend asking questions. Do you have any favorite questions you have asked or like to ask? (Besides "Will you marry me?".)
He also would go to the office hours of his professors every week and ask them questions. Somehow he found things to ask them that weren't already in the book and that weren't meta questions about the class.
I'm slowly getting better at thinking up and asking questions myself. Mostly I still just ask my friends questions. Sometimes I feel a little like some kind of interrogator, but I don't think they feel that way.
Sometimes I think to ask this profitable question: "Is there a cash discount?" Even when the answer is no, you can sometimes find out about other options.
Speaking of which, it's often good to ask about options at medical visits. It seems like medical professionals tend to just tell you the most popular option, but if you're not average, you may prefer a different option (such as behavior modification instead of drugs or surgery or such as a more expensive but durable cavity filling material).
Sometimes some interesting answers are right on the packaging (such as "You claim there are whole grains in there, but how true is that--what is the fiber content?"). And sometimes great answers are available via the internet (such as "Why doesn't my washing machine fill?" and "Are there sports socks made of organic cotton?" and "What's the quickest way to get to X from Y right now using [transportation mode of choice]?").
Sometimes people around you can infer questions you would like to ask if you are just talking. One time my old roommate CV and I were shopping for a refrigerator and one of us said that we had seen the same refrigerator cheaper at another place. The sales person asked if we would take this price if we also got free delivery. That question was also an answer to "Can you give us a better deal so we can be done shopping right now?"
Of course some questions are terrible. I really hate the question-and-answer sessions after presentations by an author, screenwriter, or other type of artist. Most of the questions are things that don't lead to interesting answers, like "Where did you get the ideas for this?" (Usual answer: I don't know--one day it was in my head.) And of course asking questions of politicians tends to be not very fun.
And sometimes asking a question won't do any good, such as asking a co-worker "Why don't you just do some work?" or "How can you possibly think that would be a good idea?" Or asking smart-ass rhetorical questions. Or when it's a question you might not really want the answer to, such as the infamous "Does this make me look fat?"
But in general, I recommend asking questions. Do you have any favorite questions you have asked or like to ask? (Besides "Will you marry me?".)
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no subject
on 2015-04-21 03:15 am (UTC)If I were asked "Pie or Cake?", my answer would be "Neither? Both? I don't like super-sweet desserts, so I usually opt for the cheesecake. When I was growing up, Mom would make us the birthday dessert of our choice each year, and I would ask her every year to make me a giant cheesecake, in the big rectangular cake pan. We'd dig in just as soon as we got back from TGI Fridays, because we also got to pick our bday restaurant, and I always picked Fridays because I loved all the antiques up on the wall. That's probably where my love of vintage began!"
So, Debbie, pie or cake?
no subject
on 2015-04-21 04:17 am (UTC)I do have a cheesecake story. I once made a friend over cheesecake. A bunch of us summer camp counselors were on our mid-summer 72-hour break trip to San Marcos. Our camp director had packed a bunch of food for us. One thing in our car was a cheesecake. Finally, the gal in the back seat with me asked the other people in the car if they were into cheese cake. The front seat was having none of it, so it was all for just her and me. Unfortunately, this was the trip where we forgot utensils. We bonded over experimenting with alternative utensils (and the glee of each getting half a cheesecake to ourselves!). (The only experimental utensil I remember anymore was carrot sticks. These are not to be recommended.)
no subject
on 2015-04-21 04:40 am (UTC)no subject
on 2015-04-21 11:40 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2015-04-21 08:09 pm (UTC)I totally LOVE cheesecake, BTW. Once when I was shopping at Costco they were giving away free samples. It was soooo good, that I actually considered buying one - until I saw the size of the thing. Seriously, it was like an enormous sheet cake, only it was cheesecake - like more cheesecake than I've eaten in my entire life put together! I decided to pass, and my hips were grateful! :-)
-Cat
no subject
on 2015-04-21 11:44 pm (UTC)A sheet cake of cheese cake? Yikes!
Cheesecake is one of the things I decided I needed to find a recipe for, so now I can make it whenever I want. This mostly means I don't buy it anywhere, but sometimes I do actually make it (generally for parties so I don't end up eating the whole thing, though I certainly don't mind if I end up eating most of it--it saves pretty well).