
Why should you be stuck without a bed if I’ve got an extra air mattress? {AMBQ Excerpt}
Airbnb’s $10 billion valuation all started with a Beautiful Question.
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Jump down to readers’ Beautiful Qs below
My own beautiful question these days is a compound one:
“How might I continue to learn more about the power of questioning, so that I can share that with as many people as possible?”
After living with this topic for some years now, I’ve realized that questioning is a powerful—and neglected—tool in business, society, and our personal lives. It is also is a huge topic, touching on many disciplines, and I’ve come to understand that I’ve just scratched the surface of it. Luckily, with the publication of both The Book of Beautiful Questions and A More Beautiful Question, I’m getting lots of interesting items and thoughts sent to me by others equally intrigued by questioning. My journey will continue with the help of others.
So what about your beautiful question? We all have goals, plans, passions, interests, concerns—and very little time these days. You may be wondering: Why add on a big, difficult, unanswered question?
My books answer that question, but here’s some reasons in brief.
A beautiful question can be propulsive, much more so than a bucket list or a page of New Year’s resolutions in a drawer somewhere. If you have one compelling question, it’s harder to set aside, ignore, or forget it.
Articulating a personal challenge in the form of a question also allows you to be bold and adventurous, because anyone can question anything. You don’t have to be a recognized expert; you just have to be willing to say I’m going to venture forth in the world with my question and see what I find. Perhaps your question might touch upon a global social issue or local community problem. Or maybe, instead of an outward quest to transform the world, your beautiful question will focus on creating a more fulfilled, more curious, more interesting you.
Other beautiful questions aren’t personal mission statements, but rather interesting questions that cause you to stop and think and reassess your assumptions. Below, readers have come up with their own beautiful question or are sharing one they’ve come across along the way. If you send me a beautiful question (and why it resonates with you), I hope to showcase it here on this page. Also check out the beautiful questions I’ve collected from well-known people in the Quotes gallery.
Reader James Parker submitted the above question, writing: “I didn’t create this question, but it’s from a book that is written entirely around one single question, The ONE Thing, by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.
Two “Beautiful Q” emails came in the same day, both posing questions about water.
From Kathryn, a high school student in California:
And from Zoe Thomas:
Those are great questions! I don’t have answers but I recommend you “adopt” them as questions you want to try to answer for yourself. Start with Google, but you probably will only find limited info there; maybe also share the questions with other people you know. The world needs smart people to be asking lots of questions about water, and maybe you should pursue this as a special area of curiosity. Best of luck!
Elementary school principal Dan Pope explains his beautiful question: “At Lone Oak Elementary (McCracken County, Kentucky) we have moved to standards based reporting and no longer use traditional grading. If you dig deep into grading it is my belief that you realize how little that traditional grading prepares students for the real world. A, B, C grades are only used in school settings. The work force uses standards to assess employees.
“The pushback is always ‘Well, colleges and universities need to know who the valedictorian is or how will they assess students or we have to have grade points.’ None of these things apply to real world. If we could move education as a whole away from traditional grading and assessing students by mastery of standards it is a win win for all—truly preparing them for Real World situations.”
Thanks for sharing that beautiful question from the academic trenches, Dan.
New Zealand psychologist and educator Max Gold tells us, “The question behind this beautiful question is: how do we know what we know is true? It questions the basis for our perception of what is real in the world, and therein lies the attractiveness of the question from my point of view.… In the world of complex human relationships and interactions in which I exist as a psychologist, seldom is it the case that truth can be established with any veracity. The best source of knowledge involves triangulating data from a variety of sources and perspectives. That makes establishing how we know what we know in human relationships like assembling a jigsaw puzzle.” And Gold feels that questioning can help with this assembly.
Brand builder and coach Rosemary Breehl reports, “My Beautiful Question is actually my WHY. A few years ago, one of my business associates introduced me to Simon Sinek’s TED Talk about “The Golden Circle,” and how to find and construct your own WHY, and I’ve been working on it and using it since then. In fact, I have helped many others find their own WHY and I teach workshops on that as well. That is why I was so intrigued with the concept of the BQ and was able to put my WHY in the form of a BQ: How might I inspire others to see their own greatness so they can live the life of their dreams?”
Brian Panosian of Cisco says “I can’t express enough my conviction to quality, thought-provoking questions in my business. I believe this is a craft that everyone should continuously sharpen.” Brian (who asks that Jared Carter be credited as co-author) shares that his beautiful question opens up windows of conversation never before thought of with business executives: “What is it about your business today that you can’t answer?” This brings to mind the kinds of questions that Peter Drucker (“Peter Drucker: The consultant as “Master Questioner”) would ask.
This question was sent in by George Wang, who wrote me a nice long note, which included “The key to a more purpose-driven life, company, and society can be found in none other than the BeautifulQuestion of ‘Why do we do what we do?’… The question prompts people to be mindful of their habits and develop insight into the purpose of their actions.”
An especially quirky beautiful question submitted by James Favata at Leading Authorities speakers bureau, who spotted it in this video by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem.
Found this question as part of a wonderful essay by Elsa Fridman, posted on the site rethinked.org. Elsa’s essay talks about her desire to “live lightly”—without being weighed down by too many material possessions—while still being able to savor and appreciate meaningful things she has accumulated along the way. But in a larger sense, it’s about the above question—which is a beautiful one.
Cara Herman of Crush Republic sent in this question. Her point is that in trying to get people to respond to her agency’s research questions, it can be most effective to “have them respond naturally, without thinking (or) filtering their answers.” Which requires asking questions in a whole different way—thereby encouraging people to give more honest, organic responses. Thanks, Cara. And yes, I’m certain we can help each other on our respective quests to “master the art of asking questions.”
Great question submitted by Annie Murrell (@AnnieMurrell), from the blog A Quiet Mind. I think what would happen if teenagers believed this is that the world would benefit greatly—by being able to tap into an incredible source of energy, creativity, and optimism that could help solve many of our problems.
Submitted by Kris on the blog. Great question and while I don’t pretend to have the answer, I suspect one of the things that might help would be to teach them how to ask questions, explore, and solve problems, starting at an early age.
Thanks to Steve Woodward (@nozzlsteve) from Nozzl, the social media site, not only for the question but for this terrific answer: “This question was proposed by astronomers about 400 years ago. The answer seemed obvious, but it actually wasn’t. If the universe were stable and infinite, as everyone believed it to be, there should have been a star at every location in the night sky. In other words, the night sky should have been blindingly bright, not dark. The dark sky became evidence of the Big Bang and an expanding universe—concepts inconceivable at the time the question was asked. Today, that question is known as Olber’s Paradox.”
Thanks for this idea go to Michelle Riggen-Ransom (@mriggen), co-founder of BatchBlue Software, who says that she when first proposed a version of this question among competing tech companies, it led to the creation of thesmallbusinessweb.com, a network of likeminded companies who share data and try to help small business owners succeed.
Robbie Vitrano (@RobbieVitrano), who I know from a marvelous New Orleans ad/design firm called Trumpet, sent in this question, and Robbie is trying to create the answer in the form of his new business, Naked Pizza. Can’t wait to find out what his answer tastes like.
Submitted by Diane on the blog. A question that must be on the minds of many parents and teachers.
Thanks to Kenn Compton (@KennCompton) of the CPCC Advertising & Design program for this question, which makes me think of another question: Who says education has to happen only in a classroom? We tend to limit our idea of where “formal education” should be happening, but anyplace can become a learning environment.
Thanks to my old friend Jim Mountjoy (@JimMountjoy) of LKM creative communications in Charlotte, NC, for this beautiful Q. Yes, indeed: The unlearning part is the hard part. Children don’t have to do that as much as adults, which is why kids have an edge when it comes to questioning and learning. There is a Zen Buddhist concept known as Shoshin, or “beginner’s mind” (I explore this concept more in my book and a bit in this article on John Cage). There’s also something in the business world these days called “zero gravity thinking”—both of which involve setting aside preconceived notions and biases in an attempt to look at things the way a child or a naïve outsider would. Not easy, but apparently it works.
Thanks to Jane Gross, author of the memoir A Bittersweet Season: Caring for Our Aging Parents and Ourselves, for this question.
Kersten Wouter writes: “This is a potentially beautiful question, or at least leading to an interesting discussion about which opportunities we can seize if we don’t equate “education” with “school building.” Relevant? Ask people in any area with low population density…
What is a Beautiful Question?
A question could be considered “beautiful” for all kinds of reasons. Here’s mine….
Warren Berger’s Books on Questioning
Three “beautiful question” books filled with essential questions and inspiration…
What’s your “Inquiry Quotient”?
Think you’re already a good questioner? See where you rank.
Why Should You Care About Questioning?
The importance of questioning in school, business, and daily life.
Freebies, Anyone?
Promotions, contests, merchandise, and free things….
What Can We Learn from “Master Questioners?”
A lot. Insights, examples, inspiration…
Quotes About Questioning
Many famous people have opined on the rich topic of questioning.
What’s Your Beautiful Question?
A list of reader-submitted Beautiful Questions, and send us yours.
Airbnb’s $10 billion valuation all started with a Beautiful Question.
Facing disruptive change.
A decades-long journey by a water-skier.
A favorite question of author Daniel Pink about finding and living your purpose.
Why should you be stuck without a bed if I’ve got an extra air mattress? {AMBQ Excerpt}
Airbnb’s $10 billion valuation all started with a Beautiful Question.
If they can put a man on the moon, why can’t they make a decent foot?
A decades-long journey by a water-skier.
What happened when young Woz asked “Why”
Steve Wozniak has lots of stories. But the ones I found most interesting have to do with Wozniak’s curiosity as a boy. When he would ask his engineer father questions, the answers changed Wozniak’s world. Whose world have you changed lately?
“We know that the art of asking questions is at the heart of discovery in science, philosophy, medicine—so why don’t we extend that power to all areas of our lives? The questions Warren Berger raises in A MORE BEAUTIFUL QUESTION are thoughtful, provocative, odd, serious, and silly, but in every case they are indeed the kind of ‘beautiful questions’ that can help us identify the right problems and generate creative solutions.”
—DANIEL PINK, New York Times bestselling author of Drive and To Sell is Human
“Most people believe that great leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and activists are distinguished by their ability to give compelling answers. This profound book shatters that assumption, showing that the more vital skill is asking the right questions…. Berger poses many fascinating questions, including this one: What if companies had mission questions rather than mission statements? This is a book everyone ought to read—without question.”
—ADAM GRANT, New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take, in “13 Must-Read Business Books in 2014”
“In the old economy, it was all about having the answers. But in today’s dynamic, lean economy, it's more about asking the right questions. A More Beautiful Question is about figuring out how to ask, and answer, the questions that can lead to new opportunities and growth.”
—ERIC RIES, New York Times bestselling author of The Lean Startup
“Is there a relationship between innovation and the ability to ask ambitious questions? The journalist and innovation expert Berger argues there is, and in this breezy management book he seeks to improve our capacity to question.... One closes A MORE BEAUTIFUL QUESTION newly conscious of the significance of smart questions.”
—THE NEW YORK TIMES (read full review)
“Innovation specialist Berger takes on some big questions in this absorbing treatise that calls for more curiosity in our corporate development and daily lives.... Quirky sidebars on topics ranging from George Carlin to hard-boiled eggs add to the book’s inquisitive spirit.... This potential game-changer will help readers identify where opportunities lie and how to seize them.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (read full review)
“Berger makes great use of both historical and contemporary examples of educators, innovators and business moguls who, by taking time to ask pointed questions of themselves and their respective industries, have both broadened their understandings of challenging situations and expanded the range of positive possibilities.... A practical testament to the significance of the questioning mind.”
—KIRKUS REVIEWS (read full review)
“In this wise book, Warren Berger shows us how crucial it is to question every aspect of our lives, from business to school to our choice of toothpaste. My question: Why wouldn’t you read this book?”
—A.J. JACOBS, New York Times bestselling author and Esquire columnist
“The genesis of many great startups is the simple question, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if...?’ Berger helps you understand the power of questions to change the world. Real men ask questions, they don’t spout out answers.”
—GUY KAWASAKI, author of APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur, and former chief evangelist at Apple
“Mastering the art of asking questions is essential to creativity and innovation. A More Beautiful Question should be standard reading for all aspiring design thinkers as well an inspiration to those searching for a life of curiosity and meaning.”
—TIM BROWN, Chief Executive, IDEO and author of Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations
“In an age of instant information, it’s easier than ever to find answers, but also easy to forget how important it is to ask the right kinds of questions. In this deeply thought-provoking book, Warren Berger shows how learning the art of good questioning—and resisting the urge to race too quickly toward conclusions—is the path to a far more fruitful and creative way of engaging with the world, at work and in life as a whole.”
—OLIVER BURKEMAN, columnist at The Guardian and bestselling author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking
“Warren Berger’s book is a cure for a disease in large enterprises. A More Beautiful Question provides a framework to help leaders ask the most important questions—which is one of the most fundamental characteristics of a great leader—while sharing inspiring stories to show the incredible power of this concept.”
—JIM STENGEL, former Global Marketing Officer at Procter & Gamble and author of Grow: How Ideals Power Growth and Profit at the World’s Greatest Companies
“A More Beautiful Question is a tour de force on how asking questions shapes the life and work of creative leaders. I founded The 4-24 Project because questions are the lifeblood of innovation, and thus, our future. Berger’s engaging collection of narratives will undoubtedly propel this question mission forward, inspiring readers from all walks of life to challenge the status quo by asking more of the world.”
—HAL GREGERSEN, co-author, The Innovator’s DNA and founder of The 4-24 Project
“Why has a book like this never been written before? Here is a persuasive case for the simple and yet extraordinary power of a question. Fascinating, engaging stories give life to a strong argument about how much can be accomplished, in every domain of our lives, ‘just’ by asking questions. Innovators, entrepreneurs, citizens, parents, teachers, idealists and realists—all of us have much to gain by reading A More Beautiful Question.”
—DAN ROTHSTEIN and LUZ SANTANA, co-directors, THE RIGHT QUESTION INSTITUTE; co-authors, Make Just One Change: Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions
“Questions have literally moved mountains, powered rockets, and instantly developed images. Berger focuses on what he calls ‘Beautiful Questions’… that can lead to game-changing answers and results. These are questions that, once raised, tend to get people thinking in a different way.”
—THE ATLANTIC
“The desire to ask bigger and better questions is on the rise… Warren Berger has been tracking a movement toward questioning that is running very strong in Silicon Valley, but also seems to be spreading throughout the business, nonprofit and education sectors.”
—FORBES.com
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When “just asking questions” morphs into toxic denialism
Media provocateurs and conspiracy theorists insist that they’re “just asking questions.” But what would master questioners George Carlin and Carl Sagan think?
Want to inspire more curiosity and inquiry in kids?
How and why Traci Sanders—a longtime school librarian and connoisseur of children’s books—put together a fun curated library of kids’ questioning books here on AMoreBeautifulQuestion.com.
Changing your life via a Beautiful Question
All of us can benefit by grappling with ambitious questions that encourage us to step back and consider possible ways to reimagine our lives or reinvent our careers.
The key questions entrepreneurs ask
The questions Spotify, Bumble and Medium execs are asking themselves and why you should follow their lead
Warren on the web