Here’s a message that runs counter to what most people believe: asking a good question is a remarkably high bar to clear.
We always assume that because we don’t understand something, we simply need to voice our confusion — and that constitutes a question. It doesn’t.
Consider this example: How does a person become excellent? That’s a poor question.
How do you define excellence? How do you measure its degree? Suppose we agree that getting into a prestigious university counts as excellence — wouldn’t that mean every textbook that student has read from childhood onward is part of the answer?
In my conversations with students, I often remind them: don’t ask macro-level questions. They rarely produce useful answers. Ask specific questions instead. The more detailed and precise the question, the higher your chances of getting a genuinely effective response.