What holds you back from asking a question? Do you feel that the question is obvious? Or that the answer will be trite? Do you know the old saying, “There are no stupid questions,” but you secretly believe that, yes, there can be?

Matthew Lee Anderson is an author, student, and excellent asker of questions. In this piece, taken from his book, The End of Our Exploring, he examines the makings and breakings of a good question, how questions arise, how to give proper time in answering them, and how to practice and get better at asking and answering questions. 

Asking questions is one task that is universally performed yet rarely examined. From questions of personal preference (What will I eat for dinner tonight?) to those of a deeper nature (What happens when we die?), this quick guide will provoke you to think more deeply about the questions you ask.

Moody Collective Portions are short pieces of content taken from our full-length books. Our goal is to introduce our readers to a complete idea in a brief, concise, and inexpensive format. Most portions will take about 20 minutes to read.