Stop Trying to Ask ‘Smart Questions’⁠↗

Smart Questions are, typically, kind of dumb. And, just as typical, questions that might initially seem dumb or underinformed, or downright unintelligent, are the smartest way to learn stuff if you’re a journalist, an academic, or anybody else.

Narrow and specific queries, with a preamble and even some fancy jargon, are still useful here and there, but they’re a bit like fishing for a trout and catching a trout. The most interesting interviews are more like fishing around and reeling in a shark, or a treasure chest, or a drowned aircraft carrier—something you never expected to see on the hook. The best interviews surprise the interviewer, and being surprised is hard if you’re fixated on being smart.

Most people think the point of a good question is to get a good answer, but maybe that’s wrong. Maybe the point of a good question is to arrive at a better question.