I run this website, that’ll allow writers / biz owners to make SEO-optimized blog posts in 1 click.
Because there’s a chat window, I get things like the below, all the time:
There are no stupid questions.
But there is. Tons of them. For example, I can’t (and don’t even want to) help this person because of their question.
I’ve no idea their background or if they are even someone that could make money using a tool to write blog posts for them in 1 click. While most can take advantage of this and:
- Expedite monetization of their blog
- Increase low-cost traffic to their business
- Write more articles in their freelance writing gigs
I have no idea if this person’s interested in any of that.
Moreover, it’s unclear to me that even if they’re in my target audience, if a piece of SW that’ll do everything for them in 1 click is enough to compensate for their stupidity.
Their vague question is akin to going to the doctor and saying “how can you cure me?” without talking about any symptoms or explaining what’s going on.
Stupid Questions Are…
- Lazy questions that make the other party don’t want to answer you. These are the questions that show you didn’t do your research. This is the most common type of stupid question. If you’re in the workplace at all, you’ll know what I mean — the folks that ask questions that are easily Google-able and questions whose answers are well-documented. As a result, their questions are a waste of everyone’s time, simply because they are lazy.
- Questions that are too vague. Many in /r/entrepreneurs would ask question of “how do I make money” or “what side hustle is best for me?” This is similar to the vague question above. And in a way, this is also a lazy question. They desperately want results but don’t even bother elaborating on what their own strengths / weaknesses are, and what their situation is. But more than laziness, they just aren’t aware that these details matter. Or, they’re so stupid that they actually believe fake gurus when they say “no skills or experience required! You can dropship and make half a million net profit in the next 12 months!” and so they leave any relevant details out.
Stupid Questions Are Bad For You
We should discourage people from asking stupid questions, and instead of saying there are no stupid questions, we should say
Most questions are stupid. Use your brain a bit before you ask questions.
Stupid questions are bad for you because:
- They ruin your reputation. If the above person signs up and pays for my service, I’ll likely shadow ban them and not allow them to renew. If they ping me again in the future, I’m just going to ignore them. Likewise, in forums, when you ask stupid questions, people can see your posting and comment history. A bad reputation means people are less likely to engage. They see you as a value-suck and a waste of time for everyone.
- They reinforce laziness. Most stupid questions just stem from laziness. Not from some genetic predisposition. Asking questions where you want the other person to do everything for you will make you very lazy over the long-term. While beneficial for you in the short-term (less work), it’ll ruin you over time. Once the person spoon-feeding you is gone, you’re on your own again. And you won’t be able to think for yourself anymore.
- Most importantly, they waste your own time. Spending an extra 2 minutes to ask a more well-crafted question will get you better responses. Think: “Garbage in, garbage out.” If you ask stupid questions, the only answers you could possibly get are stupid answers. Most of the time, only stupid people will acknowledge your question and give you an earnest answer. Smart people don’t waste their time and won’t answer stupid questions because it’s a waste of their time — they know they can’t help you because if you’re incapable of asking a decent question, how could you possibly be capable of doing anything worthwhile?
Thus, asking stupid questions will just have you spin in circles because the advice you’ll get will generally be bad for you. And you’ll be too stupid to know. Compounded with your exponentially decaying reputation and your eroding work ethic, stupid questions will slowly but surely ruin your life.
We All Ask Stupid Questions
I do it all the time.
The important thing is to not do it unconsciously and make it a habit.
Ask questions strategically and make a conscious effort to make an analysis and do your research, and be more detailed before asking your question. If it still comes out stupid, at least you tried, and you’ll get better over time as long as you try.