From The Daily Dialogue
From The Daily Dialogue
Broadcast of 3/3/98
Subject: [DailyDialogue #62] Questions
"Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers." - Voltaire
If I assume I know what you are thinking and feeling, I make an "ass" out of "u" and "me" (ass-u-me). When I suppose that I can read my partner's mind, I am given to unintelligent decisions or acts. If instead I ask my partner questions, I become more enlightened.
Voltaire who wrote today's quote, was a French writer and philosopher and one of the leaders of the Enlightenment. Enlightened people are freed from ignorance and misinformation. They have a full comprehension of the issues involved. Voltaire was able to defend either side in a debate. He believed in freedom of thought and respect for all individuals.
When we maintain a sense of wonder and curiosity about our partner, knowing that their point of view will help us see the whole picture, we show them respect. When we imagine that each day our mate is different from the day before, we add adventure to our partnership. How we choose to word our questions will determine whether we open the discussion for new insights.
Experiment: Dialogue with your partner using the following questions.
What are you thinking?
How do you feel?
What do you want?
Affirmation: I am open to hearing what my partner is thinking, feeling and wanting because I know it will help me be more enlightened.
The Daily Dialogue is published each day of 1998 by e-mail. Copyright 1998, Eddy Brame and Marty Crouch, All rights reserved. To share this with a friend, encourage them to subscribe by visiting our website at http://dailydialogue.com/. You may also unsubscribe at the website.
