How To Ask Questions That Prompt Critical Thinking

Summary

The video script addresses the critical thinking deficit in our society, where people often make judgments without thorough research. It introduces strategies to foster critical thinking through questioning, highlighting Brandon Stanton's 'spiraling down' technique from Humans of New York. This method encourages deeper conversations by gradually focusing on more specific details. Additionally, the script advises replacing 'why' with 'how' or 'what' to promote open-ended thinking and storytelling, rather than justification. The goal is to enhance critical thinking and counter the current deficit.

Takeaways

• 🌐 We are living in an 'international critical thinking deficit' where people often make decisions without thorough research or deep thought.
• 🗣️ The video aims to explore how to ask questions that promote critical thinking, which is essential for better decision-making and understanding.
• 📸 Brandon Stanton, the founder of Humans Of New York, uses a 'spiraling down' technique in conversations to delve deeper into people's stories and thoughts.
• 🌀 The 'spiraling down' technique involves starting with general questions and progressively asking more specific ones to reach the core of a narrative.
• 📖 Stanton's approach to storytelling through photography and conversation is a practical tool for engaging in meaningful dialogues.
• 🤔 The concept of 'specificity is the soul of narrative' is highlighted, emphasizing that the more specific a question, the richer the narrative and understanding.
• 🔍 The Socratic method of inquiry through questions is mentioned as a way to encourage critical thinking and open-minded exploration of ideas.
• 🚫 The video suggests avoiding 'why' questions in favor of 'how' or 'what' to prevent people from rationalizing and to keep their minds open to new ideas.
• 💡 The '5 whys' technique is introduced as a method for promoting design thinking, but the video recommends using 'how' and 'what' for critical thinking to avoid defensive reactions.
• 🌟 The video concludes with an invitation to use the spiraling technique and 'how' or 'what' questions to counter the critical thinking deficit and foster deeper understanding.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the script?

The main issue discussed is the critical thinking deficit in society, where people often make judgments and decisions without thoroughly researching information.

What is the purpose of the video mentioned in the script?

The purpose of the video is to explore how to ask questions that promote critical thinking and to share strategies for doing so.

Who is Brandon Stanton and what is his connection to the topic?

Brandon Stanton is the founder of Humans Of New York, a project that collects and shares stories of people through photography and quotes. His technique of 'spiraling down' in conversation is highlighted as a method to promote critical thinking.

What does the term 'spiraling down' refer to in the context of the script?

In the context of the script, 'spiraling down' refers to a conversation technique where one starts with general questions and gradually becomes more specific, similar to the shape of a spiral, to delve deeper into a subject.

How does the 'spiraling down' technique help in promoting critical thinking?

The 'spiraling down' technique helps promote critical thinking by allowing for a natural progression from general to specific questions, which encourages deeper exploration of topics and personal reflection.

What is the significance of specificity in storytelling and critical thinking as mentioned in the script?

Specificity is crucial in storytelling and critical thinking because it allows for a more detailed and meaningful exploration of ideas, leading to richer narratives and more profound understanding.

What is the '5 whys' technique and how is it related to critical thinking?

The '5 whys' technique is a method of asking 'why' five times to reach the root cause of a problem or issue. It is related to critical thinking as it encourages deeper analysis and understanding.

Why does the script suggest avoiding 'why' questions in favor of 'how' or 'what'?

The script suggests avoiding 'why' questions because they can lead to rationalization and justification, which may not promote open critical thinking. 'How' and 'what' questions are more open-ended and encourage exploration without the need for immediate justification.

What is the 'broaden and build theory' mentioned in the script?

The 'broaden and build theory' is a concept from positive psychology that suggests positive emotions can broaden our thinking and build our cognitive resources, allowing us to be more open to new ideas and experiences.

How can the techniques discussed in the script help offset the critical thinking deficit?

By applying the 'spiraling down' technique and asking open-ended 'how' or 'what' questions, individuals can engage in more thoughtful and in-depth conversations, which can help stimulate and develop critical thinking skills.

Who is Chad Littlefield and what is his role in the script?

Chad Littlefield is the speaker in the script, sharing insights and strategies on how to promote critical thinking through questioning techniques.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Fostering Critical Thinking Through Conversation

The paragraph discusses the prevalence of a critical thinking deficit in society, where people often make decisions without thorough research or deep thought. The speaker introduces a strategy from Brandon Stanton, founder of Humans Of New York, which involves 'spiraling down' in conversation to delve deeper into topics and provoke critical thinking. This technique is likened to Socratic inquiry, where questions lead to more specific and insightful discussions, allowing for a richer narrative and understanding. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of specificity in storytelling and critical thinking, suggesting that following a curiosity path can lead to a more profound exploration of ideas.

05:00

📚 The Power of 'How' and 'What' Questions

In this paragraph, the speaker argues against using 'why' questions to promote critical thinking, as they can lead to rationalization and justification rather than open exploration. Instead, the speaker suggests replacing 'why' with 'how' and 'what' to encourage more expansive and less defensive responses. This approach is linked to Barbara Fredrickson's broaden and build theory from positive psychology, which posits that open questions can help brains remain open to new ideas. The speaker encourages the use of Brandon Stanton's spiraling technique in conjunction with 'how' and 'what' questions to foster critical thinking and counteract the critical thinking deficit.

Keywords

💡Critical Thinking

Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze and evaluate information objectively, using reason to form judgments. In the video, it is highlighted as a skill that is currently in deficit, with people often making decisions without thorough research or deep thought. The video aims to address this by teaching how to ask questions that promote critical thinking, which is essential for making informed decisions and judgments.

💡Spiral Down Technique

The spiral down technique, as described by Brandon Stanton, involves deepening a conversation by gradually asking more specific questions. This method is likened to a spiral, where one starts with a broad question and then circles back to increasingly detailed inquiries. The video suggests using this technique to encourage critical thinking by delving deeper into topics, which allows for a richer narrative and more profound understanding.

💡Humans of New York

Humans of New York (HONY) is a photo blog by Brandon Stanton, featuring portraits and quotes from people he meets on the streets of New York City. The video uses HONY as an example of how storytelling can be powerful when it involves deep, personal narratives. Stanton's approach to eliciting profound quotes from his subjects is tied to the theme of critical thinking, as it requires thoughtful questioning to uncover meaningful stories.

💡Socratic Inquiry

Socratic inquiry is a method of teaching and learning that involves asking questions to stimulate critical thinking and encourage deeper understanding. The video connects this concept to the spiral down technique, suggesting that by asking a series of questions, one can guide a conversation towards a deeper level of thought and insight, which is the essence of critical thinking.

💡Specificity

Specificity is the quality of being precise and detailed. The video emphasizes that specificity is crucial for effective storytelling and critical thinking. It argues that the more specific a question or narrative is, the more it reveals about the subject, leading to a deeper understanding. This is exemplified by the idea that 'specificity is the soul of narrative,' suggesting that detailed narratives are more engaging and thought-provoking.

💡Curiosity Path

A curiosity path refers to the journey of exploration that one takes when following a line of inquiry or interest. In the context of the video, it is suggested that by following a curiosity path—asking questions that build upon each other—one can spiral down into a topic and promote critical thinking. This approach encourages exploration and discovery, leading to a more profound understanding of the subject matter.

💡5 Whys

The 5 Whys is a technique used to explore the cause of a problem or decision by asking 'why' five times. The video, however, suggests an alternative approach by recommending to 'drop the why' in favor of 'how' or 'what' questions. This is because 'why' questions can lead to rationalization and justification, which may not be as conducive to open-ended critical thinking as questions that start with 'how' or 'what'.

💡Rationalization

Rationalization is the process of justifying one's beliefs, actions, or decisions, often to oneself. The video points out that questions beginning with 'why' can prompt rationalization, which may hinder open and critical thinking. Instead, the video encourages the use of 'how' or 'what' questions to foster an environment more conducive to exploration and understanding.

💡Broaden and Build Theory

The broaden and build theory, mentioned in the context of positive psychology, suggests that positive emotions can broaden people's thought-action repertoires and build their physical, intellectual, and social resources. The video relates this theory to the idea that open-ended questions ('how' or 'what') can open up the mind to new ideas, facilitating critical thinking, as opposed to 'why' questions, which might close the mind.

💡Justification

Justification is the act of giving reasons or excuses for one's actions or beliefs. The video discusses how 'why' questions can lead to justification, which might not be as effective for promoting critical thinking as 'how' or 'what' questions. The latter are seen as more open-ended, allowing for a broader exploration of ideas without the need for immediate justification.

Highlights

We are living in an international critical thinking deficit, where people quickly form conclusions without thorough research.

The video aims to unpack how to ask questions that promote critical thinking.

Brandon Stanton's strategy from Humans Of New York is introduced as a brilliant method for promoting critical thinking.

Stanton's technique involves 'spiraling down' in conversation to reach deep, meaningful stories.

The importance of specificity in storytelling and critical thinking is emphasized.

The concept of following one curiosity path to promote critical thinking is discussed.

The idea that specificity is the soul of narrative is introduced as a key to deep storytelling.

The '5 whys' technique is mentioned, but the speaker suggests an alternative approach.

The speaker advises to 'drop the why' and instead start questions with 'how' or 'what' to promote critical thinking.

Why questions can make people defensive, whereas how or what questions open up the mind for critical thinking.

Barbara Fredrickson's broaden and build theory in positive psychology is referenced to explain the importance of an open mind for critical thinking.

The invitation to combine Stanton's spiraling technique with how or what questions is presented as a method to offset the critical thinking deficit.

The video concludes with an invitation to practice these techniques for promoting critical thinking.

The speaker, Chad Littlefield, signs off with a positive note, encouraging viewers to have an awesome day.

Transcripts

I believe and I've seen some bumper stickers  that would back up the idea and the fact  

that we are living in an international  critical thinking deficit, right? Live  

in this world where people come to conclusions  so quickly don't really research information all  

that much. They take something at face value  and they run with it and make decisions or  

maybe even worse judgments or start yelling at  people because of it. And so, in this video,  

we're going to unpack how do you ask  questions that promote critical thinking.  

And I'm going to be sharing one really brilliant  strategy that I learned from Brandon Stanton,  

the founder of Humans Of New York, if you're  familiar with that. And the second strategy,  

I'm going to share one of my absolute favorite,  I think one of the coolest practical tools in Me  

and Will's book called Ask Powerful Questions  Create Conversations that matter. The only  

kind of fluff I like is marshmallowy and  sits on a sandwich. Let's get into it.  

So, hearing Brandon Stanton uh speak one time. And  so, if you're not familiar with the Humans of New  

York, by the way, he basically set out originally,  set out to do portrait photography of 10,000  

people in new york city to create this library  of stories. And so, he very simply used to... I  

haven't followed him in the last like handful of  months. But he used to post a picture with just  

a quote from that story. Now, the quote would be  usually phenomenal. It would just breathe so much  

like depth and humanity into that 2-dimensional  image that he shared. The technique of how he  

got there, right? Because you don't just walk up  to somebody on the street and say, "Can I take  

your picture and can you share this really intense  beautiful quote with me so I can put it in my post  

today?"Right? You've got to actually get to there  in conversation. And you've got to ask questions  

that promote really critical thought about things  that potentially people have never shared out loud  

before that they've never thought deeply about.  And his technique that he shared, he used the  

image of a spiral. So, he talked about spiraling  down in conversation. So, going from, "Hey,  

how are you doing?" to eventually a story about  their grandmother on a chair when they were 5,  

that really transformed their life,  right? So, how do you go from here to  

here? And he used the idea of a spiral you kind  of just get deeper and deeper and deeper. But  

you might go around, right? So, it's you're not...  Oh, you're not just like drilling straight down  

because that feels very invasive. And so, to  keep the conversation natural, you're kind of  

spiraling down. And I love that idea in terms of  promoting critical thinking. You know, if you're  

familiar with the idea of socratic inquiry.  Like teaching through questions. When you're  

spiraling down in conversation, you start to get  more specific too. So, you start really general  

and you get more specific and more specific and  more specific. And one of my favorite quotes or  

ideas on the planet who I have no idea who said  it. I can't find it on Google. If you can, share  

it in the comments and I'll like buy you a car or  something. Not going to happen. But I would really  

love to know. But it's this idea that specificity  is the soul of narrative. I love that concept. The  

more specific we get, the more to the heart of  story we get. And the more that we're talking  

and like generalities appear, the less useful  that is. The same is true for critical thinking.  

When you're thinking about... If you want to  critically think about something contentious  

like the death penalty, for example. You could  be thinking about this at a very surface level.  

But then the more specific you get into  specific cases, right? And instances, that's  

where story and narrative starts to really come  to life and you start to be like, "Wow, I don't  

I don't know what I think anymore", right? And  that critical thinking starts to show up. And so,  

my language for Brandon's spiraling technique is  to follow one curiosity path, one thread and keep  

bouncing to that thread. Wherever it takes you.  So, if you spun a globe and picked a random spot,  

the island of newfoundland and you then zoomed in  a little bit further to a park in the island of  

Newfoundland, and then you zoomed in a little bit  further and you found there was a dog park inside  

that park. Then you zoomed in a little bit further  and you found a dog and it's owner. And you found  

out their name and you found out the type of dog  and you found out how they came together and...  

Those are stories. But when I'm telling you  about the island of Newfoundland, I'm all of a  

sudden a Wikipedia article, right? So, that's more  specific you get... So, you follow that curiosity  

path by just kind of Zooming in further. Now,  the thing the cool thing with curiosity is it  

doesn't work like a drill like zooming into the  island of Newfoundland, you might actually find  

that as you're going to the island of  Newfoundland, you learn about Newfoundland  

dogs. And then you're like, "Oh, wait. They were  created over here." And now you've got another  

curiosity path. So following that path down. The  next tool I'm going to share with you is going to  

help you do that in a really practical way  with one very simple word. And that word  

is "Why". You might have heard of the uh this  technique or this idea of the 5 whys before.  

It's a cool concept to promote design thinking,  right? You ask, why are you doing something. And  

then you ask why are you doing that and then why  are you doing that? You ask that five layers down  

until you get to the core or the heart. Now,  that's cool if you're talking about ideas. But  

if you're trying to promote critical thinking  in people, the way that I would use this one  

word is by deleting it out of your vocabulary.  It's by saying drop the why. Because when I ask  

questions that begin with why they force people  to rationalize and justify which... I can't  

put this back together. But that could promote  critical thinking. But it's going to be way better  

if you want to promote critical thinking to  start your questions with either how or what.  

Those questions allow people to really expand and  answer in a way that doesn't require justification  

and rationalization. Because in order for  critical thinking to actually happen, our brains  

have to be open. Barbara Fredrickson talks  about the broaden and build theory and positive  

psychology --that when good things happen, our  brains actually open up to new ideas. Whereas  

when we're worried about how we're going to pay  rent and we don't know what's going to happen  

next month and we're worried for our safety, we  close our brains in so much. And so why questions  

can do this. They can make people put up  this barrier to try to protect some level  

of safety because it's kind of prying for that  justification. When you ask questions that begin  

with how or what, typically, those tend to be more  open questions, they invite story. They invite  

explanations, they're longer answers, they're not  closed questions that close down responses. So,  

my invitation to you is combine Brandon Stanton's  spiraling technique of following a curiosity path  

by asking questions that begin with how or what  over and over and over and over again until  

critical thinking happens. And perhaps, you can  offset the critical thinking deficit that exists  

right now on planet earth. I'm Chad  Littlefield. Have an awesome day.