Without questions and wonder, the future remains closed. However, we live in a time of answers, not a time of questions. You see it every day. In a society where politicians fight each other based on their beliefs, countries battle over dogmas, and believers engage in conflict due to their interpretations of God. And you see it in your surroundings. Teachers instructing children to provide correct answers, parents going crazy over the question “why,” and organizations persisting in their dominant logic no matter what happens.
The world seems to be stuck, with complex problems strangling each other. Many systems are entirely stuck. Look at education, healthcare, the energy transition, and housing. Of course, I see that too. However, I believe in and recognize the power of asking new questions to explore the future from diverse perspectives. Optimism is justified when we find and ask the right questions.
The importance of asking questions seems to be fading into the background, while the greatest innovators are always those who challenge existing structures. Questions open new doors and evoke wonder. But often, they also cause frustration. Those who challenge the status quo by asking questions are not necessarily beloved. They question existing truths, and that brings uncertainty.
Asking questions is one of the most powerful weapons we have ever invented. Let us use this weapon positively. Two words that do not seem to go together can still offer a glimpse of the future. Once, we lived in a cave. Someone must have thought: can’t this be different? Fortunately, they did, or else we would still be living there. Let us continue to work on the “house” of the future. It is not an easy task, as finding the right questions is harder than formulating answers.
But it is possible!
Author: Rob Adams