How do you express what you know?
You communicate your beliefs through how you live, how you interact, and what you say. The rest of the world can see and feel who you are through these expressions. It’s good to know what makes you tick and to take a stance in defining that life for yourself.
How do you express what you don’t know?
The question is, in the course of putting your stakes in the ground, how do you continue to express the questions you have? Because you do still have questions. In fact, if you look deep enough you will find that you actually have way more questions than answers. You’re constantly wondering, though the mind doesn’t always frame it that way. Instead it often comes across as fear, confusion, anger and so on. For example, “how could they do that?” or “why hasn’t he/she called me back?” Look closely, separate the emotion, and you’ll see those are actually just questions.
Most people handle their questions in two ways.
First, many people bottle them up inside to let them stew without thinking much about it. Secondly, a more successful way I think, is to outwardly express your questions. Ask them out loud. It takes confidence to know that you don’t know and to be willing to ask the question. It takes even more to be able to ask the question from a place beneath ego where your emotions aren’t tangled up in it.
The question, when asked from this place, is going to help you see the world from other people’s perspective. This way opens you up to the world – it allows answers and experiences to flow into you. If we all did this then the whole world would slowly open and blossom in playful curiosity.
Ben, Interesting post, although I think there might be more to this thread of thought. I thoroughly agree with your overall point, but I believe that if you leave it at that, it still risks missing the mark in terms of being constructive to both parties involved.
Isn’t the form of expression just as important — tone / attitude?
What about the context?
Or the target recipient?
A separate but related issue is asking questions of someone whom you know has something bottled up inside — so empathetic engagement helps the other person taken the emotions or feelings and connects them with a universal human need that is driving them. A good framework for this I have found is NVC – Non Violent Communications by Marshall Rosenberg…but that’s another post in itself!