Pochemuchka: The Russian Word for a Person Asking Too Many Questions
On value of being inquisitive, seing beyond the obvious and quality of questions
When my son comes home from school, the first thing my husband and I ask him is, "What questions did you ask today?"
Similarly, when we have a meeting with his teachers at school, the first thing I try to notice is "how active he is in the classroom."
Because we want him to be an inquisitive person who wonders about the seen picture and beyond the seen, to be eager to learn, and to stand out from the crowd and raise his head courageously.
In the culture I grew up in, asking questions was undesirable. In particular, it was not approved for children to ask questions all the time. Such children were regarded as upstarts in society, and they would not be among those who were pointed as a role model to children by their parents. I learned at an early age not to ask questions because I was a child who needed approval from my parents and from society. I did not ask questions at home, I used to learn the subjects without asking questions at school and get high grades in the exams. I prided myself on achieving this because the teachers did not approve of children who asked a lot of questions. According to them, such children made their work difficult.
As time passed and I gained more life experience, I realized that not asking questions is pointless. On the contrary, in order to be "successful," as I define it in life, I had to ask a lot of questions. It was necessary to think beyond the obvious.
I believe that asking questions is just as important as knowing the answers. The main element that guides our lives is the quality of our questions. Because the quality of the questions we ask has a direct relationship to the information we receive and what we obtain.
Dr. Marilee Adams' book "Change Your Questions, Change Your Life" gives us a good idea of how effective our questions are at guiding our lives.
In Russian, there is a term for someone who asks too many questions: Pochemuchka
It’s derived from the word pochemu, which means "why".
Alyosha Pochemuchka is a Russian novel about the adventures of a boy who asks too many questions. I don't know the story well because I haven't read the book (which I assume isn't for sale right now), but I hope it has a theme that emphasizes the importance of asking children questions.
So, what was the most recent question you asked yourself or someone else? Do you remember?
Consider asking at least one mindful question every day. Can you imagine what difference would it make in your life?