Mu

There is no such thing as a bad question.

That may be true, but some questions are better than others.

Some questions are profound in their simplicity. Others are thoroughly and thoughtfully layered with meaning, eliciting a diversity of response. There are others still that are so insightful, they just make you smile.

Most questions don’t fall into these three categories. Insatiable curiosity and a time crunch generally lead to questions, and answers for that matter, flowing forth half baked. As with any form of communication, almost any question could be improved with a little extra thought and editing.  

In our current, rapid fire, age of communication, we are missing opportunities. We are missing our opportunities to ask better questions.

Magnificent questions yield magnificent answers… And more questions!

Classroom environments on our campus are question incubators. Teachers design spaces and conversations with the purpose of discovering the best questions. Just as the editing process works to create a constantly evolving piece of writing, our teachers craft their lessons for constant question evolution.

It is worth taking the time to mold better questions, but, how do we do so without stifling spontaneity?

Mu.

The word Mu has a few meanings in the Zen Buddhist tradition, but I recently heard it used in a way that serves our particular purpose.

Mu… Un-ask the question. It could be better.

In this context, mu is a request for reflection and revision, toward a better question. It is an invitation to dig a little deeper or open a new door.

And, it’s a fun word, to say and to hear.  

Who wouldn’t be curious to learn more when their next throwaway question was met with, “mu.”

Try again. Take your time. Is there a better question to be asked?