30 People Give Sound Evidence That There Are In Fact Dumb Questions

"I know there are no dumb questions but what is the dumbest question someone has ever asked you?"

Elana

• Published in Funny
• November 21, 2021

Carl Sagan was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator. You've probably heard of him as he was one of the most well-known scientists of the 1970s and 1980s and he co-wrote and hosted 'Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, something most people have seen.

In his work The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, Carl said: "There are naïve questions, tedious questions, ill-phrased questions, questions put after inadequate self-criticism. But every question is a cry to understand the world. There is no such thing as a dumb question."

This may be where the idea that there are no "stupid" or "dumb" questions could have come from, which is a sentiment most of us have heard with sincerity countless times. However... if we make room for nuance and have any authentic life experience then we know there are, in fact, really stupid questions.

If you are among the doubters (or perhaps you just enjoy laughing at the mediocre thinking processes and brain farts of other people) then look no further than the evidence as provided on Twitter (naturally.) Twitter user Pey (PeyMamas) asked with sincerity: "I know there are no dumb questions but what is the dumbest question someone has ever asked you?"

People delivered, to say the least.

Let the games begin.

1. Genetics are truly a mystery but we do know it's quite common for offspring to look like their biological parents (and biological relatives in general.)

2. When pleasant conversation takes an awkward turn.

3. Nobody made you tell on yourself but we're all having a giggle that you did.

4. Who gave the impression birthdays only exist in the United States? Typical.

5. I sincerely hope he came up with an absolutely ridiculous answer because how could you not choose chaos?

There are three main ways to respond to dumb questions:

1. With sarcasm or humor: this benefits yourself
2. With sincerity: you can't judge a book by their cover, maybe the dumb question was sincere and warrants a sincere response
3. Stunned silence: the natural reaction for such an occasion

However, my favorite is option number one because why not choose to have a great time under the circumstances? Chances are a dumb question was made because the age-old brain fart (a temporary lapse in judgement brought on by being too tired, too stressed, or too overwhelmed) and something humorous can help you both laugh it off.

6. WHAT

7. Somebody doesn't know how twins work, that's okay.

8. Truly one of life's greatest mysteries.

9. Toronto? Canada? Impossible.

10. Haven't we all wondered such a thing?

11. Can you imagine? I can imagine, and it's epic.

12. Ba-Dum-Tiss

In 1970, a Dear Abby column in The Milwaukee Sentinel said: "There is no such thing as a stupid question if it's sincere. Better to ask and risk appearing stupid than to continue on your ignorant way and make a stupid mistake"

13. And I've lost my glasses on my face, what's new?

14. He's a little confused but he's got the idea.

15. What a nerd.

16. A baby? In this economy?

17. This... is disappointingly common.

18. "No, I just show up and act like I do for the LOLz"

19. Glasses: the ultimate fashion statement that clearly has nothing to do with vision impairment, what-so-ever.

20. There are a million things to do at 3AM that don't include sleep, of course. But why would you assume someone who works an otherwise standard schedule wouldn't be sleeping at 3AM?

Did you know that the parameters for what constitutes a "stupid" question have been defined? Well, sort of at least... based on an article:

1. Questions asked by someone who already knows the answer but is trolling the person they are asking.
2. Questions of which the answer should be painfully obvious to any person with a pulse who has lived on this Earth for more than a decade.
3. Questions that can be answered on one's own with complete certainty. After all, information found online or from other sources can be wrong, so it never hurts to check.
4. Questions that include ridiculous or hypothetical assumptions.
5. Those questions that have already been answered, but the asker wasn't listening or paying attention.

21. Wouldn't that be nifty?

22. The delight in such occasions is the whole not knowing part...

23. I guess it's true that some people living in the United States have absolutely no idea what the ever-living heck a microwave is.

24. First of all, that's what you get for naming him Dash.

25. No, it's a novella.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30. If you don't ask, you may never know.

Well, I don't know about you, but I feel a lot smarter knowing what sort of questions people are out there asking. It doesn't matter that today I looked for my phone in the wrong pocket of the pants I was wearing, repeatedly, I am definitely smarter than some people.

Do you know anyone feeling down about themselves and their intelligence? Perhaps share this with them to give them hope.

Elana