# Answering a question with another question **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 31, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810 "2013-05-31T21:22:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/1 "2013-05-31T21:22:10Z")
Do you find this annoying? ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/2 "2013-05-31T21:23:13Z")
Is this a common problem in your daily life? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/3 "2013-05-31T21:23:16Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > Do you find this annoying? Yes, I do. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/4 "2013-05-31T21:26:05Z")
Really depends on the context. Is the question ‘why do you keep beating your wife’? ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/5 "2013-05-31T21:50:31Z")
I once looked at a hundred threads here in GQ and 40 % of the first replies at that time were questions. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/6 "2013-05-31T21:51:55Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > I once looked at a hundred threads here in GQ and 40 % of the first replies at that time were questions. Were they just to get some clarification before answering? ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/7 "2013-05-31T22:02:35Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > Do you find this annoying? Can’t you give me an example? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/8 "2013-05-31T22:07:07Z")
> [@standingwave](#): > > Can’t you give me an example? Don’t you think you’ll learn more if you come up with one on your own? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/9 "2013-05-31T22:10:19Z")
Why not? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/10 "2013-05-31T22:13:27Z")
What’s wrong with questions? Isn’t that why we’re here? And who has all the answers? And why is this happening on a Friday evening? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/11 "2013-05-31T22:18:20Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Don’t you think you’ll learn more if you come up with one on your own? How should I know? What am I, Socrates? ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/12 "2013-05-31T22:19:34Z")
What… is your name? What… is your quest? What… is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/13 "2013-05-31T22:20:48Z")
> [@standingwave](#): > > How should I know? What am I, Socrates? You don’t know anything, do you? ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/14 "2013-05-31T22:28:06Z")
Are you all aware of the Questions Only thread in the Game Room? Yes, it’s very annoying in real life. I have a sister who I smack on the arm when she starts in. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/15 "2013-05-31T22:44:17Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > You don’t know anything, do you? You’re not very good at this, are you? ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/16 "2013-05-31T22:47:25Z")
I had a friend who found this annoying, but it doesn’t really bother me. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/17 "2013-06-01T01:37:41Z")
It’s only annoying when it happens all the time. It’s sometimes necessary. And I still wonder how many times Socrates didn’t know what he was talking about and just asked genuine questions so that others would have to do the heavy brain lifting. ---
**Author:** ![nion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nion)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/18 "2013-06-01T04:24:27Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > Do you find this annoying? Why do you ask? ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/19 "2013-06-01T12:54:52Z")
> [@standingwave](#): > > What am I, Socrates? Foul. No rhetoric. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810/20 "2013-06-01T13:24:23Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It’s only annoying when it happens all the time. It’s sometimes necessary. > \ This is what I was thinking, especially at work, though if someone’s asking me to make a decision on something I know little about, I usually start with, “That’s a really good question, and I think it’s extremely important before we move forward. That said, I’m definitely not the expert. What are your thoughts?” I do that at home sometimes, too, when my kids ask a question I know they know the answer to. For example, my son is looking at something over my shoulder online. He’s asking what it says, even though it’s written simply in words I know he can read easily. If he asks me what it says, I’ll probably ask him, “Do you think you can read that? I’ll bet you can - why don’t you tell me what it says and we can talk about it.” That said, if it’s done too frequently, it does get super annoying. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-a-question-with-another-question/659810.md?page=2)