# Is there such thing as a stupid question? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 11, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/829361 "2019-02-11T20:56:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/829361/41 "2019-02-14T02:54:56Z")
I recently had a question asked of me that I’ll just charitably call “thoughtless”. I was telling someone about my spinal cord injury, specifically that i had retained full sensation everywhere throughout my body. The person stared at me for a sec, then looked down at my leg and poked my thigh, saying “So you can feel that?” ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/829361/42 "2019-02-14T13:54:49Z")
This thread reminds of a running gag in the movie Empire Records: \ Empire Records, open til midnight. \ Til midnight. \ ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/829361/43 "2019-02-14T21:49:21Z")
It’s an interesting topic. One might think, “You’re stupid for not already knowing that.” But I don’t feel that makes the question \*itself \*stupid, if it’s sincerely something the person didn’t know, yet wanted to. On the contrary, really. Seeking knowledge is wise. The other category is asking something that one could easily find out oneself by reading the goddamn sign, or processing what I just said, or by giving it a second and a half of logical thought. I would categorize these as lazy questions, rather than stupid ones. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/829361/44 "2019-02-14T22:20:12Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > The other category is asking something that one could easily find out oneself by reading the goddamn sign, or processing what I just said, or by giving it a second and a half of logical thought. I would categorize these as lazy questions, rather than stupid ones. But calling them lazy questions suggests it’s always a failure to apply effort rather than the failure to reason effectively. If we accept that some people are stupid (e.g. they reason ineffectively), then we should also accept that questions from these people will reflect their stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/829361/45 "2019-02-14T22:31:40Z")
> [@scarface54345](#): > > Some will say there is no such thing as a stupid question but just only stupid people. What do you think? I think I’m not answering any more of your questions until you return to the [How did the universe and consciousness create themselves from nothing?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=870506) thread and reveal the correct answer. The suspense is killing us. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/829361/46 "2019-02-15T04:58:00Z")
I think there are rather stupid hypothetical questions. “What if cold was hot?”, etc. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/829361/47 "2019-02-15T15:24:54Z")
My dad taught electrical engineering at the local community college. He would tell his students, “There is no such thing as a stupid question.” Inevitably, shortly after saying that, he’d get a question to which he’d say, “There are no stupid questions, but damn, that’s close.” Teaching has demonstrated to me that many “stupid” questions are ones that were already answered, and if the questioner had been paying attention they wouldn’t be wasting our time. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/829361/48 "2019-02-16T10:16:44Z")
[Dilbert has the answer.](https://dilbert.com/strip/2019-02-16) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/829361/49 "2019-02-21T22:29:14Z")
[Yes, there is](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=871226). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/829361.md?page=2)