# No such thing as a stupid question???
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [July 15, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712 "2003-07-15T18:53:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/1 "2003-07-15T18:53:47Z")
It’s a cliche that there is no such thing as a stupid question.
I beg to differ.
Here’s my evidence:
I was in Sequoia Nat’l Park a few years ago. I was standing next to “General Sherman,” this is the largest of the sequoia trees. And sequoias are the largest trees on earth. In fact, General Sherman is considered to be “the world’s largest living thing.”
I was looking up at it, amazed by it’s size and beauty. A man comes up to me and asks, “Say, I’ve heard there are some big trees somewhere around here, do you know where they are?”
We’re completely surrounded by the largest living trees (and living beings) on the earth, and this guy wants to know where the ‘big trees’ are???
I stared at him, dumfounded, and then just pointed up. He looks up, says"Oh" and wanders off.
Any other candidates for a truely stupid question?
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/2 "2003-07-15T18:59:24Z")
We were trimming the ivy on my **BRICK** house back down to an even level when my sister-in-law turned to us and said “Gee, I wish there was a line or something we could follow.”
:eek:
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### Author:  [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/3 "2003-07-15T20:29:20Z")
According to Chris Berman, Dean of Football at Bristol University, “There is no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid people that ask questions.”
[link](http://www.sportscenteraltar.com/news/books.asp)
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### Author:  [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/4 "2003-07-15T20:33:04Z")
Actual question: “I know this is a stupid question. But are there clams in clam chowder?”
A classic that was bandied about the office long after the receptionist who uttered it went on to better things. She was hired for her looks.\*
\*Disclaimer: No, I don’t think beautiful people are necessarily stupid. This one, however . . .
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### Author:  [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/5 "2003-07-15T20:42:10Z")
I once had a wise teacher tell his class, “Despite what you may have heard, there IS such a thing as a stupid question. However, it is better to ask a stupid question than sit and continue to be stupid in silence.”
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### Author:  [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/6 "2003-07-15T20:51:34Z")
From the TV series _The Gilmore Girls_:
Luke: There’s no such thing as a stupid question.
Lorelai: How does ink come out of pens?
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### Author:  [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/7 "2003-07-15T21:32:23Z")
Oh, there are stupid questions all right. “There is no such thing as a stupid question” is spouted to soothe the egos of those who ask stupid questions, and/or to encourage people to ask something rather than hold back because they’re afraid their question might be stupid. But as one of my bosses always said, “It’s easier to answer a stupid question than it is to fix a stupid mistake.”
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### Author:  [@Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji_Kitakyusho)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/8 "2003-07-15T21:47:15Z")
Sitting on the couch at a friend’s place one afternoon, killing time, watching the animated TV program “The Tick”.
After about ten minutes, his roommate turns to him and asks: “Are ticks really blue?”
:smack:
My friend, not the most tactful individual in the world, turned back, and with a perfectly straight face and condescending tone of voice, said: “That is the single most stupid question I have ever heard uttered by a human being.”
I don’t think the roommate spoke at all the rest of the day.
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### Author:  [@The\_Green\_Feather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Green_Feather)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/9 "2003-07-15T21:52:25Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Gary T \*
> \*\*“It’s easier to answer a stupid question than it is to fix a stupid mistake.” \*\*
**Gary T** - May I use that as my sig line?
That’s not an example of a stupid question, I’m serious.
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### Author:  [@The\_Green\_Feather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Green_Feather)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/10 "2003-07-15T21:59:24Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Fuji Kitakyusho \*
> \*\*Sitting on the couch at a friend’s place one afternoon, killing time, watching the animated TV program “The Tick”.
>
> After about ten minutes, his roommate turns to him and asks: “Are ticks really blue?”
>
> \*\*
Ticks that feed on Smurfs are blue.
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### Author:  [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/11 "2003-07-15T23:27:19Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by FisherQueen \*
> \*\*I “Despite what you may have heard, there IS such a thing as a stupid question. However, it is better to ask a stupid question than sit and continue to be stupid in silence.” \*\*
I love that. 😃
Pauli, an exceptionally bright and intimidating physicist, is reported to have replied to the leading “This might be a stupid question, but …”. with something along the lines of “All questions are stupid”. Sounds horribly belittling to everyone else, but remember, he was he made a living answering questions he asked himself.
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### Author:  [@Thaidog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thaidog)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/12 "2003-07-16T00:15:29Z")
All questions note ignorance on a the particular subject, so depending on your point of view, you could say that all questions are stupid. My point of view depends on the person and situation.
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### Author:  [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/13 "2003-07-16T01:39:08Z")
Here’s a thread that’s an oldie but a goodie.[It’s the Stupid Ass Question Hall of Fame](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=57130)
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### Author:  [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/14 "2003-07-16T02:02:24Z")
Many years ago, I worked for a company that made fax software for Windows PCs; we were a small shop (5 programmers and a office manager). A large part of our work involved testing, and if necessary adapting, our modem driver to work with every new modem on the market. So as a result, our office was full of modems – you couldn’t take a step without bumping into one.
Programmer #5, who was hired at roughly the same time I was, was totally useless – couldn’t write a simple function if you held him at gunpoint. So we ended up firing him, but we let him use the office for his job search. One day, just after his firing, he walks up to me, knocking over a modem or two, and asks me where he can find a modem to use for faxing his resume.
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### Author:  [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/15 "2003-07-16T02:31:30Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Casey1505 \*
> \*\*According to Chris Berman, Dean of Football at Bristol University, “There is no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid people that ask questions.”
> [link](http://www.sportscenteraltar.com/news/books.asp) \*\*
“Remember Childern, There are no stupid questions, just stupid people”- Mr. Garrison
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### Author:  [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/16 "2003-07-16T02:35:45Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by The Green Feather \*
> \*\ ***Gary T** - May I use that as my sig line?
> That’s not an example of a stupid question, I’m serious. \*\*
You have my blessing.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2003, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/17 "2003-07-16T04:13:07Z")
I’m often tempted to ask a really stupid question just to see what response I’d get. As an example, when I’m happily browsing in a Barnes & Noble, in no way giving evidence of confusion or helplessness, and the inevitable store clerk walks up and asks me if I need any help, I want to look the clerk dead in the eye and ask “Yes, I was wondering if you have any books in this store?” I figure it would be especially good if I can time it so I actually have a book in my hands when I ask.
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### Author:  [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/18 "2003-07-16T07:44:24Z")
I just got back from vacation with my wife, two kids and 14 year old stepson. We spent 2 days at 6 Flags. They were a hot 2 days and there were many women in not much clothing. We had given all the kids a disposable camera.
We were leaving and my wife turns to my 14 year old stepson and says, “Why in the world would you take pictures of girls you don’t know.”
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### Author:  [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2003, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/19 "2003-07-16T08:05:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by autz \*
> **In fact, General Sherman is considered to be "the world’s largest living thing."**
[hijack]Is this true? I remember reading about this huge mother of a subterranean fungus that was the size of a nice Swedish island called Ven (7.5 square kilometres; I’ll leave the mile conversion to someone else).
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### Author:  [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-such-thing-as-a-stupid-question/188712/20 "2003-07-16T08:14:20Z")
[drumroll]
“Can I ask you a question?”
[/drumroll]
A: “You just did.” (Exiting hastily…)
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