# Word for someone who asks questions that wouldn't occur to most people **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 26, 2017, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104 "2017-03-26T22:24:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/1 "2017-03-26T22:24:44Z")
I came across (and forgot) a word that can be used to describe someone who makes observations about the world or asks seemingly simple questions that wouldn’t occur to most of us because they relate to things that we take for granted. I am not looking for a word that implies that the person is stupid or naive; possibly the contrary. While it is true that asking such questions can annoy other people (for example, if someone says “why are children so noisy?” it may be interpreted as a complaint or criticism rather than a neutral question about the world), the word I am thinking of does not carry such negative connotation. I’m pretty sure the word is similar in form to the word “positivist” - that is to say it is not “positivist” but it does end in “-ist”, and has a technical feel like a term from philosophy. I’m pretty sure also that it is NOT derived from a proper name, like “Socratic”. Anyone have any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/2 "2017-03-26T22:33:20Z")
Nexialist? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/3 "2017-03-26T22:41:58Z")
Inquisitive understates what you are asking I suspect. The right word would describe me. I maybe ask 1/100th of the questions that occur to me. I have been like that since I was a kid. Every few minutes something will occur to me that I would like to ask. I have gone to great pains to repress this just to seem normal and fit in better. It might be an opportunity to coin a word if no one comes up with anything good. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/4 "2017-03-26T22:44:10Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Nexialist? Not that. I had to look it up: “One skilled in the science of joining together in an orderly fashion the knowledge of one field of learning with that of other fields” from [http://www.nexialism.info/](http://www.nexialism.info/) ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/5 "2017-03-26T22:47:48Z")
Autistic? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/6 "2017-03-26T23:29:56Z")
iconoclast - one who attacks or questions cherished beliefs and assumptions Socratic irony - the asking of seemingly naive questions whose answers are likely to subvert the argument of one’s opponent ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/7 "2017-03-27T00:48:33Z")
Some form of an observationalist, perhaps a naive observationalist? Denni ---
**Author:** ![igor\_frankensteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/839c29/32.png) [@igor\_frankensteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igor_frankensteen)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/8 "2017-03-27T00:54:08Z")
perspicacious. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/9 "2017-03-27T01:01:24Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Autistic? > > 😃 ``` I actually think you may have hit it. Not sure if you were joking or not. It has only been the last few years that I have started to familiarize myself with autism. I am starting to strongly suspect I have a mild form of it. As a small child a taught myself to read by reading statistics from encyclopedias. I knew all the raw materials, main exports, tourist attractions, GPD.s population, agricultural, native animals etc. Of every country on the globe by the time I was about 9. Nothing on their politics except communist or not. I remain obsessed with numbers and finding ways to use numbers to reflect various social premises I am equally obsessed with. Outwardly I lead a pretty normal life and have always been active socially even when I felt I was faking it. ``` ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/10 "2017-03-27T01:04:16Z")
> [@hibernicus](#): > > I came across (and forgot) a word that can be used to describe someone who makes observations about the world or asks seemingly simple questions that wouldn’t occur to most of us because they relate to things that we take for granted. > > I am not looking for a word that implies that the person is stupid or naive; possibly the contrary. While it is true that asking such questions can annoy other people (for example, if someone says “why are children so noisy?” it may be interpreted as a complaint or criticism rather than a neutral question about the world), the word I am thinking of does not carry such negative connotation. > > I’m pretty sure the word is similar in form to the word “positivist” - that is to say it is not “positivist” but it does end in “-ist”, and has a technical feel like a term from philosophy. I’m pretty sure also that it is NOT derived from a proper name, like “Socratic”. > > Anyone have any ideas? I looked up your posting history, I think you ask great questions! ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/11 "2017-03-27T04:45:22Z")
Pedantic? But I feel like that one is often used negatively. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/12 "2017-03-27T07:05:01Z")
It may not fit perfectly but I’d probably use “incisive” ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/13 "2017-03-27T20:09:01Z")
Insightful. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/14 "2017-03-27T22:09:51Z")
I think the word I was thinking of may have been “factualist”, which doesn’t correspond at all well to the description in my OP, so I owe you all an apology for wasting your time. I really appreciate the excellent suggestions, all of which shed light on the phenomenon. The idea that this is an autistic trait is especially interesting. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/15 "2017-03-27T23:38:04Z")
I have been reading with interest hoping that someone would come up with the word that fits it well and am sad that none of us can do better than we have. I do not believe autistic fits it _at all_. To my read it is describing a fresh unbiased look, uninfluenced by previous interpretations and uninfluenced by the "it is known that"s. The reason the boy was able to call out that the Emperor’s new clothes were no clothes at all _and_ what occurs when there is a paradigm shift in science reinterpreting the same raw data into a completely different pattern _and_ why sometimes someone from outside a field, or a student, can ask the “stupid question” that the expert struggles to answer only eventually realizing that actually answering it forces accepting what they actually themselves only thought they had understood and was firmly established. It underlies the Socratic method but “Socratic” and “Socratic irony” are not it as those do not capture the fresh-eyed curiosity. That “naive observationalist” comes closest, capturing the essentiality of the concept that it is observing something with intelligence from a perspective completely naive of how others have interpreted it before and therefore coming up with fresh questions, but there has to be something better. “Lateral thinking” captures the “outside the box” aspect of it, the viewing things that everyone has viewed from one angle from a fresh and different perspective and seeing something else. It certainly is not “factualist” or “empirical”. Dang, I’d love a good single word for the concept! ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/16 "2017-03-28T00:19:07Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > I do not believe autistic fits it _at all_. It wasn’t a serious suggestion. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/17 "2017-03-28T00:48:56Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > It wasn’t a serious suggestion. 🙂 Maybe not to you but I think at least **HoneyBadgerDC** thought so. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/18 "2017-03-28T01:45:16Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Maybe not to you but I think at least **HoneyBadgerDC** thought so. I included a grinning emoji, so it’s not as if I didn’t make it clear. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/19 "2017-03-28T12:54:56Z")
My immediate response is that you meant an 'original thinker". Someone who asks original and novel questions. A person who comes up with ideas nobody has considered. But possibly not if factualist does the job. My daughter is an original thinker and has displayed it from age 4. It is a rare ability and I only have one friend with it. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104/20 "2017-03-28T13:58:34Z")
“Smartarse” would work for me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-someone-who-asks-questions-that-wouldnt-occur-to-most-people/783104.md?page=2)