What if, more than giving advice or being right, what really brought people together was the ability to ask the right question?

  We’ve all experienced that uncomfortable moment when someone asks “Are you okay?” and we feel like the question is just a formality. It’s not that the person doesn’t care about us. But sometimes, there just isn’t the space, the patience, or the genuine intention to listen. And you can feel that.
  This text is a reflection on how good questions can change conversations, relationships, and even the way we understand ourselves. Because some questions are asked with the ears – and others are asked with the heart.
  There are days when someone asks “You good?” and we automatically reply “Yeah.” But I remember a time when someone simply asked me “How are you?” – and I instinctively replied “I’m fine”. But they didn’t stop there. They looked at me and said: “Really, how are you?” And that – something that sounds so simple – had a huge impact. Not because I was desperate to open up, but because I felt that the question came with presence. With attention. And with real interest.
  Some questions break silences. They avoid jud
gement. They help someone organize their thoughts. They lead us to say things we didn’t even realize we needed to get out. Sometimes, you don’t need the perfect words to comfort or advise someone. It’s enough to ask: “What are you feeling?”, “Do you want to talk about it?”, “Do you feel like you’re being fair to yourself?”
  And then there are questions that feel like someone’s read our mind. As if they’ve stepped into our head and put into words something we hadn’t even managed to express yet. And in those moments, you realize just how powerful a question can be.
  Of course, it’s not only others we should be asking. I’ve written before about the power of self-awareness and the importance of questioning ourselves with honesty. “Am I truly happy?”, “What am I afraid of?”, “What’s holding me back from taking the next step?” – these may sound like simple questions, but they take courage. Because we’re not always ready for the answers that come up.
  And, just like in an exam, there are questions we can answer right away… and others that need more time. That take root. That return later. And that’s okay.
Not every answer has to be immediate.
  At its core, asking is caring. To ask is to show up. It’s a way of saying “I’m here” without saying it outright.
  It’s also a great way to start a conversation with someone you don’t quite know how to talk to – and sometimes, all it takes is one good question to spark a connection you didn’t know you needed.
  In the end, maybe the true power isn’t just in knowing what to ask, but in knowing how to listen to the answer with genuine curiosity. Because asking the right question is only half the journey – the other half lies in the art of listening without already crafting a reply.
But that… is a topic for another article.
And you… can you ask the right questions?