Who does the cooking?

There are questions that people ask that don’t give them the answers they need. Follow up question after follow up question painstakingly gets them closer to their answer. By the end of the conversation you feel as if the person has drained your life away. Tortured questions result in tortured answers. How often do we frustratingly think, can you get to the point already?

This looks like the start of a horror movie

A common question I hear is, who does the cooking in your household? But what is the question really asking, what answer do people really seek? Are they really asking, do you like to challenge gender stereotypes? Are they asking how we share the burden of work in the household? Are they asking who does the cooking because they are genuinely interested and would love to share ideas and their own passion for food? It’s almost impossible to know. 

This person went out for milk and cigarettes

Thoughtless questions beget thoughtless answers. But why do so many people layer their questions in such an inefficient way? I believe that they simply don’t know the answers they seek. Just as they tease out answers from their conversational partner, they also tease out their own internal answers. They very slowly, one question at a time, understand what they’re really asking. But by then, the party is over and everyone is in bed.

No wonder he has a mask, it's bright as hell in his room

Ensure you really understand what you’re asking when you’re asking it. Not only will it allow you to think about your problems more clearly, but you’ll get the answers you’re looking for much faster. Discussions will be deeper and conversation will flow like water.