With my day job, I end up training lots of people on new technology, and explaining concepts to people as jargon-free as possible.
Almost every person apologises for asking or for them being “stupid questions”.
As I see it, there’s no such thing as a stupid question when you had no reason to know the answer to begin with!
But having seen the way people can gatekeep knowledge or act like they’re stupid or annoying for asking questions, I can see why they’re tentative.🧵 https://cutie.city/@Quenby/112373846919511547
I’ve done a ton of one-on-one and group training and I always told people that the only “stupid question” was the one you didn’t ask when you had a chance to get an answer.
I’ve seen many support staff react with an “oh they’re being stupid” attitude when someone makes a mistake or doesn’t know something that they consider basic.
When mentoring, I like to remind people to think of the context. Any basic technical knowledge you have is only there because someone took the time to teach you.
Have they been given this opportunity yet? Probably not. So bear that in mind while supporting them!
People who ask questions are great. They’re trying to help themselves!
The other thing to remember is that society (even if passively) gives way more help and grace to white cis men.
If the person with the question doesn’t fit that description, chances are they’ve had less help to get where they are, and are used to people dismissing their questions. (If you disagree, speak to any woman about how little healthcare professionals believe what they say)
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