Do answers have meaning independent of questions? The questions of Socrates were answers in disguise. A little passive-aggresive, imho.
They are the same thing, no? On Wed, 19 Feb, 2020, 09:12 Bruce A. Metcalf, <[email protected]> wrote: > On 2/18/20 5:57 AM, Udhay Shankar N wrote: > > > Via a friend on another invite-only list, this lovely, though-provoking > > cartoon: > > > > http://kiriakakis.net/comics/mused/a-day-at-the-park (I won't spoil it, > go > > read through the whole thing) > > > > So: what do YOU collect: questions, or answers? And why? > > I am by trade and habit a collector of answers. I think this typical of > those of us who work as reference librarians. Sadly, our answers > generally greatly outnumber the questions at hand. > > One result is that we search out those questions by gathering up > collections of answers into articles and books, and sending them out > into the world in hopes of finding compatible questions. Sometimes you > find out that it has worked, more often you never know. > > But that applies primarily to things outside myself. Inside I'm nothing > but questions and damn few answers (at least answers that stand up to > close scrutiny or the passage of time). > > On a personal level, I think questions are far preferable to answers. > Largely because the people I meet that believe they have the answers are > generally insufferable (though not always boorish), and it's not > possible to discuss their answers, only to receive them without comment. > > Unexamined answers, like the unexamined life, are not of much value. But > so too unexamined questions! > > Cheers, > / Bruce / > > >
