Question!

This is the title of a song by System of a Down, and unless you're into heavy handed (but beautifully crafted) crossover I don't recommend looking it up to hear what it sounds like, I just wanted to use the title.
The reason why I like it is because it says "question" but it's not a question, it's an imperative.
And I do that a lot (most people would say "way too much"),I question all the time, and it's easy to misinterpret the reasons that make me do it: people think I question to prove I'm right.
I admit it, I am a little bit of a know-it-all at times (and by the way, almost everybody becomes one at some point) and I can easily see how one could reach that conclusion. I don't mind being wrong though, understanding why or how I'm wrong helps me grow and make fewer mistakes going forward. And trust me, I've made a lot of mistakes in my life...that's how I learnt almost anything I know. Therefore, going back to the "Question!" piece, here's the fundamental concept:

-I don't question to be right, I question to understand-

This concept is key. And it's not only for my own understanding, it's also for my interlocutors: I might question their position, so that they're forced to think it through and either find a way to reinforce it, or reconsider. Either way there's a benefit: they come out of a discussion with a better position, or they drop a weak one.
I believe the technical term for this kind of approach is "Dialectical Inquiry" or something like that (trying to translate obscure labels from Italian here, bear with me :)). When I was in school it was everywhere, my professors made me question everything, even my own sanity (guess that should have been a red flag right there:)), and although at times it turned out to be painful, the results were incredible.
I'm a firm believer in dialog as a tool, and it's not just because I'm Italian (we question all the time, argue, yell at each other and then we're happier).
The thing is, dialog is the most powerful thing that can move us past our own convictions. Also, it's a great way to get around missing information or data: by confronting the knowledge and positions of 2 people, they blend and generate a more complete view...sometimes the addition might even expose potentials for connecting the dots and generating even more understanding.
Of course there are differences in the different cultures that can affect this: like I said, in Italy we take it for granted, we probably even do it too much; in other cultures the process might not work because it violates certain accepted rules of behavior, and some filtering affects the outcome; in other, less desirable cultures, the mere act of questioning might cost you your freedom...or your life.

Therefore, the bottom line is: Question! ... but be careful

Mahalo