#1
#2
a pad fell from my bag at school, he saw it and came to me asking what it was because "he always saw them in his sister room but everyone refused to tell him".
explained him what it was, told him it was for the menstrual cycle. had to explain that too, he had no idea what I was talking about.
and that's why I firmly believe we NEED this kind of education at school.
#3
With so much information always available at our fingertips, it might seem like everyone is extremely knowledgeable. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case, as too many sources of information can actually leave people confused and overwhelmed. This is probably why some folks reach out to others to clarify their doubts, even if it might seem silly.
To understand more about this phenomenon, Bored Panda reached out to Scott. He is a teacher in Melbourne, Australia, who makes videos on topics that inspire in him a sense of curiosity and wonder. Scott said that “people need to search for answers to things they want to know about and people who are in a position to answer need to minimise judgement.”
“We all have unique experiences, which means we may or may not know certain things. Therefore, we should be patient with people. People should make the habit of asking questions to find out more about the world, to clarify, to wonder, and to be curious. Seeking to understand things more deeply is a beautiful thing we should always encourage,” he said.
#4
It took me grabbing two different, empty pint glasses, filling one with water, then pouring the water into the other glass, for the guy to understand the basic concept of volume.
#5
A few years later I was telling my boyfriend this story and he also didn't understand why it wouldn't unlock.
So I've met two adults that didn't know their fingerprints were different on each finger.
#6
My sister is 47.
You might have noticed in this list how some folks ask questions that might seem silly or stupid. They aren’t worried about the judgment they might face from other people or how they may be perceived by everyone else. It seems like folks like that truly want to learn and aren’t afraid to ask questions to clarify whatever doubts they may have.
We asked Scott whether it’s a good habit to ask stupid questions. He said: “I actually reject the idea of a ‘stupid question.’ If a person asks a question because they genuinely want to know the answer, it cannot be a [silly] question.”
“I understand some people may be embarrassed by not knowing something they think they should know, and so they may preface a question with ‘this might be a stupid question,” but this is something we need to move past,” he explained.
We also reached out to Vanessa Van Edwards, the founder of the ‘Science of People,’ which provides people with science-based communication tips that they can use in all facets of their lives. Vanessa explained that “there’s no such thing as a stupid question. Seriously!”
“Asking questions that might sound basic is actually kind of like raising your hand in a room full of people too shy to admit they’re confused. One brave question like, ‘Wait, are eggs dairy?’ can spark aha moments for everyone. It builds trust, shows you’re real, and let’s be honest, it’s way better than pretending you know it all,” she added.
#7
#8
#9
Nobody wants to feel left out or not be informed about important topics. The truth is that no matter how much people try, they won’t be able to know everything. Rather than feeling ashamed about these information gaps, it’s better to own them and ask questions to learn more.
Scott said, “We all have unique experiences. There are so many reasons why someone may not know something even if we think they ‘should.’ As a teacher, one of my jobs is to address alternate conceptions or misconceptions—someone misunderstands something and tries to fit that incorrect knowledge into their idea of how things work.”
“I think that some ‘silly questions’ are people trying to sort this out themselves, and to grow a deeper and more full understanding of the world. We’d all do well to not judge this person, but to do our best to help them understand.”
“One of the reasons I started my YouTube channel is to ask questions, wonder, and to be curious. It’s my hope that this will inspire people to do the same, for when people seek to understand, we make the world better,” he added.
#10
#11
No darling, you travelled north, not up.
When someone asks something that might seem silly or spews incorrect information, the best thing to do is to clarify what’s right. Instead of overcomplicating the matter, it’s best to simply communicate the facts so that they are easy to understand by one and all. This is exactly how more people will be able to learn and retain information.
Schools and other institutions may not always teach things in simple and easy-to-understand ways. This is why some folks still feel confused and leave with incomplete or incorrect information. It’s therefore important to encourage all types of questions, while also explaining the truth in a way even a young child could understand.
Vanessa also explained that the reason people may ask ‘silly’ questions about the world is because “school or our parents didn’t cover it. Other times, we’ve heard a crazy story from a TV show or some other media and we take it for the truth. Or maybe they just never needed to know.”
Vanessa also said: “One thing that I liked when reading those stories was how much courage it takes to ask something ‘silly.’ One Redditor didn’t even know that a computer mouse isn’t a pet. It’s easy to laugh but harder to appreciate that they actually spoke up about it.”
#13
At first I assumed she had the version of the tablet with a sim card and it wasn't set properly, but no, she had the standard version. She expected her home wifi to work everywhere. I tried, for fifteen minutes, to explain to her how wifi worked but she would have none of it. She thought I was treating her like an idiot (not at first but after twenty minutes of her not understanding wifi I for sure was...) and asked to speak to my manager.
Twenty minutes later I saw her still arguing with my manager...
#14
#15
I had to explain that yes, even though we both use dollars and cents, Canada has its own currency. She was young (still an adult) but completely shocked as it hit her that she was in a foreign country. She kind of freaked out.
No matter what age an adult is, they will always have more things to learn about life and the world around them. So, even though it might be amusing to see some of the silly things folks have asked or spoken about, it’s important to remember that everyone is trying their best.
Have you ever been in a situation like this where you had to explain something very basic to a person? Do share your experience in the comments below.
#16
#17
#19
#20
First one was a post it note someone had stuck to her screen, the second was the face plate of an exit sign that had fallen on the floor and someone had leaned up against her screen so she'd know to call maintenance to have it put back up.
It was confusing trying to decipher over the phone why "there's a green error and a man running out a door" until I went over to see it for myself.