What is more important? The question or the answer?

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  1. profile image57
    lar and asrposted 11 years ago

    What is more important? The question or the answer?

    I was reading an interesting book a while ago which mentioned a man who searched for the question,the perfect question. "Not the answer", I said that's crazy. Then I pondered it for a while,the first thing to come up was Douglas Adam's hitchhikers guide the the galaxy and how in the begging of the book the answer of the life universe and everything is given,42.Yet the question is unknown making it far more powerful than the answer. After this thought I figured from what I was reading the writer was pretty intelligent and I didn't even think of questioning Adam's.Is the question more important?

    https://usercontent1.hubstatic.com/7100496_f260.jpg

  2. ginjill ashberry profile image77
    ginjill ashberryposted 11 years ago

    If there is a question, there must be an answer. It depends to the availability of the answer. Whether the person(s) who are supposed to answer the question have the answer to give to the questioner. Most of what we know now was not known a long time ago. And in the future, the question(s) we are unable to answer now; may already be discovered.
    Is the question more important?

    Yes, in the beginning: Because if the question is not known or had never crossed the person who was asked it; the question is then more important than the answer because by asking the question, the questioner is able to provoke the thoughts of the person whom the question was asked; making the question a benefit to him/her (Example:Self discovery).
    No, not in the end: When the answer is known and the question is answered, the answer will be valuable; more important (Example: the antidote for a fatal disease).

  3. whonunuwho profile image52
    whonunuwhoposted 11 years ago

    I would say that they are of equal value. Often a question, in and of itself, may actually answer its own nature of inquiry or influences the answer that follows it. Two examples: Is a victim not so filled with feelings of hate, regret, sadness, and shock, after they have received such humiliation and in a defeating act of a perpetrator, unknown, yet our knowing the face of an empty soul, lost in the world of confusion and turmoil? Is not our God, a benevolent and loving Creator to have made us all from the red clays of this earth and all that is in it, as well as the millions of stars and other worlds that we may see in our mind's eye as being our brothers and sisters? Questions may well have their own answers, in the content of their composition. An interesting inquiry you have proposed.

  4. edhan profile image37
    edhanposted 11 years ago

    With question then there will be answer. But at times, there are many questions but too little answers. So, to me it is both that is important. Without questioning, there will not be an answer. So this goes hand in hand.

  5. bankscottage profile image89
    bankscottageposted 11 years ago

    In life, my experience is that it is often about the journey rather the destination.  So, I would think the question is more important than the answer.

  6. profile image0
    JThomp42posted 11 years ago

    I would think this falls under the same concept of "The chicken or the egg" came first. We really have no way of knowing? Very interesting.

  7. shivanchirakkal10 profile image57
    shivanchirakkal10posted 11 years ago

    At first sight, one may think the question is important. But I think it depend upon the question and the answer. Because an answer can rise a question. A question also generate answer.
    Any how, the process of question - answer - question -answer - started from million of years invented many many great things helpful to change the world like this. So we can encourage both question and answer.
    Not only answers  but also questions are not guaranteed  in life. In life nothing is guaranteed. Every thing will end for a new thing.

  8. phillippeengel profile image83
    phillippeengelposted 11 years ago

    If you don't answer the questions as specified in the examinations, how would you expect to succeed and flourish? Man-made subjects have to be answered, but the purpose of life cannot be answered.

  9. NateB11 profile image88
    NateB11posted 11 years ago

    If you can explore the question, understand the question, follow it through to the end, it will reveal itself. You don't need an answer, you just need to understand the question. If you do it, you will see it. The answer is not separate from the question.

  10. profile image0
    Larry Wallposted 11 years ago

    Without the question, there is no answer. The answer might exist, but we may not know why it exist until we know the question. A couple can know they are in love and assume they will be married, but until there is a question, followed by an answer, there is no real commitment.

  11. meenakshizone profile image57
    meenakshizoneposted 11 years ago

    Neither a question nor any answer is important. What is important is the mind that creates questions and seeks answers. The ideal things is not to have answers to your all questions, it is rather having the mind of which all the questions have been dissolved.

 
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