Which is more important - the question or the answer?

Some people say that the question is more important than the answer. Obviously, you can't get an answer unless you first have a question. However, let's face it. It's a lot harder to come up with the answer than the question. Should we give credit to the guy who said "why can't men fly?" over the guy who invented the jet engine? I think not.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

The Thinker - the question.
The Doer - the answer.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

What about a Thinker/Doer? Or, does that person not exist?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

The right question is more important, since it leads to the right answer, eventually. The wrong questions keep getting wrong answers and resolve nothing.

 

Why should either be judged as important? Traditionally, these things have been evaluated ex post and according to success/usefulness by posterity. That, of course, is a cultural style. I'm not qualified to speak on Greek or 'Eastern' attitudes and preferences towards questions or answers but I expect there are cultural variations.

 

Da Vinci was pretty good at both.

 

Not the right question vs. the wrong question. Question v. Answer.

 

If the question is more important than the answer, is there a point answering this thread when you have covered that which is most important?

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

 

Of course, if only to know whether it was the right question, otherwise its all nugatory.

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

 

Actually, if you think about it carefully, neither is more important than the other because both belong to the same unit—like an iceberg.

 

Perhaps but asking the wrong questions will take you away from the answer.

But I suppose, one might say, they would increase the possibilities of asking the right question, especially if you keep at them.

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

 

How can you tell when it's the right question but the wrong answer, as opposed to the right answer but the wrong question? Does this qualify as philosophy 101 yet?

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

 

Depends on what the question is meant for. Hence, the right question.

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

 

The question is more important.

The question leads to action. Answers with no effort lead to no development from within. There would be no need to research and discovery would be a thing of the past.

After all we are all discovers and seekers. Trill seekers or reseachers in science math and astronomy. Even a addict seeks an intense high.

Desire is created in the question...not the answer.

 

But, isn't the answer more useful? Afterall, once you answered a question - anybody who knows the answer you devised won't get much desire from the question - but they could still utilize the answer you came up with.

 

A-ha—got it. Both are independent from each other but are transformed by each other while still retaining their independency. So there's the question, which becomes a question with an answer. Then there's the answer, that became the answer from the question.

 

Yes, but the answer it'self generates no particular drive. a question at it's very understands requires you to move forward.

An answer requires a decsion.

 

An answer might not be known to be an answer without solving a question. Whatever. Somehow I tend to think the quest in its entirety IS the answer in the end.

 

There is what I call the "Jermey Packsman" delusion.

Ie the person asking the question has more authority merely by asking a question than providing an answer.

I think questions are as valid as anwsers, though it depends on the question.

 

Sure, asking the right question is a challenge. But, answering that question is usually a challenge too.