The Seven Most Important Questions in the English Language

The most important questions, and the starting point for The Right Questions, are the words where, what, why, when, who, how, and which.  Using just seven interrogative words as the basis of a strategic questioning methodology can seem too simple at a first glance but the reason for the success of ‘The Right Questions’ approach is that these seven interrogative words are part of the basic building blocks of our language and are therefore hardwired into our thinking.  In this way the simplicity becomes a fundamental strength of the system. That is why they are the most important questions of all.

“Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all.”

Winston Churchill

The interrogatives and what they mean

Through language we seek to find efficient ways of expressing ourselves and communicating with others.  English is an evolving language and has been refined so that there are only seven (primary) interrogative categories [1]:

  • Where PLACE (of which whence (source) and whither (destination) are derivatives)
  • What THING
  • Why REASON
  • How MANNER
  • When TIME
  • Who PERSON (of which whom and whose are derivatives)
  • Which SELECTION

Language and thought

“Language is the dress of thought.”

Samuel Johnson

Our language has developed over hundreds of years to reflect the things we most need to ask – therefore it is logical that we should look to the first principles of English when we approach a problem.  It is a simple concept but all too often we forget to ask each of the seven basic questions in reference to a given problem or we do not frame the questions properly.  If we do not ask the right questions (the most important questions) we are unlikely to come up with the right answers.

Language does not affect only our communication; it also affects our thinking.  Philosophers have long debated as to whether our thinking is truly free or if we are constrained linguistically.  For example Ludwig Wittgenstein said:

“The limits of my language means the limits of my world.”

Ludvig Wittgenstein

Benjamin Lee Whorf went as far as to say that our native tongue limits the way we think and act in what he referred to as the ‘principle of linguistic relativity’. At the other end of the spectrum Jerry Fodor proposes that there is a ‘language of thought’ encoded in the mind that transcends linguistic communities and has been the basis for the common elements in various languages.

Whatever our philosophical persuasion, science shows that as we observe, absorb and remember things, we create neural pathways in our brains that speed up thinking, recall and decision-making and that language becomes an intrinsic part of this process.

The power of association

For example, in languages such as French, Spanish and German where objects have a gender assignment, there is an association built in to the language that means speakers are more likely to think of those items as being either more masculine or feminine in nature (whereas in reality they are non-gender specific), than in the case of a language such as English that does not have gender assignment.

Knowing the power of association that words may have can be very useful.  For example psychiatrists have used this knowledge to explore further how our minds work and help to diagnose and treat people with psychological issues.

In another vein Tony Buzan has applied these principles more broadly in his writing on memory techniques and used them to develop his Mind Mapping technique of note taking.

But as our brains make certain connections and associations we can all too easily be led down a certain train of thought or have our thinking constrained.  As George Orwell noted:

“If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”

George Orwell

Interviewers who want to get a certain answer have exploited this fact and – at the most extreme level – hypnotists and advertisers have used the persuasive nature of language to influence our actions and decisions.

Freeing our thinking

This kind of constraining influence is something we want to avoid when thinking strategically; we need to be able to ‘think outside the box’. We need something that helps us to be creative and yet have some form, a tool that is comprehensive but that is also second nature to us.

This is why using interrogatives, the Wh-words in English, is so useful: they are tools that we already have at our disposal.  As they are open questions we can use them to think freely and not just to get a closed ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response.  This is also why journalists and law enforcers – seeking to get the facts of a situation and avoid leading questions – have employed ‘the 5 Ws’ question technique.

The evolution of the 5Ws

It was found that the ‘5 Ws’ was not complete without the ‘H’ of ‘How?’ and therefore they became six questions.  The final ‘W’ of ‘Which?’ (that deals with the idea of selection) is less important when just information gathering about one particular incident but it is important to us in planning because we need to consider the choice between courses of actions.  This is why ‘The Right Questions’ makes use of all the seven interrogatives.

Therefore The Right Questions expands on what we already know; words that we have in our language already.  This subconscious knowledge of the system is what makes it profound – we do not need to invent words or use jargon to explain it.  The basis of The Right Questions is a framework that already exists in English and is just amplified so we can apply it specifically to matters of importance such as personal effectiveness and business strategy.

For how to apply The Right Questions framework check out What are The Right Questions for Decision Making and Strategic Planning?

If you want the right answers you have to start with the right questions

About The Right Questions

The Right Questions is for people who want greater clarity, purpose and success. There is a wealth of resources to boost your effectiveness in achieving goals, your leadership of yourself and others, and your decision-making.

Wherever you are on your journey, I hope that you find information on this site to help you on the next leg of your quest. Even if that is just the inspiration to take one small step in the right direction, then that is a success. If you can take pleasure in learning and travelling as you go, then so much the better.

Need help navigating your journey to success?

I love to serve people, helping them unlock their potential, empowering them as leaders, and assisting them in achieving their goals. Please get in touch and let me know how I can support you!

How To Turn Goals, Visions And Dreams Into Reality With Visualisation

What do you dream about becoming or achieving? Did you know that there are powerful tools in psychology and physiology that can help you succeed with your vision?

I think I can safely say that most of us, if not all, daydream from time to time.  Daydreaming can be a pleasant distraction but there is a more productive side to where our thoughts may wander. Firstly, of course, there is the fact that we generally have some underlying desire for the things we daydream about.  Therefore these dreams can give us clues to the things we aspire to; what we value and where we would like to be. But there is an important psychological element to dreaming too.  That process is called visualisation.

“I dream of painting, then I paint my dream”

Vincent Van Gogh

What is visualisation?

Visualising something can actually make something more real, opening neural pathways and awakening muscles in preparation for action. Dwelling upon something in our mind’s eye can help us achieve our goal more effectively.

This concept, known as ‘Creative Visualisation’, has had a huge impact on professional sports.  Mental preparation is now seen as just as important, if not more important, than physical training.

One of the most cited examples of the scientific evidence for this approach is that of the study carried out by Russian coaches and scientists prior to the 1980 Olympic games.  They took four groups of world-class athletes and gave them training regimes that reflected:

  1.  100% physical training
  2. 75% physical training, 25% mental training
  3. 50% physical training, 50% mental training
  4. 25% physical training, 75% mental training

Amazingly it was the fourth group that demonstrated the greatest improvement.  Even though they were training for a physical event, the less mental training involved in the training, the less the improvement.  Thereby the Russian team had proved the key link between the psychological and physiological; the effect of visualisation, particularly on our muscular and physical actions.

How to visualise something effectively

The technique is applied beyond sports. It is widely used in performance coaching for individuals working in any and every field of endeavour.  Visualisation is just as useful in preparing for negotiation or an interview as it is for a race. It is something that all of us can utilise at some level, as the principles are actually very simple.

The key to good visualisation is to employ as many senses as possible while you are picturing something: imagine you can not just see, but also hear, taste, smell and touch the things in your dream.  Turn up the senses to the max: make it vivid, loud, and as tangible as possible.  You can also speak out what you see or write down a description of the vision. This helps to further solidify the dream in your mind.

The power of positive language

The use of language is another important tool and one that has been appreciated for hundreds, if not thousands of years.  If you look at the religious disciplines of meditation, prayer and reading scriptures you can see how the vocalising of ideas, with the view to changing our actions, is sufficiently important as to be embedded in many cultures across the globe.

The idea of ‘affirmations’ is similar to mantras and meditations. They are just phrases we repeat out loud – spoken in the present tense but regarding something in the future – whether that someone we want to be or something we want to achieve.  It is important that you genuinely believe you can achieve your goal when you are speaking it out but if you find that hard you don’t worry. Your confidence should grow as you continue to picture and verbalise your dream over time.

Positive body language and physiology

It is also worth noting that as the mind has an effect on the body, so the body has an effect on the mind.  Our bearing, the way we hold ourselves actually has an impact on our mental state.  Think about basic body language, for example crossing one’s arms.  This is generally seen as a defensive stance, reflecting a defensive mental state.  You may have just been criticised and subconsciously you may adjust your position and take this stance without noticing it.  But, if you are mindful of your position then you can affect your mental state.  If you choose to stand with your arms crossed your mind is likely to become defensive. But, if you think about your stance, uncross your arms and take on a more open posture, you are more likely to respond positively to the criticism.

Here is another example.  When we see someone standing up straight looking people in the eye we perceive them to be a confident person; maybe a leader.  If we see folk who are slouching and avoiding eye contact we are likely to think they are shy. If they are acting strangely we might even think they are shifty or untrustworthy.  No one feels confident all the time. But we can make a positive impression, no matter how we are feeling if we control our bodies. By pulling our shoulders back, standing tall and looking directly at people we can appear confident. This will not only project strength but also it will actually put you in a more confident frame of mind.

The following TED talk by Amy Cuddy explains some more about this phenomenon:

“Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that all was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, and make it possible.” 

T E Lawrence

If you want the right answers you have to start with the right questions

About The Right Questions

The Right Questions is for people who want greater clarity, purpose and success. There is a wealth of resources to boost your effectiveness in achieving goals, your leadership of yourself and others, and your decision-making.

Wherever you are on your journey, I hope that you find information on this site to help you on the next leg of your quest. Even if that is just the inspiration to take one small step in the right direction, then that is a success. If you can take pleasure in learning and travelling as you go, then so much the better.

Need help navigating your journey to success?

I love to serve people, helping them unlock their potential, empowering them as leaders, and assisting them in achieving their goals. Please get in touch and let me know how I can support you!