"Freakonomics" by Levitt & Dubner encourages us to ask better questions and not accept the status quo #dmingml

The Art of Asking Discerning Questions

You won't agree with or like everything that Levitt and Dubner present in "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything", but it does make you wonder if we are asking the right questions when we need to be.

Why do the authors think of themselves as “rogue” economists? Levitt and Dubner appeal to the person in the street who doesn't have time to read all of the research available on an area of interest or something significant that appears in a headline. They consider themselves 'rogues' because in essence they don't accept "conventional wisdom" that often draws loose or shaky conclusions from research that is already based on a set of assumptions or firmly held beliefs. They draw upon numerous examples of where this is the case, but because "conventional wisdom" is more about "convenient truth" in that most people can't be bothered really trying to find out what the problem might be, they settle for an explanation or interpretation from someone else, usually an 'expert' or 'authority' figure. What research strategies do the authors offer for posing fresh research questions for our ministry context and problems? Their method is not really rocket science. They take a particular finding or result that supposedly explains the reason for its existence, and then rather than accepting it as truth, begin to explore if there is a better question that should have been asked. It's a form of professional skepticism. Don't believe it until you have absolutely discovered what is the right question to ask. This is a helpful strategy any organisational context. Learn to discern the best question to ask about a given situation. Don't just accept the commonly held view, or what Levitt & Dubner would call "convenient truth." In any context, especially in matters of faith, we are often tempted to become defensive about a position we take, rather than allow others to question it, or even question it at a deeper level ourselves. We find it easier to retreat rather than explore new explanations that have a better foundation. Often in practice, "convenient truth" says don't rock the status quo, keep the peace, even there is a better way.  We need to discover the art of asking discerning questions, and be ready when others do the same.