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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vygIbTY4Cak&t=264s
I still remember back when I was in university, a lecturer explicitly said there are no dumb questions. She welcomed us to ask anything right away whenever we are stuck. I think she’s just trying to encourage us to ask, and I do appreciate her kindness, but I have to disagree: there are indeed stupid questions you shouldn’t be asking.
Asking question is a classic Input-Process-Output progress: If you ask dumb questions, then you are almost guaranteed to get a lousy answer.
There’s one saying “Garbage in, garbage out.” and that couldn’t be more true.
In your life and career, there are five questions you shouldn’t be asking, because either you’ll get a garbage answer, or it will severely harm your reputation at work. It might sound like common sense to you as you read, but believe it or not, you probably have seen people asking such dumb questions over and over again.
Always think twice before you ask!
1. Ask when you can find the answers on Google
You really have no excuse here — information is a lot more accessible thanks to the Internet. Whether it’s the phone number of your favourite restaurant or the weather of a…