Re: What do you think?

Robert blogged about the power of asking “what do you think?” It brought up memories from my formative years when grown-ups had also given me the gift of this question. I don’t know how children elsewhere had it, but these were rare departures from the “grown-ups know best” norm that prevailed in my corner of the world at the time. Mind you, these weren’t the “let’s see what the silly kids think” routine that inevitably comes up at family gatherings. We would have been discussing a topic in earnest, or solving a problem, or mulling over a decision. The stakes may not have been high, but they were real, and that made all the difference. “What do you think?” invited me to participate rather than to merely observe. It showed me that I could contribute meaningfully. Instead of striving to be heard, the challenge was to form an opinion that was worthy of the hearing. Imagine what a rush it would have been, as a child, for your view to be acknowledged; more so, for it to be tested and…